“Don’t worry about it, my treat.” Her mouth fell open, and Jess just shook her head.
“Are you insane? You can’t pay that kind of money for me.”
“Why not? Pay me back when you get your first job.” This felt so good. Beyond spitting in Susie’s eye, knowing that I could give my friend something she wanted gave me a weird sort of boost. I have yet to figure out what to do with the money dad has started adding to my new account, along with what mom already sends me, and I can’t think of a better way to put it to good use.
“What am I saying? There’s no guarantee we’d be accepted anyway.” Alexis loves to fret, I’d noticed. It’s her way of preparing herself for the worst, especially if it’s something she really wants. For that reason, the more I thought about it, the more it became about doing something good for her than it was about getting back at Susie, like a two-for-one deal. I wanted to see the excitement on her face when I gave her something she truly wanted.
“You wanna bet.” I had no doubt that one phone call was all it would take and some wheedling on my part to get mom to put in a good word for Jess and Alexis. I’m not sure exactly what Susie’s up to. Maybe she expects me to have egg on my face seeing as how she has no idea who my family is, and I’m looking forward to turning the tables on her.
For once, I was grateful for mom’s teachings about not standing out, not showing off, etc. Because I know very well how girls like Susie think when they think they have the upper hand, I have no doubt she sees me as someone less than her. But that old saying about the ones who boast too much rings true here, and like Jess said, my family could buy hers ten times over and not bat a lash.
There’s no reason for me to broadcast that, but neither is there one for me not to put my considerable resources to good use when needed. I’m not sure exactly where Cody fits in with this part of the deal. I doubt she saw him as some kind of trophy, but then again, maybe she does. I’m sure she knows that her family’s wealth is way beyond his; his old clunker is glaring evidence of that.
But he’d never said, and no one had ever intimated that she’d used that as part of her campaign to win him over. I just know how her kind thinks, and I know that her wealth is probably about all she has to stand on, that and her parents’ positions. That’s why I’m going this route, even though I find it moronic, to say the least.
Had she known anything about Cody, she’d have known that money and prestige mean nothing to him. He’s more likely to care about a person’s nature than how deep their pockets are, which in a roundabout way just might work for me. Cody, as was proven when he didn’t fly off the handle upon realizing that it was I who’d asked my dad to help his dad, is not one to put on airs and act dumb when something is for his benefit.
He might not ask for help, but he won’t refuse it when given in good faith. Susie seems the type to beat him over the head with her wealth, while I plan to be more subtle with my little gifts. Not because I’m trying to buy him, I don’t think it’s possible, but because of the joy, I’d receive from doing things for the boy who’d won my heart. And if I could trample all over Susie’s ego in the process, yeah me.
“This hitting back thing is so much fun; who knew?” I keep reminding myself to be careful not to get lost in my little game, but I have to admit that being on the other side of the bully game is exciting. Not that I plan to bully anyone, I’m not that weak, but giving as good as I get fills me with unbridled joy. I can see why some people like to play these one-upmanship games, though, for me, they’d probably get old quick.
I wouldn’t have gone this route, but since she made the first play, why not? “Jess, you’re in, right?”
“Yeah, I can’t let you two have all the fun. But you owe me. You know how much I hate stuff like this.”
“I know; you can choose something equally abhorrent for me to do.” That perked her up. She probably had visions of me rock climbing or one of the other inane things she’s so fond of.
“I guess we have to go shopping again. It’s this weekend, right? Hmm.”