He may think that ignoring her the way he has been is the best course of action, and I have to admit, for a male in his position, it probably is, which leaves it up to me to take care of. She’s been leading up to something the last few times her name was mentioned as if she was feeling me out or something, but I saw her coming a mile away and was ready for her to make the first move.
The best way to deal with an enemy in the shadows is to never give her the opportunity to get on the playing field. I’m going to always stay one step ahead of her until she burns herself out. So far, she hasn’t approached me personally, but her friends never miss an opportunity to mention within hearing distance, of course, how great she is and what she has going on.
I never show any interest or that I’d even heard, while all the while, I store away the information for my own personal use, like the party I’m planning to have the week before the one her friends keep raving about. This, I’m sure, will be like throwing down the gauntlet since I have no plans on inviting her or attending anything with her name on it. That would be a violation of Cody’s trust and where I draw the line.
She’s already tried to preempt me there since the sorority is big on members and getting along, but every time she plans something outside of the sorority, I’m going to be busy with something else. If they give me any trouble, I’ll just have Blaire Astor Davenport take care of it. I’ll match my tiger mom to her lobbyist mother any day, and I’m sure I will win.
LISA
The meeting that day went without issue, but Susie wasn’t there, which could be the reason for that. I found myself enjoying being there more than I’d expected and even genuinely growing to like some of the girls. They were more down-to-earth, more real, as Jess puts it, unlike my mom, who I do admit is a bit of an elitist in some of her thinking and from whom I’d forged my ideas about the whole sorority chapter thing.
But seeing is believing, and so far, even Jess, who still had her misgivings after being accepted, was changing her tune. I myself admit to being pleasantly surprised, not only by what they do here but by the ease with which those who matter seem to have accepted Jess, Alexis, and me without question, even going so far as to invite us out to eat with them when time allowed. So far, Cody has nixed that idea, which is fine with me and doesn’t seem to have any negative effect on their impressions of me.
That made what I had planned next easier, the fact that I got along with most of the members, some of whom still idolized my mom. She was the first one I called as soon as I left the building that evening. Cody wasn’t here to pick me up yet, so I had a few minutes to spare, and I was well prepared for this opening act in the little play I was about to start. “Mom, do you still have some of grandma’s stationery?”
“Of course.”
“What about her calling cards and invitations?”
“I have all of it, and if not, your grandma will find some from somewhere.” The stationery in question is bespoke from Bennetons in Paris, and my maternal family has been using it since the place came into existence back in the late eighteen hundreds. These days only mom and grandma really use it, but with the internet and what have you, no one else has the time anymore.
“Can you send me some, do you think? Oh, and thank you cards.”
“Lisa, whatever has gotten into you? You’ve never been interested in that stuff.” No mom, what thirteen-year-old do you know likes to spend hours practicing how to write with a ten-thousand-dollar fountain pen when everyone in her age group has the latest tablet?
“I thought about it, and it just seems like the ideal thing to do in this situation. I want to hold a party for the sisters, but I don’t want it to be just any party. I was thinking of doing something more along the lines of a soiree. Do you think that would be too much?” I knew the reason there was dead silence on the other end of the line was because mom had fainted or got the vapors.
The delight in her voice when she finally answered made me feel a tad bit guilty that I’d denied her this pleasure for so long. Yes, I’d taken the writing lessons and such, but there was never any doubt that I hated every minute of it. I’m a hundred percent sure when I hang up this phone, mom will be on the phone to everyone we know with the news that her daughter is finally willing to send out four hundred dollars thank you cards.