Besides, I didn’t know anyone that was there, or so I thought until some of the sisters showed up to join the other hangers-on. And now Melissa, someone who I’d bent over backward to please the last four years without much success, was going gaga over the stupid car as well.
I calmed myself with the fact that mom promised to help. I’d laid it all out for her, knowing that, like me, she hates to lose. The fact that dad liked Cody was a huge selling point for her as well, and I can’t wait for her visit in a couple of weeks so things can get back on track.
The sisters are usually very excited when mom comes to visit, not only because of her job but because she’s beautiful and vivacious, something most of the young women here aspire to be. She’s also good for a free dinner here and there when she’s in the mood or when I want something from them that they’re not willing to give.
LISA
“How’re you going to do this without her knowing anything about it? Somebody’s bound to talk.” Jess looked over my shoulder as I closed the last envelope with a flourish.
“It doesn’t matter if she does; what matters is who accepts my invitation.”
“She’s going to cause a stink when she realizes she wasn’t invited.”
“I thought about that; I didn’t want to make things too obvious but think about it. If you knew a guy who drugged and almost abused a girl, would you hang out with that guy? Especially if the girl was someone close to you?”
“She’s got a point, Jess. But what are you going to do if she confronts you, Lisa? And you know she will; she seems the type.” Alexis is still slightly afraid of Susie’s reputation, which she’s been learning more about since joining the sorority.
Even though she had her own reasons for joining and Jess never wanted any part of it, they’ve both been staying on top of things, milking the others for information which we go over together like little detectives. Well, I’ve always been into research, which just so happens to be my field of interest, so I’ll write this off as part of my extra curriculum.
“I’ll just tell her the truth, that I don’t like her.”
“No way. What has gotten into you? You hate confrontation.”
“She messed with my Cody.” I guess my words were harsher than intended because Jess playfully held her hands up and backed away with a pretend look of fear on her face.
“Okay, Assunta Maresca, sheath those claws.”
“Who?”
“Look it up.” Jess is a font of unnecessary information. I know more about stuff that doesn’t matter because of her. She sucks up information like a sponge, then squeezes it out all over me. I didn’t have time to Google her latest little tidbit now, though; I’m a woman on a mission.
Mom had come through, even going so far as to hire a candygram service to deliver the invitations by hand along with some very expensive European chocolate. Thankfully most of the invitations are going to the same place, or this poor guy or girl would be all over the place tomorrow.
I’d told Cody about the party over dinner, kind of snuck it in while he and the others were going on and on about the car. He’d been too preoccupied to question it, which was my plan all along. I have everything mapped out like a drill sergeant on base down to the last little detail; if only he’d stop giving me those suspicious looks, I’d be straight.
He’d grumbled some more about taking the car, but I played deaf and dumb until he went his merry way. I’m not sure how he’s going to respond when I ask him for his information to put on the insurance. Dad explained that since he was the one who would be doing most of the driving until I got my license, which would be the thirtieth of February in the year never, he needed to be insured to drive the car in case something happened.
Knowing Cody, I’ll have to wait until he’s in a very good mood to bring it up, but I have my ways. All things considered, things were going rather well so far; I was just waiting for any tidbits of gossip to come my way to learn about Susie’s reaction to the car. Right now, she probably doesn’t know that it’s Cody’s; then again, neither does he.
“I don’t know what got into you since you came here, but I like it.”
“The student has surpassed the teacher, I guess.” I teased Jess as I put the invitations aside to be picked up and got started on the thank you notes. Thank heavens there were only a few of those to be done because my hands were already tired. Mom had insisted that the invites be handwritten, with a Montblanc no less and each envelope closed with the gold foil seal with our family emblem, like anyone here would recognize it.