Too Much Drama (8 page)

Post-Party
A lot to write about

It's New Year's Day, so HAPPY NEW YEAR! Sophie slept over after the party and she just left, so I feel like I should write about last night and finish the year out before I start writing about the new one.

Kaitlin decorated her house with tons of black, gold, and sparkly New Year's Eve stuff she bought. Her brother and dad hung twinkly lights in the trees in the backyard, and her mom made amazing food. Her brother's best friend was the DJ and played great music. Everyone was dancing, and it was really fun.

I'd been a little worried all day about Leo, but he had a great time too. He's not a great dancer—actually, he's pretty bad—but he gets an A for effort, and he looked like he was having fun when we danced.

We spent a lot of time just hanging out with my friends, especially Billy and Sophie. They were asking Leo all about going to college. I could tell he felt good that they thought it was cool he's smart enough to be going at sixteen.

As it got closer to midnight, Kaitlin was giving out hats and shakers and blowers and glow sticks. When the clock struck twelve, everyone was screaming and going crazy. I had a blower, which I blew into Leo's face. “Happy New Year!” I said.

Leo laughed and took the blower out of my mouth. He had a New Years hat on that he put on my head and said, “Happy New Year, April!”

Then he leaned over and kissed me. I was surprised he'd kissed me at the party, and I looked at him to see if I could figure out what he was thinking. It was hard to read his expression, and it would have been weird to just stand there looking at him, so I looked around the room.

I guess part of me was looking to see if anyone had been watching us. The party was packed with people, and I don't really think anyone cared what Leo and I were doing. But as I looked, I saw Sophie, who was standing next to Billy, turn and kiss him on the lips. It wasn't a quick kiss like the one Leo gave me. And Billy kissed her back. And unfortunately, I wasn't the only one who saw it.

I looked at Emily and Vanessa, who were standing nearby, and I saw that they were watching too. Vanessa saw me watching her, and made a face like what she'd just witnessed wasn't something that should have happened. Then she leaned over and whispered something to Emily, who turned and looked at me.

I looked at Brynn, who was standing next to Vanessa and Emily. Her back was turned to Billy and Sophie, so I knew she hadn't seen the kiss. But I also knew that she would definitely hear about it from Vanessa and Emily. The only question was when.

I got an answer to that question before I left the party. Vanessa and Emily cornered me when I came out of the bathroom. “We're telling Brynn,” said Vanessa.

I didn't have to ask what she meant. “Why would you do that?” I asked.

Emily made this weird, high-pitched sound. “Brynn deserves to know that Sophie is going after Billy.”

“Don't you think that's going to upset her?” I asked.

Emily rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”

“Sophie should have thought of that before she kissed Billy,” added Vanessa.

I didn't know what else to say to Vanessa or Emily. Sophie kissed Billy, but he didn't exactly
not
kiss her back. They know as well as I do that Billy isn't going out with Brynn anymore. He's free to kiss whomever he wants.

I felt sick as I thought about what Brynn will do when she finds out. I wanted to ask when they were planning to tell her and suggest that a good time would be after we graduate. But I knew it would be a whole lot sooner than that.

When the party started to die down, I told Leo good-bye, and Sophie and I left. As we were walking home, Sophie linked her arm through mine. “I like Billy,” she said. There it was—a delayed response to the question I'd asked at May's game. She looked so happy. And oblivious.

I didn't want to upset her, but she had to know what happened with Vanessa and Emily outside the bathroom. As I told her, her smile disappeared. “It's no one's business if I like Billy. If Emily and Vanessa get involved, it's just stupid, small-town gossip.”

It was the first time I'd ever heard Sophie say anything negative about Faraway. “I'm sorry,” I said. “I had to tell you.” I paused. “I don't know what Brynn will do.”

I could see Sophie's frown, even in the dark. “Brynn doesn't own Billy,” she said. “It's a free country. He can like whoever he wants.”

“True,” I said. “Billy can do what he wants.”

I didn't say this, but so can Brynn.

New Year's Day
Disaster strikes

Dad closed the Love Doctor Diner today and had a brunch there for my extended family, which should have been great because Dad makes the best brunch. Ham, bacon, cheese grits, scrambled eggs, biscuits, and homemade cinnamon rolls.

Unfortunately, Mom decided (without asking me) to include Billy's and Brynn's families. “Mom, how could you do that?” I asked. I put my empty juice glass down on the kitchen counter. Granted, Mom didn't know what happened last night at the party, but she's aware that Brynn and I aren't speaking to each other. “I don't see how you could invite the Stephenses. It's going to be so uncomfortable.”

“They have been family friends for a long time,” said Mom.

“That's not a reason to invite them, especially without asking me.”

“April, it's a new year,” said Mom. “You and Brynn should both be able to put aside whatever is happening between you and get along for a few hours.”

I knew the matter was closed. Mom couldn't uninvite them. But as I got dressed to go to the diner, I felt the orange juice I'd drunk churning in my stomach. I didn't know if Vanessa and Emily had told Brynn yet about what happened, but I literally felt sick thinking about it.

The bad feeling I had about how the day would turn out grew as my extended family filtered in. By the time Sophie and her mom arrived, and then Billy and his family, I had a sinking feeling about what was going to happen. Unfortunately, it turns out my intuition was spot on.

I saw Brynn's face as she walked into the diner, and I knew she'd heard what happened at the party. She went straight up to Sophie. She hugged her and whispered something in her ear. I could tell from the way Sophie recoiled that whatever Brynn had said to her wasn't as sweet a greeting as it seemed.

Brynn looked at Billy, but she didn't say anything to him. Then she walked toward me and gave me the same hug she'd just given Sophie. “I hate you,” she whispered in my ear. Her words sounded more like a threat than a statement.

My eyes found Billy's. We've been friends for so long I think he understood that there was a problem. He walked over to where Brynn and I were standing and looped his arms around both of us. To everyone else, I'm sure it looked like a friendly gesture. He steered us outside and motioned for Sophie to follow.

“What's the problem?” he asked when we were finally out of earshot. I didn't say anything, and neither did Sophie.

“You're disgusting,” Brynn said to Sophie. She practically spat the words at her.

“OK, calm down,” Billy said. Even though he didn't look in Brynn's direction, I knew it was meant for her. “We can figure this out.”

Billy loves diplomacy as much as he hates confrontation. I knew his intention in bringing all of us outside was to clear things up. I also knew it wasn't happening.

“Everyone saw you kiss Billy at the party,” Brynn said to Sophie. “I guess you don't care about your reputation.”

“Brynn!” said Billy.

Sophie looked hurt. “You and Billy broke up,” she said.

Brynn moved away from Sophie, like being anywhere near her was physically unpleasant. She turned her attention to Billy. “You're so pathetic,” she said.

Then she looked at me. “And you're nothing. You're absolutely nothing to me, and you never will be.” Then she put her hand on her head and went back inside and said something to her mother. A few minutes later the Stephenses left.

Not a great way to start the new year.

Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, “It will be happier.”

—Alfred Lord Tennyson

Friday, January 2, 9:15 a.m.
Waking up

I woke up this morning to Mom sitting on the edge of my bed. “What happened yesterday outside the diner? Carol called this morning, and she's concerned about what's going on with you and Brynn. So am I.”

The last thing I wanted was for the moms to get involved. Sleepiness was my only weapon. I closed my eyes. “Mom, I'm not even awake yet. I don't want to talk about this.”

But Mom wasn't letting it go. “April, I know you and Brynn have had some issues, but you, Billy, Brynn, and Sophie were outside talking yesterday. and you all looked upset. Did something happen?”

There was no way I was telling Mom about Sophie and Billy kissing or what happened at the party with Emily and Vanessa. “Don't worry,” I said. I yawned like I was going back to sleep. “It'll all work out,” I mumbled.

But I'm not so sure it will.

Saturday, January 3, 10:45 p.m.
Saying good-bye

Leo is leaving for college tomorrow, so tonight we had what he called our
last date
. “It's kind of ironic,” he said. “We just had our first date, and we're already on our last.” He laughed. I could tell he thought he was being pretty funny.

I would have laughed too, but it felt like I was having a lot of “lasts” for so early in the year. I couldn't help thinking about Brynn. New Year's Day was probably the last time I'll ever speak to her.

As I thought about it, my mood darkened.

“Penny for your thoughts,” said Leo as we sat down with plates of chicken and rice and hummus from the Middle Eastern restaurant in the food court at the mall.

In the short time I've gotten to know Leo, I've learned there's no point in not telling him what's on my mind, since he seems to get when something's troubling me. I told him what happened at the diner. “Brynn is being so unreasonable. How can she hold me responsible for what happens between Sophie and Billy?”

This wasn't the first time we'd discussed this. I knew Leo's opinion on it. He thinks Brynn is lashing out at me when the real issue is between Brynn and Billy (why they broke up) and between Billy and Sophie (if they're going to get together.) “You don't even belong in this fight,” he said. “You've tried to be a friend to Brynn,” said Leo. “But it takes two.”

I nodded. It was a pretty simple way of looking at things, but it's the truth. “I get why you're upset,” said Leo, sensing I wasn't quite done with the topic. “Brynn was your BFF for a long time.”

I giggled. It was funny to hear BFF come out of his mouth.

He smiled. “I know what a BFF is,” he said and continued. “I think the only thing you should be asking yourself is if you did everything you could to try to talk to Brynn and be a friend to her.”

“I did. But she was so mad at the diner. I've never seen her confront someone like that. Who knows what else she'll do when school starts again?” Something tells me she's not getting over this so fast.

Leo dipped a pita chip into the little pile of hummus on his plate and stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, then looked at me. “Why worry about tomorrow today?” he asked. “Especially when today is our last day to hang out for a while.”

He had a point. “Why don't we talk about you?” I said.

“The only topic I like talking about less than other people is myself,” said Leo.

I wasn't letting him off the hook that easily. “You're leaving for college tomorrow. How do you feel?” I hadn't meant to sound like I was interviewing him, but that's how my question came off.

“Scared,” Leo said honestly. He paused. “My mom was the one who thought I should go to college, but my dad never did. He thinks I'm too young. I broke the tie, so now off I go. I know Tuscaloosa is only a few hours away, but it feels like I'm going to New Zealand.” Leo shrugged. “I hope it's the right decision.”

I felt like I needed to boost his confidence. “You'll do great,” I said.

Leo nodded like he appreciated my faith in him. “But there are a lot of things I'm going to miss,” he said.

“Like what?” I asked flirtatiously.

Leo laughed. “Like you, April.”

“Good answer!” I told him.

We left the food court and walked around the mall and talked. He drove me home, and I sat in his car for a long time in my driveway before I got out. I didn't want to say good-bye, but it was getting late.

When it was time for me to go in, Leo leaned across the seat and kissed my cheek. It was sweet, but sad. Then he told me he had a final good-bye gift for me. “I'll send my first-ever text to you when I get to campus.”

“I'm honored,” I said.

“I really
am
going to miss you,” said Leo.

“Me too,” I said.

“You're going to miss you too?” asked Leo. “But you'll be here with yourself every day, whereas I, on the other hand, won't see you until I return home in February.” I knew he was teasing. The absurdity made me laugh even as I was telling him good-bye. Somehow, whenever I'm around him, I'm happy.

Even when I'm sad.

Sunday, January 4, 8:45 p.m.
Last night of winter break

Going back to school at the end of a break is always stressful, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. May and June just came into my room. June pointed to May. “She's nervous about going back to school tomorrow.” Even though I felt bad for May and it was kind of funny to see June in the role of junior spokesperson, I wasn't in the mood to deal with my little sister's problems. I had my own issues to deal with.

June didn't wait for me to ask for an explanation. “May is trying out for the softball team and so is Krystal. We might have to TP her house again.”