L8r, G8r (35 page)

SnowAngel:

my graduation announcements came today! they're so beautiful!

zoegirl:

yay!

SnowAngel:

now i just have to address them and stamp them and trudge off with them to the post office. *slumps shoulders*

SnowAngel:

but they're so beautiful! *perks back up*

zoegirl:

mine aren't here yet, because my mom made a last-minute decision that they should be ivory instead of cream. did i have any say in this? no. so now they're like on a rush job.

SnowAngel:

zoe! you have gotta learn to stand up to that woman!

zoegirl:

i know, i know. and actually, she and i are supposed to have “a chat” this evening. i have something i want to tell her.

SnowAngel:

that yr gonna blow off princeton altogether and come live with me in athens? *smiles charmingly* that yr gonna get a job as a waitress and learn how the other half lives?

zoegirl:

er … not exactly. i'll tell you after we talk, okay?

SnowAngel:

okey-dokey, smokey

SnowAngel:

off to address envelopes!

SnowAngel:

waaaah! waaaah! why does everybody have to be so frickin *independent* all the time?!!

mad maddie:

independent? the horror!

SnowAngel:

zoe just called and told me about georgia, which i know you already know, so don't rub it in. i can't believe she got accepted and yet she's not going to go!!!

mad maddie:

hold on, i actually *don't* know this part. did she talk to her mom???

SnowAngel:

yes *sniffs*

mad maddie:

and her mom caved? omfg!

SnowAngel:

apparently there were tears and yelling and a big fat scene, which as we know is not zoe's strong point.

SnowAngel:

but zoe stayed strong, and her stupid mom finally gave in. she decided she'd rather c zoe go to kenyon than UGA—how snobby and hypocritical is that? she won't pay for kenyon, and now all of a sudden she will, just so her daughter doesn't have to go to a state university?

mad maddie:

angela … zoe was never going to go to georgia.

SnowAngel:

i think mrs. barrett should have held her ground and refused to pony up. then zoe would have HAD to go to georgia!!!!

mad maddie:

i hope you didn't act like this when she told you. i hope you were supportive, even if you had to fake it.

SnowAngel:

*turns up nose* hmmph

mad maddie:

dude, i'm gonna call and congratulate her.

SnowAngel:

yeah, u do that. and don't worry about me! just leave me in the dust!

SnowAngel:

maddie?

SnowAngel:

don't i need support? i'm the one who's gonna be all alone in athens! alone and lonely! all by myself!

SnowAngel:

waaaaaah!!!!!

zoegirl:

hey, mads. you think angela's going to be okay?

mad maddie:

about what?

zoegirl:

you know, about my going to kenyon.

mad maddie:

she HAS to be. she has no choice.

zoegirl:

i kind of felt like i was kicking her when she was down, when i told her the news last night.

mad maddie:

listen. you can't base your life around angela, any more than you can around doug.

zoegirl:

i know, i know

mad maddie:

it's AWESOME that you get to go to kenyon. YOU made it happen, you know? i'm so incredibly proud of you.

zoegirl:

thanks, mads. i'm proud of me too.

zoegirl:

and to my mom's credit, she's being cooler about it than she could have been.

mad maddie:

oh yeah?

zoegirl:

this morning, when we were both a little calmer, she told me that even tho kenyon's not the school she would have chosen for me, she admired my spirit. like, it surprised her what i'd done.

mad maddie:

i bet it did!

zoegirl:

she admitted that *maybe* she'd been too controlling, and that *maybe* my own desires should factor into the equation. novel concept, huh?

mad maddie:

well, blow me down. maybe she's growing up as well.

zoegirl:

doug's excited for me too. angela was all, “yr picking him over me,” and i had to remind her that no, actually, he's still gonna be 2 hours away. we'll be apart no matter what. but we'll just take it as it comes.

mad maddie:

tell me about it. it's so hard, with ian, knowing that the time is ticking down. tick tick tick.

zoegirl:

doug and i have a “hot date” tonight. i'm assuming he wants to have sex.

mad maddie:

does this mean things are back to normal?

zoegirl:

i suppose. i just have to be careful about what i say and how i act, that's all.

mad maddie:

oh, well in that case, no prob … you just have to totally change your personality.

zoegirl:

it's sad, because i feel like i can no longer open my soul and let my true feelings out. but too bad—he's the one who made it happen.

mad maddie:

and yet yr still gonna have sex with him

zoegirl:

well, yeah. maybe it'll bring us closer.

mad maddie:

i just hope you have the Big O this time. i'm rooting for ya, girl!

mad maddie:

Big O? ian & i wanna know!!!

zoegirl:

*just* got in. my mom was sitting at the door with a clock.

mad maddie:

honest?

zoegirl:

no, but i had to go check in with her and let her know i'd arrived home safely, groan groan groan. you'd think things would be different now that she knows i'm an actual mature individual, but no.

zoegirl:

doesn't it seem silly to have a curfew when we're about to graduate and be on our own?

mad maddie:

yes

zoegirl:

you didn't really tell ian about me and doug, did you?

mad maddie:

no, u goof

mad maddie:

but did u? have an orgasm?

zoegirl:

well … no

mad maddie:

damn!

zoegirl:

but i'm fine with it, i really am. it's about more than just physical pleasure.

zoegirl:

anyway, you talking about it kinda makes me feel loser-ish.

mad maddie:

oh, zoe! that's not what i meant.

mad maddie:

listen. yr having sex—making love—with someone you truly care about. yr not having one-night stands or being a slut machine, like some ppl we know. of course it's about more than whether you got off or not!

zoegirl:

could you please not be so graphic?

mad maddie:

oopsy-daisy

zoegirl:

i *wish* i was someone sex came easily to … but i'm just not.

mad maddie:

that doesn't mean you never WILL be. you just gotta keep practicing.

zoegirl:

it's still fun, don't get me wrong. and doug's skin is so incredibly smooth … and warm … and there's this one spot, right below his hip bone … it's like, wow. just to be so close to another human being—that's worth it, right?

mad maddie:

u bet

mad maddie:

i truly didn't mean to make you feel bad, zo. i was just being my normal obnoxious self.

zoegirl:

no worries.

zoegirl:

i love your normal obnoxious self!

SnowAngel:

it's happening, our 2nd to last week of school! aaaaahhhhhh!

SnowAngel:

i STILL don't have my senior quote. do you?

mad maddie:

i've been using class time to think about it, since it's not as if anybody's doing any actual work. but everything i come up with sounds too corny or too cliche.

SnowAngel:

i'm in the same exact boat. grrrr …

SnowAngel:

did you hear what jana did today? she swiped megan's hw during mr. bradley's class, right off her desk, and threw it out the window!

mad maddie:

what?!

SnowAngel:

for no reason at all! cuz megan made one small comment about jana's handwriting or something.

SnowAngel:

so megan yelled at her, and then MEGAN got yelled at by mr. bradley.

mad maddie:

dude, that is just ridiculous

SnowAngel:

i don't understand how jana can be such a bitch and get away with it. i truly don't.

mad maddie:

well, yeah. i guess no one wants to take her on cuz they've seen how futile it is.

SnowAngel:

i s'pose

SnowAngel:

zoe's not gonna beat her up for me after all, is she?

mad maddie:

she WANTS to, but she hasn't worked out the details. i keep telling her to forget the details and just go for it, but you know zoe.

SnowAngel:

mad maddie:

but don't give up on her completely. sometimes ol' zo can pull one out of her butt at the last minute!