L8r, G8r (7 page)

SnowAngel:

zo, did u talk to paige jensen at any point today?

zoegirl:

i sat in front of her in AP English, but i wouldn't say we talked. why?

SnowAngel:

well, did u say anything to anybody that could have been passed on to paige? like to kristin, maybe?

zoegirl:

could you be a little more specific?

SnowAngel:

ok, this is stupid, but i'm just gonna say it. i know you think i was hogging doug's attention today, but do you honestly think i was FLIRTING with him?

SnowAngel:

cuz that was a LONG time ago when i somewhat (sorta) threw myself at him, and anyway i would never flirt with him cuz he's going out with YOU, which i would hope you would know!

zoegirl:

what? i *do* know that. when did i say you were flirting with him?!

SnowAngel:

and the more i think about it, the more it makes me mad. i don't wanna go around worrying about every last thing i say or do around him, so if you have a problem with the way i'm acting, would you plz just tell me instead of talking about me behind my back?

zoegirl:

angela. STOP.

zoegirl:

did paige say i was talking about you behind your back?

SnowAngel:

mary kate overheard paige talking to some junior, and paige said that you said i was embarrassing myself with doug, and that i needed to keep my hormones to myself!

zoegirl:

???

zoegirl:

i never said ANY of that!

SnowAngel:

r u sure?

zoegirl:

angela, i just 6 hours ago asked you as my dear friend to go to planned parenthood with me so that one day doug and i can have sex. would i do that if i thought you were flirting with him?

SnowAngel:

well, what about kristin? after all, she already told you what a harlot i am!

zoegirl:

kristin made *one comment* about how much you talked to him. i shouldn't have even told you.

SnowAngel:

what else aren't you telling me?

zoegirl:

nothing!

zoegirl:

*do* you still have a thing for him?

SnowAngel:

NO!

SnowAngel:

but if you didn't say any of the things paige says you did …

SnowAngel:

i'm confused. why would paige say you did?

zoegirl:

i have no idea. call her and ask.

SnowAngel:

yeah right. i've never even had a class with her. i'm gonna call her up and be like, “oh, btw, why were u talking trash about me?”

zoegirl:

then call mary kate and ask *her*. or call kristin. somebody is obviously mixed up.

zoegirl:

seriously, angela, i'm a little hurt you would think that of me!

SnowAngel:

well I'M a little hurt YOU would think that of ME!

zoegirl:

but i didn't! i *don't*!!!

zoegirl:

listen, i think we better end this convo, ok?!

SnowAngel:

zoe, wait!

zoegirl:

why, so you can yell at me some more?

SnowAngel:

agh. i'm SORRY. i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm sorry!

SnowAngel:

zo?

zoegirl:

i'm here. i just don't know where this even came from.

SnowAngel:

mary kate thought i should know, that's all.

zoegirl:

except there's nothing TO know. you're getting worked up over nothing.

zoegirl:

remember last semester when you made brownies to cheer me up, after my mom got mad at me for missing the early decision deadline for princeton? only i didn't *know* that's why you'd made them, and i didn't eat any, and you got really pissed?

SnowAngel:

i used aunt sadie's french chocolate. they were the most delicious brownies ever.

zoegirl:

you told me to tell you the next time you overreacted about something. well, here i am telling you.

SnowAngel:

ok, ok, ok

zoegirl:

you need to have faith in me. i love you, and i would never talk about you behind your back. all right?

SnowAngel:

except u did—with kristin

zoegirl:

ANGELA!

SnowAngel:

*baby deep breath. mama deep breath. big daddy deep breath*

zoegirl:

um … is this some new kind of therapy?

SnowAngel:

yes, i learned it from aunt sadie, who got it from 1 of her friends who teaches pre-school.

zoegirl:

and did it work? do you maybe want to tell me that you love me too?

SnowAngel:

of COURSE i do. and i'm sorry for freaking. i am.

SnowAngel:

*blinks humbly at friend* are we still on for tomorrow?

zoegirl:

we better be!

SnowAngel:

hey mads. zoe denied it all, but i called mary kate and she's SURE that's what she heard.

SnowAngel:

u don't think zoe's lying, do u?

mad maddie:

i've never known zoe to be a liar

SnowAngel:

yeah-huh. she lied to her mom when she said she'd apply to princeton early decision, when she never planned to actually do it.

mad maddie:

that was zoe being passive-aggressive, not outright lying. and she DID get her application in eventually.

SnowAngel:

well, maybe it's the same thing here. maybe she said something about me in a passive-aggressive sort of way, and it got twisted around.

SnowAngel:

but in that case why wouldn't she admit it?

mad maddie:

beats me

SnowAngel:

and if she DIDN'T say it, who did? i called kristin, and she swears it wasn't her. but who would have made something like that up?

mad maddie:

chill, angela

mad maddie:

if zoe says she didn't say it, she didn't say it.

SnowAngel:

but it bugs me! wouldn't it bug you if someone was saying un-true things about YOU?

mad maddie:

it's probably some dumb misunderstanding, but i'll keep my ears open tomorrow. if i hear anything i'll tell you!

mad maddie:

hey, zo. u guys doin' the deed at PP?

zoegirl:

we're here right now. eek!

zoegirl:

sad posters on walls. sad people in chairs. waiting my turn.

mad maddie:

text when u get back

zoegirl:

will do. thx for checking in!

SnowAngel:

hey, zo! pretend i'm whispering, k?

zoegirl:

whisper-texting?

SnowAngel:

yeah, to be polite.

SnowAngel:

but check out the girl wearing the “NO” shirt. is that a baby bump or is she just chubby?

zoegirl:

tough call. baby bump?

SnowAngel:

that's my guess. think that's why she wears the “NO” shirt now?

zoegirl:

she looks 14. sheesh.

SnowAngel:

no no no to unprotected sex! and to cat-eye eyeliner.
just sayin'.

zoegirl:

that's why we're here. and have you ever seen me do cat-eye eyeliner?

SnowAngel:

maybe she thinks it makes her look older? THIS IS BAD DECISION CITY!

zoegirl:

well … i did it!

mad maddie:

you are with pill?

zoegirl:

i am with pill. is that weird or what?

mad maddie:

what was it like? i want deets!

zoegirl:

it was *crazy*. the woman i talked to was nice, i guess, but she was very … straightforward.

mad maddie:

like how?

zoegirl:

she had a plastic model of a vulva, for one thing. it sat on her desk like a flower arrangement.

mad maddie:

ye gads

zoegirl:

but it was more just the way she talked about everything. like she asked me what kind of “sex play” i'd engaged in, and she went through this checklist, bam bam bam, as if we were making a grocery list. AND she made angela stay outside in the waiting room, so i was all by myself!

mad maddie:

what kind of sex play HAVE you engaged in?

zoegirl:

really?!

zoegirl:

and she asked me if i smoked—as if!

zoegirl:

she told me that doug and i should use condoms even if i did go on the pill, and that we should *talk* about everything before we actually *do* anything. here's her rule: “the topic should come up and the condom should come out before your zipper goes down.”

mad maddie:

that's classic

mad maddie:

you should have a plaque with that needlepointed onto it. you could hang it above your bed.

zoegirl:

honestly, she made me want to swear off sex forever. it all sounds so complicated!

mad maddie:

she's right, tho. if yr gonna have sex with someone, you should be able to talk to them about it.

zoegirl:

and another hot tip: she said to consider the use of “lubricants,” but never vaseline.

zoegirl:

am i really going to be using … lubricants?

mad maddie:

i dunno. r u?

zoegirl:

AND she asked me if i'd had any abortions, and if so, how many.

zoegirl:

i'm 17! are there really 17-year-olds out there who've had multiple abortions?

mad maddie:

i'm sure there are. depressing, isn't it?

zoegirl:

angela and i saw this one couple out in the waiting room. they were about our age, and the guy was holding the girl's hand and she was crying. it made me wonder if … you know. if that was what she was there for.

mad maddie:

at least the guy came with her

zoegirl:

true

mad maddie:

but yr not gonna get preggo, cuz yr going on the pill.

zoegirl:

right. RIGHT. i start the first sunday after my next period, which should be in a week or so. and once i've started, we're supposed to wait a month to be safe.

mad maddie:

you've waited this long, what's another month?

zoegirl:

well, that's kind of how i feel, to tell you the truth.

zoegirl:

my counselor-lady said there might be side effects that come with taking the pill, like weight gain, moodiness, and “spotty darkening of the skin.” doesn't that sound lovely?

mad maddie:

lucky u

zoegirl:

i told angela that part, and she turned pale. she was all, “why is it always the girls who get stuck
with this crap? why can't the GUYS get spotty darkening of the skin?!”

mad maddie:

ah, angela, how i love her

mad maddie:

alexis winthrop came up to me today and asked if it was true that she's after doug, btw.

zoegirl:

oh great

mad maddie:

i told her no, of course

zoegirl:

i don't understand. it's like 1 little seed got planted, and now it's growing into this huge thing.

mad maddie:

ppl like gossip, especially when it's something bad.

zoegirl:

not me! angela and i made a pact that if anyone says anything, we're just gonna ignore it.

mad maddie:

it doesn't bother you?

zoegirl:

are you kidding?

zoegirl:

i asked kristin point blank if she talked about angela and doug with anyone else, and she swore up and down that the only comment she made was that one to me.

mad maddie:

what about paige? did you ask her about it?

zoegirl:

no. i almost did, but sitting there in english during the actual moment, i felt too ridiculous.

zoegirl:

it's all so stupid, i figured just let it go.

mad maddie:

makes sense.

zoegirl:

you DO know i didn't say any of that stuff, right? about angela flirting with doug?

mad maddie:

zoe, of course i know that

zoegirl:

i mean, i might have *thought* she was being flirty, just for a sec. but i never said so out loud.

mad maddie:

i know

mad maddie:

i've noticed she HAS toned down the flirtation, tho. like today, she basically ignored him.

zoegirl:

yeah, i noticed that too. part of me feels bad, but part of me's glad.

zoegirl:

although what am i saying? she's going out with logan, for heaven's sake.

mad maddie:

oh, right, he's a great deterrent