“The thing to consider,” said Doctor Z, “is whether a relationship with a limited person of this type is something you want to pursue.”
“The thing to consider,” I said, “is why I don’t seem to be able to keep my mouth shut when it would really, really be to my advantage to do so.”
“The thing to consider,” said Meghan, the next day at the B&O, “is who else you can go out with.”
“What? I don’t want to go out with anyone else. If I did, I wouldn’t have broken up with Gideon.”
“Gideon obviously wasn’t doing it for you,” said Meghan, licking her coffee spoon provocatively.
“Gideon is a great guy.”
“Yawn. I’m sure he is. But you need to fall in love with someone other than Noel, and obviously you couldn’t fall in love with Gideon.”
“I think I need to be
“How much fun is that?” said Meghan.
“It’s not fun. It’s just—” I broke off.
“He’s the one you want,” said Meghan. Suddenly understanding.
I nodded.
Meghan pushed her chocolate cheesecake across the table to me. I hadn’t gotten paid yet for November, so I had only ordered coffee. “Here,” she said.
“Don’t you want it?”
“Sure I want it. I ordered it. But I’m giving it to you.”
“Why?”
Meghan stood up and got me a fork. “Remember what Nora said about love? In your movie?”
“Love is when you have a really amazing piece of cake, and it’s the very last piece, but you let him have it,” I said.
“So it’s really amazing cake,” said Meghan. “And I want you to have it.”
“The thing to consider,” said Nora, “is that boys are not the most important things in life.” She was running the bake sale this year. Varsha from swim team and I were sitting in her kitchen, helping her make “magic cookies” for the recruiting table.
“I mean, I’m sad for Gideon that you don’t want to go out with him anymore,” Nora went on, “but let’s face it. He’ll recover. He always has one girlfriend or another.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And now you’re free to concentrate on what’s really important.”
“Like what?”
“Roo!” Varsha rolled her eyes at me.
“Seriously. Like what?”
“It’s senior year. Hello. College apps?” said Varsha.
“Or the bake sale—raising money for Happy Paws,” said Nora.
“And sports,” said Varsha. “You are like this close to being a serious contender. If you worked out more, you could get your time down.”
Nora added: “Plus you’ll probably make varsity goalie in lacrosse this year if you go back on the team.”
I knew I was supposed to care about these things. I
I just couldn’t concentrate on them.
I still had a broken heart, I guess.
It wasn’t healing, and the fact that Noel had said he loved me—all right,
“I broke up with Happy, by the way,” said Nora. “In case you are doubting whether I practice what I preach.”
“By the way?” I squealed. “How can you just mention that as a ‘by the way’? That’s a serious thing.”
Nora shrugged. “He’s too much of a party boy. He’s going to get to college and join a frat. You know he is.”
I nodded. Fraternities were in Happy’s future. There was no denying it.
“Now you have time to run the bake sale,” I said to Nora. “Which, according to you and Varsha, is more fulfilling than having a boyfriend.”
Nora laughed and ate a spoonful of cookie dough. “More filling, at least.”
