The Boyfriend List

over to watch a movie on TV, but still. On Friday night we hung around at his friend Matt’s place with a bunch of his friends, and when he dropped me off, he very clearly said, “See you tomorrow.”

I called him on Saturday morning, and his mom said the Dodge needed a new muffler and he had taken his car to the shop and would be back around two. By five o’clock he hadn’t called.

By six o’clock he hadn’t called.

At seven, I called him again. “You just missed him,” she said. “Matt came by and picked him up. I think they went to the game.”

Well, I could go to the basketball game, if I wanted, and see him there. But the bus to Tate takes like forty-five minutes and only comes once an hour, and my mom and dad had gone to Juana’s house for a dinner party, so they weren’t driving me anywhere. Besides, I didn’t think any of my friends were going, and it seemed weird to go alone. I called Kim, and she was going to the circus with Finn; Nora and Cricket were over at Cricket’s and said I could come meet them at the B&O for coffee at nine, but I thought maybe Jackson’s mom was wrong and he was getting a ride to my house from Matt, not going to the basketball game at all. So I stayed home to wait for him.

He didn’t come.

I rang Jackson’s cell, but he didn’t pick up.

Our house seems cold and overly quiet when it’s empty. Because it’s on the water.

I read a little and watched TV, and made myself some ramen.

It seems stupid, but by ten o’clock I was crying. I had dialed the cell three more times, but I didn’t leave a message. Finally, I choked out the most relaxed-sounding thing I could think of to say, after the tone: “Hey, it’s Ruby. I somehow thought we had plans tonight? I guess I was wrong. But give me a call.”

He called at midnight. My parents weren’t home yet. He said he had just gotten the message, and I sounded upset, what was up?

“I’m not upset,” I said. “I thought you were coming over.”

“I went to the game with Matt,” he said. “It was excellent. Cabbie scored six times.”

“Didn’t you say you were coming over?” I asked.

“I don’t think so, Roo.”

“But you did,” I said. “We talked about it last night. To watch Annie Hall.”

“We see each other all the time,” Jackson said. “We see each other like every day.”

“I know.”

“So I need to go out with the guys sometimes, that’s all.”

“That’s fine,” I said. “I don’t care. I just thought we had plans.”

“It was a completely important game. We were playing Kingston.”

“I was waiting for you.”

He sighed. “Roo. Sometimes it’s like you want me all to yourself.”

“That’s not it.”

“Matt just came over and picked me up,” he said. “He practically kidnapped me.”

“Oh, so you did know we had plans?”

“He really wanted me to go; Kyle and the Whipper were in the back of the car. I swear, they pulled me in and wouldn’t even let me get my coat.”

“So you’re saying you knew we had plans and you went to the game anyway? Without even calling?”

“I just forgot.”

“Forgot to call, or forgot we had plans?”

“Ruby.”

“What?”

“Why are you being so insecure?”

“I’m not insecure,” I said—although I was. “I spent my Saturday night sitting home eating ramen, when I could have been doing something.”

“Well, why didn’t you do something? You could have gone to the game, or gone out with Nora. Or Cricket. Whatever.”

“I didn’t do anything because I had plans with you!” I cried.

There was a pause. “You’re getting too worked up about this,” Jackson said, finally.

I sniffed. I kind of hoped he could hear me crying over the phone and would realize what a jerk he’d been.

“Are you okay?” he finally said.

“Yeah.” Although obviously I wasn’t.

“You’re being oversensitive, Roo,” he said.

“Maybe.”