Look, I am so happy you didn’t “ruin” Chris, because come on, we are graduating high school soon, we are too old to “ruin” people, but I understood completely your desire to take him down. I get it, Tara. Who wouldn’t? It’s beyond not cool that he’s cheating on you. If he wants to hook up with other people, fine! Then he should be a man and break up with you. I’ve never understood the cheating thing. Not on tests, not on people. Just communicate. Why don’t people just communicate? Why aren’t you communicating with me? Are you shutting me out because of Stacey and Matt?
Look, I know you had a bizarre moment with him. I know you started to have weird feelings about him, but that was for, like, what, a minute? And that ended. Right? So Matt Bloom found Stacey Simon’s jean jacket and he returned it to her. And they started to hang out. She is single. He is single. I just don’t even understand what the big deal is. Tara, we don’t even know what their deal is anyway. Stacey is private, and I respect that. She went through so much having such a public relationship with Justin. Everyone in town, like, fed off of them. Every move they made was looked at and talked about. Don’t you get why whatever she has with Matt is something she wants to keep to herself? I do. And she deserves some privacy. You know her now. We both know Stacey is a good person. She’s just like us, Tara. Just a Senior girl trying to navigate the last months of high school.
And look, maybe this isn’t about Stacey and Matt. Maybe you are shutting me out because you knew I would eventually write this note to you. Maybe you knew I would have a big issue with you staying with Chris. I care too much about you, Tara, to watch you put all your self-respect in the trash. You’re wearing a claddagh ring now? Come on, Tara. What are you doing? The more you wear that ring and flaunt your relationship with Chris, the more he gets away with CHEATING ON YOU. Now, do you have to “ruin” him to make your point? Of course not. Do you have to plaster the pictures of Chris and Kathy all over town? No! And I am so happy you didn’t do that. But you can communicate with Chris. You can tell him that you know what he’s been up to. And you can tell him that you are Tara Maureen Murphy! And the Tara Maureen Murphy I know would dump his ass! I don’t want to see you tarnish everything you’ve worked for. We’re so close to the finish line, Tara. Why chuck your reputation out the window now?
I’m here for you. If you want to come over, my mom would love to make dinner for you. We can all sit and talk like the old days.
And as for Nantucket, my parents offered us the cottage as a graduation gift. Think about it.
Love always,
Soup
To Stefanie,
I’m afraid you’re barking up the wrong tree. I’m more of a redwood. I think you’re lookin’ for a weepin’ willow. And do thank your parents for me. So kind of them to be “worried” about me. They always seemed like fine people, but you can gossip to them that Tara is doin’ just great. You can tell those parents of yours Tara has never been so good, so secure, so sure. And I got a mom who can make me dinner. I got parents, too, Stef, and just like me they have never been so good, so secure, so sure. K?
And as for the graduation-gift offer to go to your Nantucket cottage . . . I have no idea what my plans with Christopher will be after we get our diplomas, so . . .
Let’s just do this, k, Stefanie? You worry about you and Diego and your world, and I will worry about me, Christopher, and my world. Sorry if mine is more interesting and exciting, but it’s mine, so please respect that.
Regards,
Tara
Tara,
You got it.
Trust me, I won’t give your life a second thought.
Good luck with everything.
Stef
Dear Tara,
First and foremost I want to apologize for not being in touch. I finally listened to all the messages on my answering machine, and there were so many kind and considerate ones from you. I very much appreciate you reaching out and checking in on me. And last night I finally read through all your notes. Those, too, were so generous of spirit and thoughtful.
The reason I finally took the time to listen to my messages and read up on all the notes was because I am really on the other side of things now. I feel happier and more peaceful than I’ve felt in ages.
I know that while we have known of each other for years and years, we don’t really know each other all that well. It was nice to sort of re-meet you through Stef. I know you know this, but Stef is just one of the most incredible people in the world. Certainly one of the best I’ve ever known. And for me, she is hands down the best girl friend I’ve ever had.
Not sure if you know this, but girls haven’t always seen me for me. They seem to have this preconceived notion of who I am or what I believe, but Stef just didn’t. I will be forever grateful that she ran into
