“You found out what it’s like to be on the outside too,” Teddy said. “I used to feel that way when everybody used to call me Teddy Bear.”
“You know what it’s like,” Cassie said, “and now I do too.”
“Things will get back to normal when we get back to school,” Jack said.
“Yeah,” Cassie said, “but do I want them to?”
They hardly ever talked about the coming school year, when they’d move over to Walton High and into the ninth grade. Cassie’s theory was that they didn’t talk about it because they were happy where they were. It wasn’t that any of them were afraid of new things, or new challenges. They just liked their world the way it was. They felt secure in that world, even when things weren’t close to being perfect in it. She thought of the bridge over Small Falls, the one that had once terrified Teddy, until he finally made it across.
It was like there was a new bridge in front of all of them.
“Things are going to be weird enough in the fall,” she said. “I don’t need to pack in any extra weirdness.”
“So let’s change the subject,” Teddy said.
“To what?” Cassie said.
“Lunch!” he said.
• • •
It was when they were coming out of Fierro’s an hour later that they saw Kathleen and Greta and Allie crossing the street, headed straight for them.
“Great,” Teddy Madden said under his breath.
“Can we make a run for it?” Gus said.
“I’m not running from them,” Cassie said.
“Joking,” Gus said.
Cassie thought: Why not? The whole thing has been like a bad joke from the start.
But there was no place for them to go. A standoff.
Before they decided on their next move, Teddy said, “Hello, ladies.”
He sounded as friendly as if he were running for class president. Or mayor.
The girls turned around. “Are you talking to us?” Kathleen said.
She looked at Teddy, then Cassie, then back at Teddy.
“I am!” he said.
It stopped her. It was as if Kathleen and Greta and Allie were so used to not talking when Cassie was around that now they didn’t know what to do. Or say. Or didn’t know if they wanted to say anything. It was like Teddy had called them out, in the most pleasant way possible.
“Where you guys headed?” Teddy said.
“To get something to eat,” Kathleen said.
“Well, as you can see, you’re in luck,” Teddy said. “Because the best pizza in town is right through the doors behind us.”
Cassie gave a quick look at Jack. He was smiling, the same as Teddy.
At least, she thought, somebody here is having a good time.
“Well,” Greta said, “we’re actually not sure what we want to eat.”
Cassie couldn’t help herself.
“How you guys doing?” she said, knowing how ridiculous that was, since they saw each other almost every other day at practice or a game. But now it was as if they’d been away at camp.
“Fine,” Kathleen said.
Greta and Allie nodded. What a relief, Cassie thought. They’re all fine.
Only, nothing was fine, and hadn’t been for a while.
“Don’t you think this has gone on long enough?” Cassie said.
Just because it had. Because one day of this would have been long enough. Or dumb enough. Or both.
“You started this,” Kathleen said.
“How so?”
“By believing her and not me. You’re the one who took sides.”
“No, Kath,” Cassie said. “What started it was a stupid lie about one stupid play.”
“I didn’t lie,” Kathleen said, as dug in here in front of Fierro’s as she had been that day.
“You know what?” Cassie said. “I don’t even care anymore! It doesn’t even matter to me whether you called for that stupid ball or not!”
The words came out hot because she was, and she didn’t care whether they were seeing that or not.
“So why are you talking to use now?” Kathleen said.
“You know something?” Cassie said. “I don’t have a good answer for that.”
“I know why she’s talking to you.”
It was Jack. He hadn’t said a word until now. But Cassie could see that he had their complete attention. She wasn’t sure what it was about him that gave him this kind of authority. There was just something about him, and had been for as long as Cassie had been his friend. When Jack spoke, people listened to him.
“She’s speaking to you because she’s your teammate,” Jack continued, “and that’s what teammates do.”
Kathleen tried to gather herself. Teddy really hadn’t called her out. But Jack just had.
“I wasn’t speaking to you, Jack,” she said, and had to know how defensive she sounded.
“I thought everybody was speaking to everybody, Kath,” Jack said.
“This isn’t your fight,” Greta said.
Jack shrugged and looked around. “Who’s fighting?” he said.
“Cassie is,” Kathleen said. “With us. And she did start it.”
Now Kathleen turned back to Cassie and said, “So now these guys do your talking for you?”
A laugh came out of Cassie. She couldn’t stop it. “These guys?” she said. “Yeah, Kath, you got me. I needed a posse because you know I never stand up for myself.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Kathleen said. She gave a quick shake of her head. “I don’t even know what we’re talking about.”
“Or not talking about,” Cassie said.
“But here’s what I know,” Jack said. “You guys have a few more games left to see if you can make it to Fenway, which was supposed to be your big goal. And you might be able to get through the regular season acting the way you’ve all been acting, but you won’t get to Fenway acting that way. So if you’re going to come together as a team, now would be a good time.”
If Kathleen heard what Jack had said, she didn’t show it. But Cassie saw how red her face had gotten all of a sudden. For a moment Cassie thought she might cry.
“You were supposed to be my friend!” Kathleen yelled now at Cassie. “You didn’t act like my friend.”
And in a quiet voice Cassie said, “You’re right. I didn’t.” She slowly began to nod
