But how could she begin? Slowly she dialed Stevie’s number, then waited while Stevie, who hadthree-way calling, dialed Carole. Once they were all on the line, Lisa somehow found her voice and started to talk. “I called because I have to tell you guys something,” she began.
“Good, because we have to update you on Veronica’s attempts to be made cochair of the dance committee,” Stevie said eagerly, settling back in her chair for a long conversation. When a Saddle Club member missed even one day at Pine Hollow, it always seemed as if there was a lot of catching up to do. “So, what’s your news?” she prompted Lisa.
“Yeah, Lis’, where were you today?” Carole asked.
Fighting to hold back tears, Lisa blurted out, “You guys, it’s serious.”
In their own rooms, Carole and Stevie listened with extra attention. From the tone of Lisa’s voice, they could tell that she wasn’t in the mood for the usual joking banter the three of them got into on the telephone. “Lisa, what is it?” Carole asked.
“I’m going to Wentworth,” Lisa said, dropping the bomb the only way she knew how. “I leave in two weeks.”
There was a long, long silence. Stevie thought for a second that maybe Lisa was putting them on, but she knew practical jokes weren’t Lisa’s style. Besides, her voice sounded too shaky for her to be making it up.
“You mean your parents are sending you?” Carole asked. She didn’t want to come right out and ask about the money, but she was confused. Lisa had said, and Stevie had confirmed, that her parents would never be able to afford the Wentworth tuition.
“Yes, they’re sending me, but they don’t have to pay. I—I got a scholarship,” Lisa said.
“A scholarship!” Stevie exclaimed, horrified. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? They’d be dying to give a scholarship to someone like you, Lisa. But that doesn’t mean you have to take it, you know.”
“It does as far as my parents are concerned,” Lisa said, hearing an edge creep into her voice.
“Why? Can’t you talk to them?” Stevie asked.
“Stevie …,” Carole began, and stopped.
“What?” Stevie said, sounding annoyed. “Look, Lisa, I know it’s hard for you to talk to your mom, but this isn’t just a haircut. This is boarding school! You can’t just let your parents send you to Horror High with a bunch of Veronica types.”
To her surprise, Lisa felt a flash of anger. All of a sudden she wasn’t so thrilled to hear Stevie mocking Wentworth.
Stevie was ranting, “To think that someone like you could go to that no-good, worthless—”
“Okay, Stevie, I get the point,” Lisa broke in. “Butthe fact is I’m going there. Maybe it won’t be so bad, all right?”
Not so bad?
Stevie thought.
Is Lisa out of her mind?
“I just meant—”
“Look, I know what you meant. I have to go now, anyway. I have to finish my homework,” Lisa said coldly.
Searching for something she could say to cheer Lisa up, Carole asked, “Will you be at Pine Hollow tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Lisa said. With hardly a good-bye, she hung up.
Carole and Stevie stayed on the line to talk, but neither of them had much to say. It was the most shocking news they’d ever had. They had to absorb it before they could make any sense of it. “See you tomorrow?” Carole asked quietly.
“Yeah, see you then,” Stevie said. After she put the receiver down, she sat at her desk, staring into space. Lisa was going to boarding school. It didn’t seem possible, but it was. Mrs. Atwood was finally going to have Lisa where she wanted her: climbing the social ladder. Stevie couldn’t believe how dumb she’d been not to think of the possibility of Lisa’s getting a scholarship. There were a number of students at Fenton Hall on scholarship. And naturally, Lisa was a prime candidate. But realizing her own mistake hadn’t been the most disturbingpart of the conversation for Stevie. What troubled her most was the way
“Good, because we have to update you on Veronica’s attempts to be made cochair of the dance committee,” Stevie said eagerly, settling back in her chair for a long conversation. When a Saddle Club member missed even one day at Pine Hollow, it always seemed as if there was a lot of catching up to do. “So, what’s your news?” she prompted Lisa.
“Yeah, Lis’, where were you today?” Carole asked.
Fighting to hold back tears, Lisa blurted out, “You guys, it’s serious.”
In their own rooms, Carole and Stevie listened with extra attention. From the tone of Lisa’s voice, they could tell that she wasn’t in the mood for the usual joking banter the three of them got into on the telephone. “Lisa, what is it?” Carole asked.
“I’m going to Wentworth,” Lisa said, dropping the bomb the only way she knew how. “I leave in two weeks.”
There was a long, long silence. Stevie thought for a second that maybe Lisa was putting them on, but she knew practical jokes weren’t Lisa’s style. Besides, her voice sounded too shaky for her to be making it up.
“You mean your parents are sending you?” Carole asked. She didn’t want to come right out and ask about the money, but she was confused. Lisa had said, and Stevie had confirmed, that her parents would never be able to afford the Wentworth tuition.
“Yes, they’re sending me, but they don’t have to pay. I—I got a scholarship,” Lisa said.
“A scholarship!” Stevie exclaimed, horrified. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? They’d be dying to give a scholarship to someone like you, Lisa. But that doesn’t mean you have to take it, you know.”
“It does as far as my parents are concerned,” Lisa said, hearing an edge creep into her voice.
“Why? Can’t you talk to them?” Stevie asked.
“Stevie …,” Carole began, and stopped.
“What?” Stevie said, sounding annoyed. “Look, Lisa, I know it’s hard for you to talk to your mom, but this isn’t just a haircut. This is boarding school! You can’t just let your parents send you to Horror High with a bunch of Veronica types.”
To her surprise, Lisa felt a flash of anger. All of a sudden she wasn’t so thrilled to hear Stevie mocking Wentworth.
Stevie was ranting, “To think that someone like you could go to that no-good, worthless—”
“Okay, Stevie, I get the point,” Lisa broke in. “Butthe fact is I’m going there. Maybe it won’t be so bad, all right?”
Not so bad?
Stevie thought.
Is Lisa out of her mind?
“I just meant—”
“Look, I know what you meant. I have to go now, anyway. I have to finish my homework,” Lisa said coldly.
Searching for something she could say to cheer Lisa up, Carole asked, “Will you be at Pine Hollow tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Lisa said. With hardly a good-bye, she hung up.
Carole and Stevie stayed on the line to talk, but neither of them had much to say. It was the most shocking news they’d ever had. They had to absorb it before they could make any sense of it. “See you tomorrow?” Carole asked quietly.
“Yeah, see you then,” Stevie said. After she put the receiver down, she sat at her desk, staring into space. Lisa was going to boarding school. It didn’t seem possible, but it was. Mrs. Atwood was finally going to have Lisa where she wanted her: climbing the social ladder. Stevie couldn’t believe how dumb she’d been not to think of the possibility of Lisa’s getting a scholarship. There were a number of students at Fenton Hall on scholarship. And naturally, Lisa was a prime candidate. But realizing her own mistake hadn’t been the most disturbingpart of the conversation for Stevie. What troubled her most was the way
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