anything like this with Amber before. I donât know what kind of expression I have on my face, but it feels accusing and lonely.
Iâve never seen Amber act that way either, practically falling over with laughter at a dumb picture on somebodyâs phone. Iâve never even heard her laugh like that before. Itâs a new laugh, breathy and full of shivers.
And since when has she been such close friends with Melody Martin? I guess itâs because both of their boyfriends are in the same band.
But then thereâs that Amber smile. Sheâs lit up. Her whole face grinning. Sheâs glad to see me. Really glad.
Oh, Flannery, she says. Look! And she grabs the phone from Melody for me to see. Itâs a picture of Amber and Melody and Brittany Bishop and Gary Bowen and Jordan and somebody elseâs feet and somebodyâs elseâs arms all piled on a couch together on top of each other, each of them with a beer held up for the picture.
At first I think Amber must have been photoshopped into the picture. She doesnât go to parties with these people. We hardly ever talk to them.
Then I remember trying to text her on Saturday night and she didnât answer.
I canât believe she didnât tell me about the party. She left me out on purpose.
Cool, I say.
Yeah, says Melody. Cool. She takes the phone back and slides it into her back pocket.
See you at the game, Amber, Melody says. And she sashays down the corridor.
What game? I ask.
The basketball game tonight, Amber says.
Because of your new interest in the sport, I say.
Iâm interested, yes. In basketball.
But donât you have practice? I say. I sound like Amberâs dad. But I thought swimming was why she wasnât answering my texts. Now I realize sheâs just been ignoring me.
Itâs a stunning revelation. Although Iâve seen her do it enough times when her mom calls. She checks the phone to see who it is and then she turns off the ringer and lays it face down and talks just a decibel louder right over the muffled brrrr it makes. She behaves as if the phone doesnât exist.
Iâm skipping swimming practice, she says.
Now itâs my turn to let my jaw drop.
I donât have to practice every single day of my life just because my dad has this pipe dream Iâm going to be an Olympic swimmer, she says. And another thing. If I want to go to a party with my boyfriend, I donât have to ask your permission. It was a date, okay? I was invited. I couldnât just invite anyone I wanted to somebody elseâs house. I thought youâd be happy for me, Flannery. That I was having such a good time.
I wasnât even thinking about that! I say.
I saw the look on your face.
I didnât have any look, I say.
But I know I must have, because my stomach is swirling. Sheâs mad at me ?
All I know is that I donât want to be in a fight with Amber. We never fight. I donât understand whatâs happening here, but I donât want her to walk away angry.
So what are you guys doing? For your unit? You and Gary, I say.
Amber hesitates. I can see sheâs still upset, but she also wants to talk about Gary. She canât help herself.
Weâre making a music video of his band, she says. Weâll sell DVDs and put it on iTunes. I think we can attract the attention of a label if the video is good. I finished the proposal last night while Gary was jamming. Iâm kind of proud of it, actually.
And all of a sudden sheâs smiling again. The Amber smile.
Itâs going to be so cool, Flannery. Everybody is working on it, and my parents are fronting us the overhead. I want you to help with costumes.
She takes out her phone and flicks through some pictures. Thereâs a list of people working on the production: a videographer, an editor, a sound person â and under costumes, I see my name along with Melody Martinâs.
Iâm too relieved about being included to
Iâve never seen Amber act that way either, practically falling over with laughter at a dumb picture on somebodyâs phone. Iâve never even heard her laugh like that before. Itâs a new laugh, breathy and full of shivers.
And since when has she been such close friends with Melody Martin? I guess itâs because both of their boyfriends are in the same band.
But then thereâs that Amber smile. Sheâs lit up. Her whole face grinning. Sheâs glad to see me. Really glad.
Oh, Flannery, she says. Look! And she grabs the phone from Melody for me to see. Itâs a picture of Amber and Melody and Brittany Bishop and Gary Bowen and Jordan and somebody elseâs feet and somebodyâs elseâs arms all piled on a couch together on top of each other, each of them with a beer held up for the picture.
At first I think Amber must have been photoshopped into the picture. She doesnât go to parties with these people. We hardly ever talk to them.
Then I remember trying to text her on Saturday night and she didnât answer.
I canât believe she didnât tell me about the party. She left me out on purpose.
Cool, I say.
Yeah, says Melody. Cool. She takes the phone back and slides it into her back pocket.
See you at the game, Amber, Melody says. And she sashays down the corridor.
What game? I ask.
The basketball game tonight, Amber says.
Because of your new interest in the sport, I say.
Iâm interested, yes. In basketball.
But donât you have practice? I say. I sound like Amberâs dad. But I thought swimming was why she wasnât answering my texts. Now I realize sheâs just been ignoring me.
Itâs a stunning revelation. Although Iâve seen her do it enough times when her mom calls. She checks the phone to see who it is and then she turns off the ringer and lays it face down and talks just a decibel louder right over the muffled brrrr it makes. She behaves as if the phone doesnât exist.
Iâm skipping swimming practice, she says.
Now itâs my turn to let my jaw drop.
I donât have to practice every single day of my life just because my dad has this pipe dream Iâm going to be an Olympic swimmer, she says. And another thing. If I want to go to a party with my boyfriend, I donât have to ask your permission. It was a date, okay? I was invited. I couldnât just invite anyone I wanted to somebody elseâs house. I thought youâd be happy for me, Flannery. That I was having such a good time.
I wasnât even thinking about that! I say.
I saw the look on your face.
I didnât have any look, I say.
But I know I must have, because my stomach is swirling. Sheâs mad at me ?
All I know is that I donât want to be in a fight with Amber. We never fight. I donât understand whatâs happening here, but I donât want her to walk away angry.
So what are you guys doing? For your unit? You and Gary, I say.
Amber hesitates. I can see sheâs still upset, but she also wants to talk about Gary. She canât help herself.
Weâre making a music video of his band, she says. Weâll sell DVDs and put it on iTunes. I think we can attract the attention of a label if the video is good. I finished the proposal last night while Gary was jamming. Iâm kind of proud of it, actually.
And all of a sudden sheâs smiling again. The Amber smile.
Itâs going to be so cool, Flannery. Everybody is working on it, and my parents are fronting us the overhead. I want you to help with costumes.
She takes out her phone and flicks through some pictures. Thereâs a list of people working on the production: a videographer, an editor, a sound person â and under costumes, I see my name along with Melody Martinâs.
Iâm too relieved about being included to
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