Lovely Girls(36)

“You think that’s why Daphne and the others wanted to be her friend? Because she’s pretty?” I asked.

Taylor shrugged. “I think that was part of why they first noticed her. They were queen bees at that school, even as freshmen. They were the prettiest, the most popular, the most everything.” She frowned, two lines appearing between her brows. “But there was something about them that made me uneasy. Something sharp and unkind.”

I nodded. I knew exactly what she was referring to. I almost told Taylor about my suspicions that Daphne had destroyed Alex’s phone but stopped myself. I didn’t trust Lita not to spread the story around to anyone who would listen to her.

“But I didn’t say anything to Jazzy. How could I? They hadn’t done anything at that point. It was just a feeling I had. Jazzy started spending a lot of time with those girls. And through that friendship, I got to know their mothers.”

“I tried to warn you about them,” Lita told her. “Just like I’ve tried to warn Kate.” She looked at me, eyebrows raised in two meaningful arcs. I felt a sharp spike of dislike for the woman.

“You did,” Taylor agreed. “But at first, they were just so nice. The moms, I mean. They’d invite me out to lunch, and to parties, and in time, I came to consider them friends. Even as I continued to have concerns about Jazzy being close with their daughters.”

My unease stirred. “What were your concerns?”

Taylor sighed and took a tiny sip of her espresso before answering. “It’s not like they were running wild or staying out all night partying. But they weren’t nice girls. They’d make mean comments about the kids who weren’t as pretty or popular as they were. But isn’t that how a clique basically functions? You’re either in or you’re out.”

“But Jazzy was in,” I said.

“And that’s when I really started to get concerned. Jazzy has always been a kind girl. She’ll see a kid eating lunch alone in the school cafeteria, and she’ll go sit with him to keep him company. And then all of a sudden, almost overnight, she changed. She started making mean comments about other kids who were overweight or nerdy. It was deeply concerning. She and I had several talks about it, and she’d seem contrite. But it didn’t stop. You know how kids are at that age. They just want to fit in with their friends.”

I thought about Alex and her lack of interest in making friends since we’d moved, but I nodded.

“But it was my fault too. I was friends with the moms, and if I’d voiced my concerns about the girls’ behavior, it would have caused waves,” Taylor continued.

Guilt pricked at me. Hadn’t I also worried about causing waves?

“Are you sure Genevieve, Emma, and Ingrid wouldn’t have listened to you if you’d gone to them with your concerns?” I asked.

Taylor looked at me, her expression neutral. “I know for a fact that they wouldn’t have. Because of what happened later.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear whatever she was about to tell me. My fingers began twisting the gold heart pendant I always wore on a thin chain. It was a nervous habit. I made myself stop, instead folded my hands together and rested them on the table.

“It all started with a French-club party that Daphne hosted at the end of their freshman year. All of the kids in the club were invited, but Jazzy told me later that Daphne had made it clear that only certain kids, the ones she deemed cool enough, were really invited. The rest were basically told to stay home.”

Taylor moved her espresso to the side and leaned forward, her forearms resting on the edge of the table.

“Later, it came out that the kids had been drinking at the party. And even though it didn’t happen on school property, it was a school-related activity, so there were consequences. A few of the boys on the lacrosse team had to sit out for a few games, and there was talk of suspending all the students who’d attended the party. The parents managed to convince the principal not to do that. Instead, the kids had detention and spent one Saturday picking up garbage on the high school campus.”

“I remember that,” Lita interjected. She leaned forward too. “Half the town thought it was all overblown, and the other half thought that the kids got off too lightly because they all came from wealthy homes. And that less advantaged kids would have been given suspensions.”

Lita’s bangles clinked against one another as she rubbed her hand against her arm as if she were cold.

“I assume one of the kids either confessed to his or her parents or the parents figured it out when the kid came home drunk,” Taylor continued. “And then that parent notified the principal. But no one knew which student ratted out the others.

“But Daphne started telling everyone that it was Jazzy who tattled. And you know what?” Taylor let out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a huff. “I wish she had told me. But I only found out when I got called into the school with the other parents.”

“Why did Daphne think it was Jazzy?” I asked.

“Honestly?” Taylor asked. “I don’t think she really did. There was a boy Daphne liked who was paying attention to Jazzy at that party. She told me about it later. Aiden Green. He had a crush on Jazzy, and Daphne wasn’t happy about it. She always had to be the center of attention,” Taylor said. She took another sip of her espresso and then looked up, her expression serious. “And the idea that a boy she liked would prefer someone else? That wasn’t tolerable.”