Real Bad Things(26)
Christlyn narrowed her eyes. “You started hanging out with her senior year.” Emphasis on hanging out—or was that Georgia Lee’s imagination? They hadn’t answered her question.
“I can’t remember every person I was nice to in high school. I was voted Most Popular.” She pulled her shirt away from her skin and glanced at their bulky clothing again. “Aren’t you hot? Just looking at you in those things makes me want to pass out.”
Susannah looked at Georgia Lee quizzically. “I’m kinda chilly, actually.”
Christlyn stared at the barely touched nachos in front of them, like her eyes were stuck to them, popped back into place, and landed on Georgia Lee. “You weren’t voted Most Popular.”
“Well, not in those exact words, but what do you think they meant by Best All Around? Everyone knew me. That’s why they voted for me.”
“They voted for you because you bribed them with candy,” Christlyn said.
True. “The fact is, I knew a lot of people.”
Christlyn scrunched her nose. “No, this was different. You actually talked to her.” She paused and looked to Susannah for confirmation. “Like, a lot.”
“Yes!” Susannah said, memory sparked. “You started hanging out with that new girl from Maud Bottoms. Back when they bussed them all up here after the tornado.”
“We’re talking about the same girl, Susannah,” Christlyn said. “Keep up.” Susannah’s enthusiasm crumpled along with her posture. Her sweatshirt bunched around her waist.
Georgia Lee raced through the chips and salsa. Maybe she could crunch her way through whatever Benjamin might be able to hear in the wires they may or may not be wearing under their sweatshirts. Maybe he had Jane in a cell right now. Maybe Jane had told him everything about that night in exchange for a lighter sentence. And then what would Georgia Lee do? She could barely remember the details. But even knowing Jane was a mark on her character. The election ruined.
Christlyn tapped a long pink fingernail on the table. “You hung out with her while we were in that fight.”
“Oh, right. I remember that,” Susannah said.
As did Georgia Lee. She and Christlyn had argued about something stupid, an odd comment that sent both of them into extreme states of high school drama that morphed into an existential crisis. Eventually, Georgia Lee apologized to Christlyn, even though she couldn’t remember the original offense. It had felt like the right thing to do to resolve things. But ever after, in the lunchroom or when they went out to the movies, she found her attention drifting.
She started to slip away from her old friends and their old routines. With Jane, she didn’t worry about her clothing choices or whether her hair was too something or she had a foundation line she’d not noticed because she was in such a hurry to get dressed, eat breakfast, and get to school. She didn’t wear makeup because they rarely went out in public, and her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail. She felt pretty in a pure way she hadn’t really felt before. Every other time she had tried to feel pretty, she’d felt miserable. She was never sure she wasn’t trying too hard and being made fun of, even by her own friends, behind her back. With Jane, things had been easy. But hard in ways neither Christlyn nor Susannah would or could ever understand.
A hand landed on her forearm. Christlyn. “Did you stroke out?”
Georgia Lee shook her head. “I was trying to remember this girl you’re talking about.” No matter how much she wanted to ignore recollections of Jane, they came.
Christlyn tapped her fingernail against her teeth to think. Georgia Lee could practically see the germs run off her fingertips and into her mouth. A legion of illnesses danced in her mind. She pulled out her lavender-scented hand sanitizer and sprayed a good amount onto her hands.
“Oh, that smells like a dream.” Susannah held out her hands. Georgia Lee offered it to Christlyn first, but she declined and tapped away at her teeth.
Georgia Lee spritzed Susannah’s hands, tucked the sanitizer away, and checked the time on her phone. She hated to be the fuddy-duddy who left before everyone else, but she didn’t want to endure their conversation any longer. Once Christlyn got something in her head, she’d bang away at it to prove she was right.
“I’m gonna head to the bathroom and then have the waiter ring up my portion of the bill.”
Before she could stand, Christlyn spoke. “You got mono right after she was arrested.” She grabbed a chip and bit the tip—just the tip—before slowly placing it on her plate. “And came back to school right after she left town.”
Georgia Lee faltered. She inhaled and exhaled, slow and steady, to calm her body. “Well, maybe that’s why I don’t remember. I was very sick.” She ensured the words were clear, loud enough for Benjamin to hear should he be listening.
“You should remember it soon,” Christlyn said. “Rumor has it they’re questioning anyone who knew her to see if—”
“They can find her accomplice!” Susannah said, earning her a smack on the arm from Christlyn.
“Don’t interrupt me. You know how much I hate that.”
“Sorry.” Susannah pouted.
“What are you talking about?” Georgia Lee asked as they continued bickering. “Stop it.”
Christlyn picked up her phone, clicked around, scrolled, and then slid it across the table to Georgia Lee, who groaned. Let’s Talk About Maud. Nothing good could come of this.