Stay Sweet(82)

“We had a great time.” Cate stretches. “Sorry I didn’t think to invite you. I figured you’d be busy with your boyfriend.”

The newbies all snap to attention.

“Grady isn’t my boyfriend,” Amelia says, trying to project a little bit of confidence, because this is true, Grady isn’t. “But yes. Grady and I have kissed. A few times.” Turning to the newbies, she says, “I’m sorry.”

Cate sneers. “I thought Grady was cute too, you know. I could have gone after him, but I didn’t, because we had a pact.” She rolls her eyes. “Meade Creamery has been open for how many years now? Drama-free? One summer, one boy, and it all comes crashing down, thanks to you, Amelia.”

“That’s not fair. You know the stand, and you girls, are the most important things to me.”

“You chose Grady over us. It’s as simple as that. And he’s had you wrapped around his little finger all summer.” At this point, Cate turns to walk into the office. “It’s honestly pathetic but not surprising.”

“So is that why you had a party here? To get back at me? Because you know there’s not supposed to be anyone but employees in the stand. And newbies aren’t ever allowed to drink.” Amelia expects Cate to look at least a little bit guilty, but she doesn’t. If anything, she’s indignant, folding her arms across her chest.

“Isn’t that convenient,” Cate says. “I’m the one who has to follow the rules, but you don’t.”

Amelia tries to explain. “It just . . . happened.” ?That’s about all she can get out before she feels the tears come.

Amelia sees something soften in Cate when Cate sees her cry. “Look, I don’t blame you. I blame Grady. He’s been taking advantage of you from the second you met.”

“That’s not true.”

“Why are you defending him? He’s using you, Amelia!”

Amelia shakes her head. “No, he’s not.” If there’s one thing Amelia is certain of, it’s that.

“You’re such a pushover.”

She’s reminded of how many times Cate has called her a pushover this summer. And it suddenly hits her: it’s true—but it’s Cate, and not Grady, who’s always doing the pushing.

“What about you?” Amelia asks. “Are you sorry?”

“For what?”

“You’re the Head Girl, Cate. That job comes with a certain level of responsibility.”

Cate seems to wave this away. “Look. Last night started off as just us girls hanging out, but then some other friends dropped by. Dane had beer left over from his family’s Fourth of July party, and they were drinking it. I’m not going to police the girls. They can make decisions for themselves.”

“The place is trashed. And there are like at least twenty drums of ice cream that have been ruined in there by exploding beer cans.”

“So take it out of my pay.”

“Do you even care about this place?”

“Oh, here we go.”

“Because you’re always late, the stand looks like hell, everything’s slipping. And now this? Throwing a party here and leaving the place trashed? I don’t get it. I thought you wanted to be Head Girl.”

“Of course I did. And we both know I deserved it.”

“So why are you acting like you don’t care about it? And when I try and talk to you about work stuff, you completely shut me down.”

“Because it’s not exactly easy doing things my way when I have you watching over me all the time! Judging me for everything I do because it’s not the way you would do it!”

“You’re right. I would have never, ever thrown a party like this. And I definitely wouldn’t let newbies drink. They’re barely out of eighth grade, Cate.” The Head Girls didn’t let Amelia and Cate drink until they were juniors, and even then, they kept a close watch on them.

Cate shrugs. “So what do you want? An apology? If anything, you should apologize to me, to all of us girls, for ruining our summer.”

Amelia feels an apology bubble up. She does have a lot she’s sorry for. But instead, she takes a deep breath and says, “Yes. I do want you to apologize. And I want you to promise that you’ll try harder. That you’ll do a better job. That you’ll work hard and respect the traditions and take it seriously. Because this place is going to fall apart unless you do.”

“Are you kidding me? Meade Creamery is falling apart, Amelia. Do you not remember that we almost got washed away during that rainstorm yesterday?”

“Is that a no? Because if it is, I don’t think there’s a place for you here anymore.”

It’s so suddenly silent that all Amelia can hear is the quiet wheezing of the tired, failing walk-in freezer.

Cate starts laughing. “Give me a break.”

“Is that a yes or a no, Cate?”

“That’s a screw you.”

Her words do sting. But Amelia simply says, “Then you’re fired.”

“You don’t have the authority to fire me. I’m Head Girl.”

This may or may not be true. But Amelia doesn’t blink. “Take your stuff and go.”

Cate’s laugh turns into a sneer. “I don’t need this. I’ll see you girls around.”