The Homecoming (Thunder Point #6)(36)

“Well, my mother was a florist and named me Iris. I think I’ve finally made peace with it but growing up, I hated it. You know what really surprised me? Even girls who had regular names confessed to hating them! I think every twelve-or thirteen-year-old girl has fantasies about changing her name.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Even the girls named Kate and Mary and Sue,” Iris said. “How long have you lived in Thunder Point, Misty?”

“Two years, I guess. Since the start of eighth grade.”

“You’ve had such good grades. Are you the oldest child in your family?”

She nodded. “I have a little brother. His grades aren’t as good because he’s a screw-off.”

Iris laughed and could see Misty beginning to relax. “Did you know that most firstborn children are the most accomplished, especially academically? They show the most leadership skills, which I guess should be obvious.” They talked for a while about the deli Misty’s parents owned and operated in Bandon. It was bigger than Carrie’s deli and had tables for diners. Misty helped out on the weekends. Her dad was Portuguese and a lot of their deli items were his family recipes. They talked about everything Iris could think of—dogs, grandparents, babysitting.

“I was asking Mr. Headly about you earlier today. He mentioned that your grades are so good that he suggested taking the SAT this year and you...”

Misty’s eyes went downcast. She shrugged and clutched her hands in her lap.

“What is it, Misty? What worries you? You’re bound to do well. And depending on your score, you could retake it next year after a prep course and really kill it. Or, if the results are excellent, you could let it stand.”

She just shrugged again.

“Let’s talk about college, Misty. Are you worried about the cost? About leaving home? About college studies being harder?”

“I’m just not very interested in college,” she said softly.

“I’m so surprised. But that’s not a decision you have to make now. In fact, you don’t even have to decide next year. More to the point, since college isn’t required, you can decide at any point that it’s not right for you. But it makes sense to be prepared in case you decide to give it a try.”

“It doesn’t feel right now,” she said.

“It probably seems a long way off,” Iris said. “Misty, will you look at me?” Iris asked gently.

Misty lifted her eyes and Iris was not surprised to see she was near tears. Oh, Troy was right. Something was wrong. “What’s bothering you, honey?” Iris asked. “You can say anything in this office and it will go no further.”

“Not even to Mr. Headly?” she asked softly.

“Especially not Mr. Headly,” she said. “Just you and me.”

“You won’t get it,” Misty said.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been a counselor for a while now. There isn’t much I haven’t heard. Plus, I bet I had some of the same worries when I was your age.”

The girl hesitated a long moment, contemplating by chewing on her lower lip. And then she spoke. “I’ll just be alone,” she whispered. “Why should I go away to a big school just to be alone?”

Iris was completely surprised by this. “Why would you be alone?”

Yet another self-conscious shrug. “I won’t have any friends.”

“How can you be sure of that?” Iris asked.

“You ever had a best friend?” Misty asked.

Iris nodded. “Sure.”

“You ever have a best friend drop you?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, I have. It’s very painful. Is that what happened, Misty?”

She nodded and her eyes filled with tears. It was a miracle they weren’t flooding over. “My best friend since eighth grade got a better friend. And they don’t like me.”

“Misty, are you being bullied? Picked on?” Iris asked. “It’s okay to tell me.”

She shook her head. “She...Stephanie...was my best friend. I mean, we liked other friends, but she was my best friend. For like two years. Now she’s Tiff’s best friend and I’m out. She does everything with Tiff—we don’t even talk on the phone or text anymore. They sit together at lunch, assembly, games. If I just show up and sit by them, they talk and laugh and ignore me. They do things together after school and I’m not invited.”

Iris frowned. “Do they say or do mean things?”

“Sometimes Tiff does and if she does Stephanie tells her to stop it, but she still wants to be Tiff’s friend and my ex-friend. It just sucks. I’ll get over it, I guess, but it just sucks.”

“Because it hurts,” Iris said. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why three never works, but it seems to never work. Is that why you aren’t interested in the SAT?”

“Pretty much. My mom says to just get over it, that I deserve better friends, that in five years I won’t even remember it.”

“Well, your mom could be right, but just getting over things isn’t exactly easy. That takes time. I understand completely. You might change your mind about friends and college and SATs, if not this year, maybe next year.”

“I don’t need another place to not fit in,” Misty said. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “I have to be honest with myself. I’ll never be cool.”