CHAPTER 15
“Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are.” Rene Renya Sr.
Angela woke the girls the next morning just after nine. “You know how I feel about breakfast,” she whined. “I need to eat or I get sick.”
“We’re up,” said Kate.
“I’ll drive,” suggested Elizabeth. “You can smoke in my car Kate.”
“You guys need to cut that shit out,” said Angela. “It’s gross and terrible for you.”
“Yeah, but you won’t even smell it in my Jeep.” The girls walked to the street where Elizabeth’s car was parked. There was a folded sheet of lined paper on the front seat. “Did one of you do this?” Elizabeth unfolded the piece of paper.
“You gotta believe.” Young Jeezy
Elizabeth smiled and handed the paper to her friends. “Where’d that come from?” asked Angela curiously.
“Thug Motivation 101 by Young Jeezy,” smiled Elizabeth. “It’s from Jack.”
“You guys are exchanging quotes now?” asked Kate. “You have the strangest friendship.”
“Who is Young Jeezy?” asked Angela.
“Dude, you’re basically stereotyping,” said Kate. “Just because Young Jeezy is a Hip-Hop artist doesn’t mean it’s from Jack.”
“You’re right,” said Elizabeth sarcastically. “It’s probably from Bob.”
“Country music Bob?” Kate rolled her eyes.
“Kate!” shouted Angela. “Nick’s car is parked across the street.”
“So,” Kate answered slouching down in the passenger seat.
“So, you were practically sucking the saliva out of his mouth last night,” said Elizabeth. Angela laughed. Kate was sitting with her arms folded across her chest. “Oh, come on. It’s not that bad. It could totally be worse.”
“Like agreeing to go out with Bob?” suggested Angela.
“This is your fault,” accused Kate pointing to Elizabeth. “If it wasn’t for you trying to get in Jack’s crowd, last night wouldn’t have happened.”
“I am not trying to get in Jack’s crowd!” defended Elizabeth. “I don’t even like those people!”
“You said Nick wasn’t that bad,” argued Kate. “Now you’re saying you don’t even like him.”
“You’re dating one of them, Liz,” reminded Angela.
“Okay, both of you stop. Jack is my friend and he’s a nice guy. I’m not trying to be friends with the A-listers. If, he invites us out and if we agree to go, that’s okay. Kate, Nick was very nice last night. I’m not saying he’s like everyone. In fact, Jack isn’t a jerk like most of them so maybe Nick isn’t either.”
Kate shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Yeah, well, he didn’t even know we went to the same school.”
“Jack didn’t know Elizabeth’s name until a few weeks ago and they live next door to each other,” Angela reminded her friends.
“Wow,” said Elizabeth. “Thanks for that wonderful reminder.”
“It’s going to be dinner by the time we eat,” said Angela. “Can we just argue about this later?”
Elizabeth turned on the car without saying another word. Kate smoked while Angela listened to Young Jeezy on her iPod. Was it possible that a person could exist in more than one world with the popular kids and the regular kids? Elizabeth wasn’t thinking about herself, she knew what world she belonged in. It was the same place she wanted to stay. For years, she and her friends always talked about the social pyramid and knew what people belonged where. If someone hangs out with drug addicts or prostitutes, is it because they admire the lifestyle? Or is it because they are a non-judgmental person? Elizabeth wondered if Jack was friends with people like Jamie Johnson because he wasn’t judgmental or he was naive about who he socialized with.
“Unless someone has a very hidden lifestyle it matters who your friends are,” said Kate breaking the silence. “Your choices speak much about you and why wouldn't they? Being friends with someone means accepting them as they are. So, you either accept their disgusting lifestyle or just don't care enough about it.”
“Disgusting lifestyle?” asked Elizabeth. “Like, me?”
“Obviously, not you,” said Kate. “I accept what you do because I love you. Angela accepts our smoking because she loves us. We accept her Type A-ness because we love her.”
“They say that opposites attract. You can sometimes be drawn to someone who's completely your opposite,” said Angela. “Kate, if you like Nick, and Elizabeth, if you like Bob then who says that some stupid social pyramid has to stop you. Neither of them seem to care about social status.”
“Sometimes when very different people do get together the relationship doesn't last long because their differences create friction,” theorized Kate. “If there’s no friction in the relationship then the two people get along together and so they can't be opposites.”
Elizabeth considered that. Was she the opposite of Jack or did they really have a lot in common?
The Anything Friend Page 17
