Boy Swap

by Kristina Springer

  “Will you guys excuse me? I have to hit the ladies’ room,” I say, and Cassie nods eagerly. Tramp.

  You know, this really isn’t that big of a deal. I’ll just go and find Lizzie and chat with her for a few and then go back to Chris. I mean, how much can Chris and Cassie have to talk about? And it is not like I don’t completely trust Chris. He would never ever cheat on me. Yeah, so Cassie is pretty. And she’s a senior. And she’s totally built. But who wants that? Well, maybe any single guy with half a brain might respond to her blatant flirting, but not my Chris. He’s all mine.

  That’s the thing. I just don’t get with this whole Boy Swap idea. I don’t see how it actually works. I understand how it benefits me (scarf, popularity boost, possible new friends), but how do they actually convince the guys to swap? What if they don’t want to swap? What if they are in a totally committed relationship like Chris and I?

  “Brooke, sit,” Lizzie says, interrupting my thoughts and scooting over on the couch in the living room to make room for me. I squeeze into the few inches of space and beam at the gang.

  “Where’s Chris?” Lizzie asks.

  “Talking to Cassie Deegan for a minute.”

  Lizzie’s eyes widen as big as two 25-cent gumballs. “What? And you are talking to us…why?”

  I laugh. “What do you mean? I’m talking to you because you’re my friends.”

  “I mean, why are you leaving your boyfriend alone with her?”

  Because I signed an agreement to share my boyfriend with any member of Boy Swap but I got this really awesome scarf.

  “Why not?” I shrug. “He’s a big boy. He can talk to other girls.”

  Lizzie puts the back of her hand on my forehead. “You feeling all right?”

  “Stop,” I say with a giggle. “I’m fine.”

  “Why are those girls at our party anyway?” Anita, a clarinet player, interrupts.

  “I don’t know,” I say. “Maybe all the really cool parties are too packed tonight?”

  “I wish they’d leave,” she says. “They’re making everybody uncomfortable.”

  “Yeah, no kidding,” I agree. I wait another few minutes and then excuse myself to rejoin Chris. That is totally enough time to have been “going to the bathroom.”

  As I make my way back toward the front door, I see Chris and Cassie with their heads really close together, almost touching. Caitlyn and Amanda are nowhere in sight. Interesting.

  “Hey, guys,” I say in as chipper and normal a sounding voice as I can muster. “What did I miss?”

  Chris turns to face me and flushes a deep shade of red. Huh. What exactly did they talk about?

  “Hey, Babe,” he says, making no move to take my hand or put an arm around my shoulder

  “I’d better be off. My friends are waiting for me outside,” Cassie says, winking at Chris. “Later.” She heads for the door.

  “Later,” Chris says with a cough.

  “Much,” I mumble under my breath.

  What exactly just happened? And, if Chris would never cheat on me, why am I shaking?

  Chapter 4: Relax sister!

  After Cassie left the party, things went back to normal and Chris was his usual affectionate self. I never asked him what he and Cassie talked about and he never offered. I didn’t want him to interrogate me on why I let her come in the first place. I can’t imagine too much happened between them. They were only alone for a few minutes.

  The next night we went to a movie and then hung out at my house. A typical Brooke and Chris Saturday night. But after I stayed up all night worrying about Chris’s behavior, I decided that I needed more information on this club I joined. Like, do we have regular meetings? And how do our boyfriends not find out that we are lending them out like library books?

  It’s 5th period, Monday afternoon, and I’m in art class. Today we’re supposed to work on sketching people so our art teacher, Mr. O’Dell, told us to partner up with someone else in class. This is just the opportunity I’ve been looking for. Amanda Montgomery, fellow Boy Swap Club member, is in my class and she doesn’t have a partner yet. I sprint across the room to where she’s sitting. Normally, when asked to partner up, Amanda would work with one of the football players. She can’t be seen mixing with the semi-popular, the slightly popular, or any other unimportant people so she’d never normally work with me. But hey, I have a scarf now, so it should get me into places I didn’t get in before, right?

  I stand before Amanda’s desk and she raises one eyebrow at me. I yank my scarf out of my purse and wave it in the air, like a white surrender flag. Amanda shakes her head and smirks. “Sit.”

  I grab a nearby chair and sit down next to her. “Hi Amanda.”

  She flashes a glance at me.

  “I’m in— ”

  “I know who you are,” she cuts me off. “You don’t have to announce it.”

  “Oh. Well, do you want to sketch me first or shall I sketch you?”

  “You can sketch me first,” she says. I open up my sketchpad and pull a pencil from my purse. I study Amanda’s face for a moment to see what I can find out about her. She’s pretty expressionless right now and her blue-gray eyes are staring back at me, unblinking. She has long, straight, honey-blond hair carefully tucked behind her ears and her skin is absolutely perfect, which is completely unfair. She’s like an after picture for Proactiv. I start drawing her eyes first.

  “So,” I say, trying to think of some way to break the ice between us, “how long have you and Cassie been friends?”

  “Long time. Since grade school,” she says.

  Kinda like Delaney and me. Except they stayed friends and Delaney acts like she barely recollects me.

  “She seems nice,” I say, working on Amanda’s right pupil.

  “Uh huh.”

  Hmm, Amanda isn’t so talkative.

  “She likes my boyfriend huh?” I venture.

  Amanda chuckles a little in response.

  “How long have you been in B—”

  “Shh,” she interrupts sternly, then looks around to see if anyone overheard.

  “What?” I blink hard, taken aback a bit.

  “Listen,” she says, leaning in, “we don’t talk about it. It just is.”

  “That’s just it. I don’t get how it works. Are we going to have more meetings or something?”

  “Oh my God!” Amanda draws out her words, clearly irritated. “Did you not just hear me tell you not to talk about it?”

  “But—”

  “No! I’m going to go work with Tony. Later.” She scoops up her things and walks away from me and toward the school’s quarterback.

  I’m trying hard not to cry. Amanda was way harsh. And now I don’t have a partner to sketch. Which means I’ll probably have to work with Mr. O’Dell again and I hate working with Mr. O’Dell. I already have an abstract watercolor and a clay bust of him at home.

  * * *

  I stop at my locker after math class to drop off my books. There’s a note sitting at the bottom of the locker waiting for me. Uh-oh. I pick it up, unfold, and read, “4 p.m., Bookends Bookstore, Travel section. See you then.”

  Oh no. Amanda must have told Cassie that I was talking about Boy Swap in public. They probably want to meet me so they can kick me out of their club and take my scarf back. I’m sure Delaney will get a big fat laugh out of this. She’ll be all, see C2? I told you Brooke was a total nerd and we shouldn’t have invited her into our club. That’s why I dumped her dorky butt in 6th grade. Blergh. I wish I could win for once. I want Delaney to be jealous of me.

  What am I going to do? Maybe I should preemptively quit? I’m not too keen on this whole flirting with Chris thing anyway. But I do love the scarf. Maybe I’ll tell them I lost it?

  I arrive at Bookends at five to four and walk slowly toward the Travel section. Whatever happens, at least I had a few days with the scarf. Who cares if they don’t want me in their club anymore? Maybe I don’t want them either. Okay, that isn’t true. But it won’t
be the end of the world. It’s not like I don’t still have Chris and Lizzie and my other band friends.

  When I get to the Travel section, there is no circle of pretty girls waiting for me this time. Just Cassie and Caitlyn, looking through a Paris walking tour guide. “H-hi,” I say tentatively as I approach them.

  “Brooke,” Cassie says, oozing sweetness. “Here, come sit.” She pats the bench.

  She doesn’t seem mad at me. I cautiously take a seat next to her. I can’t help but notice our thighs sitting next to each other on the bench. Mine are like 3 inches wider. Not kidding. Which is totally absurd because I do NOT have fat thighs. Mine are perfectly normal. If anything, she’s the one with freaky small thighs.

  “So, Brooke,” Caitlyn says, leaning forward on her knees to see me past Cassie, “we asked you to meet us here in case you had any questions. Amanda mentioned that you might want to talk to us.” She gives me a huge smile and I feel my stomach calming down. The girls are totally being nice to me.

  “Well, yeah. I did have some questions. But Amanda seemed angry that I asked.”

  “Oh that.” Cassie shakes her head. “It’s just that we don’t talk about BSC in public. We’re sisters! We don’t get mad at each other. That’s rule number two.”

  Huh. Being an only child, I don’t know how actual sisters act. But if being bitchy to me in public and nice to me in private is what a sister does, then they must be right.

  “We keep the BSC on the down low, especially at school. Remember, we mentioned that at your initiation meeting?” Caitlyn says slowly. Like I have a difficult time with understanding the language.

  “That meeting happened so fast,” I say. “I’m just a little confused as to what we do in this club.”

  “You’re already doing it, Brooke. And you’re doing a great job! You are one of our best neophytes,” Cassie says.

  What did she just call me? “I am?”

  “You’re totally doing a great job, Brooke,” Caitlyn agrees, nodding her head.

  “We share boyfriends in BSC and you have been selfless in sharing your boyfriend,” Cassie says.

  “That’s all there is to it?” I ask. “I just let you flirt a little with Chris and that’s it?”

  Cassie and Caitlyn look at each other and then back at me. “Pretty much,” Caitlyn says.

  “Do we ever have meetings?” I ask.

  “Mmmm, not really,” Cassie says. “BSC is pretty big. If we all ever met in one place, we’d draw a crowd. And we don’t want to do that. If we ever need to meet with you, we’ll schedule a meeting here, like we did today.”

  “Can I talk to the other members?” I ask.

  “Of course!” Caitlyn says. “Just don’t talk about the club in public. The other girls see your scarf. They know you’re in it.”

  “Okay. I think I get it.”

  “Feel better now?” Cassie asks.

  Wow, she is so much nicer than she was Friday night at the game and the party.

  “I do,” I say, really meaning it. “But I have one more question. How do our boyfriends not find out we’re swapping them? Like, how will Chris willingly spend time with other girls and not think something is up? I don’t think he’ll participate.” Seriously, Cassie is just not his type. That whole fake blond, fake-boobed (at least they look fake), and starving look is so overdone.

  “Oh, Sweetie,” Caitlyn says, tossing an arm around my shoulder and walking us toward the door, “don’t you worry about it. That is up to the girl seeking the swap, not the girlfriend allowing the swap. You are doing your part by sharing your boyfriend and not causing any scenes or getting pissed. You don’t have to do a thing.”

  “I don’t?”

  “No, no, no. Like we said, you are doing a great job,” Cassie says, walking on my left. “Want to stop and get a mocha?” she says as we approach the café in the front of the bookstore and the rich espresso bean smell hits my nose.

  Do I?!

  “Sure,” I say. This is exactly what I had hoped this club would be. Hanging out with the most popular girls, getting coffees? Heck yeah. And maybe Cassie and I really will become good friends. OMG, Delaney would die! Then she’d have to walk two feet behind me, too. Ha!

  Chapter 5: Stepping out

  “Chris…Chris…” I mumble. “Hey, we should stop.” It’s dusk and Chris and I are sitting at one of our favorite spots. It’s this beautiful rocky grotto outside of an old monastery with winding paths around it and big overhanging trees. Totally secluded and completely quiet. The only sound we hear are the occasional bells ringing at the church up the road. No one is supposed to be in here at night, especially without permission from the nuns who live in the huge dorm-like building on the grounds, but we like to sneak in and hang out here anyway.

  “God,” he says, pushing back and leaning against the rock wall. I don’t know if he’s about to pray or if he’s just frustrated with me for putting on the brakes. But my money is on the latter. We tend to get into these heavy make-out sessions and I always stop him before it gets too far.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, pulling the heavy gray wool blanket he keeps in his trunk up higher over my shoulders. It’s cold out tonight. “But you know I’m not ready yet.” Not to mention it would ruin my big Disney-trip surprise.

  “I know,” he replies, obviously angry with me now, “but I don’t know why. We’ve been together for four months. And I’m only with you. It’s not like I’m seeing anyone else.”

  Gee thanks. He acts like I should pin a medal on him or something. “I know but—”

  “I just don’t see the big deal,” he interrupts. “Other girls are doing it.”

  “Who?” I ask.

  “Nobody. Never mind.”

  We’re both silent for a few moments.

  “Are you trying to say you want to be with another girl?” I ask quietly.

  “No!” he explodes. “God, Brooke! Just forget it. Come on—let’s go.” He stands up, snatches the blanket off of me, and walks toward where we left his car. Not even waiting for me or taking my hand.

  Wow. I’ve never thought this about Chris before, but he’s kinda being a big jerk. A shiver runs through me and I wrap my arms around myself, fighting the cold. I slowly follow him back to the car.

  * * *

  The next morning at band practice, Chris seems to be back to normal. He was still moody when he dropped me off last night, but first thing this morning he gave me a kiss and a hug so I guess everything is okay. I’m warming up on my flute when Rayne takes her seat next to me and starts unpacking her instrument.

  “Hey,” she says.

  I nod without taking my flute from my lips. I start to practice runs between B and high B.

  “How’s it going?” she asks.

  Why does she want to talk today? Rayne and I have an unspoken agreement. She sits in the first chair acting smug and keeping to herself and I ignore her.

  “Fine,” I say, laying my flute in my lap and waiting for Mr. Shank to come to the front of the room and start practice.

  “How are you and Chris doing?”

  I look at her quizzically now. Since when does she care about my relationship with Chris?

  “Just fine, thanks for asking,” I say curtly. End of conversation, Rayne.

  “Good, good.” She giggles to herself. What a freak.

  After practice, I walk over to the tuba section to chat with Lizzie. “Whatcha doing tonight?” I ask.

  “No big plans. Probably just going home and watching TV or something. What about you?”

  “Nothing, I wanted to see if you want to go to the mall after school.”

  “What, no Chris today?” she says, acting completely astonished.

  “Stop!” I can’t help chuckling. “I don’t see Chris every day.” She gives me a ‘yeah, right’ look. “Okay, well I don’t have to see him every day,” I say. Not to mention he said he was busy after school today. “I’m totally in the mood for shopping. What do you think? We can hit the Promenade
.”

  “Sure, sounds good to me. Are we going to take the bus or can your mom give us a lift?”

  “I’ll call my mom,” I say. Yay, shopping will be fun. Maybe we’ll hit Victoria’s Secret and I can begin my search for the perfect outfit to wear for my first intimate night with Chris.

  My mom picks Lizzie and I up after school and drops us at the Promenade to shop until 7. We’ve hit H&M, Bath & Body, and Delia’s, and we’re heading over to Victoria’s Secret when Lizzie stops dead in her tracks and grabs my arm.

  “What?” I say.

  “Oh. My. God.” Her jaw drops to her chest and she has a shocked look on her face like she just walked in on her parents having sex. But that is completely impossible here at an outdoor mall, so maybe she just sees an amazing 90% off sale somewhere.

  I look from store window to store window, but I don’t see any sale signs. “What? What?”

  “No, you shouldn’t look. No, you should. No, you shouldn’t. Oh, I don’t know what to do! I’ve never been in this situation!” Lizzie covers her face and really seems upset now. And it’s making me upset.

  “Lizzie, stop it. Tell me. What shouldn’t I look at?” I’m scanning the vicinity, trying to figure out what she is freaking out about when suddenly I see them.

  Cassie and Chris. Together. In the music store across the commons area.

  I’m going to kill him! How dare he go out with Cassie behind my back! That jerk! What about all that stuff yesterday about how he was only with me? That big fat liar. I can’t believe he would do this to me—and in public, where anyone at all from school can see him. Where we can see him.

  “Oh Brooke, I’m so sorry. Oh man, I had no idea that Chris would cheat on you,” Lizzie says.

  I have to calm down. This is all part of the Boy Swap. I’m supposed to be okay with this boyfriend sharing thing. “Supposed to” being the key phrase because I’m so NOT! This really, really sucks! I can’t believe Chris is actually out with Cassie. What’s he thinking?

  I have to chill. I can’t let it bother me. At least, I can’t let anyone else know that it bothers me.

  I take a deep breath. “Oh…are you talking about Chris and Cassie?” I say as casually as I can, even though my heart is beating in my ears.