Great

by kindle@abovethetreeline. com

  “In—oh, she’s in Bern,” Jacinta said. “Yes, well, we were out in the countryside—far, far away from Bern. Little boarding school. Only about fifty students. No one has ever heard of it.”

  “My cousins all go to a little boarding school in the Swiss countryside,” Olivia said. “I wonder if it’s the same school.”

  “Probably not,” Jacinta said.

  “I think it’s so interesting,” Olivia said, “that you comment on all these parties and what everyone’s wearing, but you’re never actually at any of them.”

  “Well, I’ve been traveling a great deal,” Jacinta said. “Living all over the world. This has just sort of been a hobby of mine.”

  “Looking at strangers’ party photos and writing about their outfits,” Olivia said.

  Jacinta looked her straight in the eye, with a level expression. “Exactly,” she said firmly. “That’s how I have my fun.” Then she smiled brightly.

  I could’ve hugged her. She wasn’t backing down in the face of this jerk’s attitude, and she’d dispensed with trying to win her over.

  Olivia looked frustrated, and then she shoved her sunglasses back over her eyes.

  “Well,” she said. “Nice talking to all of you.” Her tone indicated that it had been anything but nice.

  “Lovely to meet you,” Jacinta said sweetly.

  Without responding, Olivia turned on her heel and stalked off down the beach.

  “She’s a real charmer,” Jeff said when Olivia was a safe distance down the beach.

  “Jacinta, come sit with me,” I said, scooting over so that I was sitting in the middle of our giant beach towel. Jacinta gratefully plopped down next to me and gave me a little side-hug.

  Jacinta asked Jeff about his most recent golf game, and he lit up and started talking about how he’d almost hit a deer on the back nine. Surprisingly, Jacinta seemed to know a lot about the big golf stars (I couldn’t have given a crap), and she and Jeff were trading facts about some guy named Graeme McDowell when something suddenly blocked the sun and cast an enormous shadow over the three of us. It was quickly joined by two slightly smaller shadows. I looked up and right into the eyes of Teddy Barrington.

  “Hi, Naomi,” he said with a broad smile. “It’s so great to see you. Where have you been?” His two companions, who looked like less handsome carbon copies of himself, peered at me with curiosity.

  I cringed inwardly. I hadn’t seen him since the night I caught him shoving Misti at Baxley’s. I could tell he was doing the “everything’s totally fine and completely normal” thing, and that I was expected to play my part.

  “Hi, Teddy,” I said uncomfortably.

  “Theodore,” Jeff said, reaching up.

  “Jeffrey,” Teddy said, and bumped fists with him.

  “Brock, Reilly,” Jeff said, bumping fists with each of the other guys in turn. It was like watching some weird male-bonding ritual. I felt like an anthropologist in the field.

  “Guys, this is Naomi,” Teddy said, gesturing to me. “She’s friends with Delilah and special friends with Jeff.”

  “We’re more like buddies,” Jeff said, slinging an arm around me. As awkward as I felt around Teddy, I couldn’t help but appreciate the warmth of Jeff’s skin against mine.

  “S’up,” said Brock.

  “Hey,” said Reilly.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said. “And this is Jacinta.”

  Teddy raised his eyebrows, and a slow smile spread across his lips. “The Jacinta Trimalchio,” he said, peering down at her. She looked nervous and twisted her hands a little.

  “Teddy Barrington,” he said, sticking out his big hand and shaking her delicate one vigorously. When he released his grip, I could tell by the way she flexed her fingers that they were a bit sore.

  “Nice to meet you,” Jacinta said faintly.

  “She’s Delilah’s new best friend,” he told Brock and Reilly. They nodded in tandem.

  “In fact,” Teddy added, “they hang out so much, I feel like I barely see my own girlfriend anymore. At least not until the nighttime. But I guess that’s when it counts, right?” He let out a dry chuckle. Jacinta’s big eyes widened, and for a moment I genuinely felt worried. She looked like a tiny animal confronted by a huge beast. “I’m surprised I didn’t recognize you right away,” Teddy said, staring at Jacinta intently. “There are so many pictures of you and Delilah on Facebook now.”

  She gave a light laugh. “Oh, not so many,” she said. “Ten. We were just playing dress-up the other day at my house. Doing our hair and makeup. Silly girly stuff.”

  “Yeah, that’s what Teddy and I do when we hang out,” Jeff said.

  “That reminds me of an episode of Oh, Those Masons!” Teddy said, a faraway look stealing over his eyes. “The brothers dressed in drag to get into a hot girl’s birthday party. I was in makeup for two hours. The director said I looked pretty in pink.”

  “That’s kind of creepy, bro,” Jeff said, cracking up.

  “It wasn’t creepy,” Teddy said seriously. “It was art. You know what I mean, right, Naomi?”

  “Uh, sure,” I said. “Acting. It’s art.”

  “Exactly,” he said, smiling down at me as if I had just said something truly profound. “See, your girl gets me, Jeff. Me and her, we’re on another level. She gets it.” He winked at me, and I pretended not to notice.

  “You been hanging out with Delilah at all, Naomi?” Teddy asked.

  “Sometimes,” I said cautiously. “I actually haven’t seen her for a few days.”

  “That’s too bad,” he said. “You should come over for dinner sometime. You can bring Jeff, too, if you have to.” He laughed as if he’d said something really funny.

  “Thanks, bro,” Jeff said.

  “Maybe one day you could let Delilah see her old friends,” Teddy said, looking pointedly at Jacinta.

  “Oh,” Jacinta said, looking flustered. “You know Delilah—she does whatever she wants.”

  “I do know Delilah,” he said. “I’ve known Delilah since we were in kindergarten.”

  “That’s sweet,” Jacinta said. “When did you start dating?”

  “You mean she hasn’t told you the whole story?”

  “No, I’m afraid she hasn’t.”

  “I thought boys were all girls talked about. Besides, you know, hair and makeup.”

  “You’re such a feminist, bro,” Jeff said, squeezing my shoulder with his hand.

  “Oh, we talk about all sorts of things at my house,” Jacinta said, twisting her fingers together. “But I guess mostly fashion and style.”

  “I heard there was a wild party at your house the other week,” Teddy said. He turned to his companions. “You guys remember the fireworks, right?”

  “Oh, shit,” Reilly said, suddenly becoming animated. “The party with the Ferris wheel. I heard about that. That was your place?”

  Jacinta smiled and nodded with pride.

  “Sounded badass,” Brock grunted.

  “You better invite us to your next party, Jacinta Trimalchio,” Teddy said.

  “How about tonight?” Jacinta asked.

  I looked at Jeff. Jeff looked at me. We hadn’t heard anything about a party at Jacinta’s, and you’d think that since we were the only ones who were actually invited last time, she would’ve given us a heads-up.

  “You’re having a party tonight?” Teddy asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I am now,” Jacinta said simply. “You can come over, have some drinks, see where Delilah’s been spending her days.” The tilt of her chin and the way she pursed her lips almost made it seem like a challenge.

  Teddy looked at Brock and Reilly. Brock shrugged. Reilly scratched the back of his head.

  “Sure,” Teddy said. “What time?”

  “Eight o’clock,” Jacinta said. “Delilah can show you how to get there.”

  “I’m sure she knows the way by heart,” Teddy said.

  “She does,” Jacinta said.

  “Cool,” Te
ddy said. “Great. We’ll see you then.” He and his boys said their goodbyes and walked off down the beach.

  “It’s one o’clock,” I said. “Can you really put together a party by eight?”

  “I can if Baxley’s can cater it,” Jacinta said, whipping out her cell phone. She walked away from us for a few minutes, talking on the phone and gesticulating enthusiastically.

  “I like her,” Jeff said to me in a low voice. “She’s great. But she’s super-weird, right? Like, it’s not just me.”

  “She’s—different,” I said carefully. I knew what he meant, but I was suddenly feeling very protective over her.

  Jacinta came back, triumphantly waving her cell phone in the air. “They said yes!” she said. “Which means I have to go to the bakery to get desserts, and to the florist to get flowers, and I’ve got to rent the chairs and tables—oh, I have so much to do, loves!” She wrung her hands but seemed more excited than nervous.

  “Do you need any help?” Jeff asked.

  “Just spread the word,” Jacinta said, gathering up her parasol. “Text your friends. I’ll email everyone, get the message out. This won’t be a huge party like last time—I’ll aim for maybe a hundred. And it’s a white party! Everyone has to wear white.”

  “Ah,” Jeff said. “Only a hundred. All white. Got it.”

  And then she was gone, swept away in a whirl of excitement.

  “I guess we’re going to a party tonight,” I said.

  Jeff put his arms around me and bent his head down to my ear.

  “Then we’ve got some things to do in the meantime,” he whispered. “Your mom isn’t home, is she?”

  “Nope,” I said. “Sailing with investors.”

  “Perfect,” Jeff said. “I’ll race you to your house.”

  And so we were busy for the next few hours.

  UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

  HarperCollins Publishers

  ..................................................................

  CHAPTER NINE

  Later, when it was time to go to Jacinta’s party, I kicked Jeff out of my room so that I could put on my party outfit and makeup. When I came downstairs fifteen minutes later, he whistled.

  “Lookin’ good,” he said approvingly. I was wearing a strapless white playsuit, kind of a ’60s look, and my hair was in braids. I wore white espadrilles and had tucked a white gardenia from my mother’s bedroom behind my ear.

  “We’re lucky you already had a white polo shirt with you,” I said. “Otherwise, whomever would I take as my date?”

  “I’m sure Brock or Reilly is available,” he said, pulling me close to him.

  “Ew,” I said. “I don’t date Cro-Mags.”

  It took us another few minutes to get out of the house, but once we were in view of Jacinta’s backyard, I stopped short and gasped in wonder.

  “How did she do this in just a few hours?” Jeff said in disbelief.

  “I think she’s magic,” I said, and I wasn’t really exaggerating.

  Somehow, Jacinta had transformed her backyard into a white wonderland. White rose petals were scattered all over the ground like fragrant snow. White rose-shaped candles floated in the river pool. The trees were covered in white Christmas lights and white streamers. White chairs with white cushions, white tables draped with white lace tablecloths, white-clad cater waiters with white gloves serving food on white plates under a white tent—Jacinta had managed to assemble it all. At least one of the 1920s bands was back, dressed all in white and playing pre-Depression hits on the deck, which was draped with white bunting. And near the deck were two objects that would’ve seemed ridiculous and childish if they weren’t so much fun—a giant white bouncy house and a huge white trampoline. One guy was already jumping on the trampoline, a champagne bottle in his hand, while his friends cracked up nearby. A few girls were eyeing the bouncy house, and I knew that as soon as they had a few glasses of wine in them, they’d be shrieking and squealing as they hopped around in their bare feet.

  As we wandered the backyard, marveling at Jacinta’s lightning-fast party planning, I overheard a few snatches of conversation.

  “I got the text at one thirty and was already trying on white dresses by two,” one girl said to another. “I had to get Hunter out of his sweaty golf clothes and into a nice white shirt and shorts.”

  “Oh, you’ll use any excuse to get Hunter out of his clothes, you slut,” her friend chortled.

  “She could’ve given us more notice,” a third girl complained. “She obviously had this planned way in advance—couldn’t she have sent invitations last week or something? I had to cancel dinner with my parents, and they hate when I cancel.”

  “Oh my God, look who’s working the party again,” another girl hissed excitedly. “Think she’ll ‘serve’ Teddy Barrington in the bouncy house?” The girls all dissolved into giggles.

  Under the tent, Misti listlessly served grilled lobster and corn on the cob while Giovanni tended bar nearby. I went to get plates for Jeff and me, and I felt like I ought to say something nice.

  “I like your dress,” I said. It was a pretty white shirtdress with a little white belt—much cuter than the usual cater-waiter gear.

  “Thanks,” she said cautiously. “It’s from Mandee. I’m lucky I had it with me or I would’ve been shit outta luck when they told us we had to wear all white. I couldna worked the gig.” Then she looked over my shoulder, and her entire bored face lit up like the sunrise. It was so marked a change that I swiveled around to see what she saw.

  Flanked by Reilly and Brock, Teddy strode around the side of the house, greeting passersby with fist bumps and hugs, almost like a politician. A few girls stopped and cooed over him, and he leaned down to say things that made them giggle and blush.

  Then, about twenty paces behind Teddy, an obviously reluctant Delilah came into view. I glanced back at Misti and saw her face fall.

  “Gio!” she yelled over her shoulder at Giovanni. “Make me a rum and Coke!”

  He looked over the bar, surprised. “While we’re workin’?”

  She stared daggers at him. “What did I fuckin’ say? Yeah, while we’re workin’!”

  He looked a little scared. “Okay, baby,” he said soothingly.

  “Baby,” Misti muttered, slapping a buttery piece of corn on the cob on my plate so that some of the butter splattered on my wrist. “Yeah, fuckin’ right.” I murmured my thanks for the food and hustled my way back to the table where Jeff and I had set up camp. He was already a couple beers in by the time I sat down.

  “You should’ve seen Misti’s face when Teddy walked in,” I said, handing him his plate. “She thinks he’s like a god or something.”

  “I can’t wait to see how he reacts when he sees her,” Jeff said through a mouthful of corn. He chuckled a little. “Or even better, how Delilah will act when she sees her.”

  “Jeez, catty much?” I said. He shook his head and swallowed his food.

  “Not catty,” he said. “Observant. Interested. I’m fascinated by the strategy of it all. It’s like golf. You hit the ball, hoping it goes one place, and sometimes it does. Other times, it doesn’t. Regardless, you’ve got to play it where it lies. Teddy came to this party, and Misti is here. He wasn’t expecting that. So now what’s he going to do? How’s he going to play it?”

  “I’ve heard enough sports analogies for one lifetime. My dad’s a basketball coach, remember?” I dug into my grilled lobster and wondered, not for the first time, if Jeff actually looked at people as if they were players in some kind of giant game. It seemed kind of cold, but I remembered how Skags and I used to analyze the Beasts’ antics back at school for our own amusement—their stupid fights, their little intra-group rivalries, their dumb drama over idiotic boys. Maybe it was kind of like that. And that was harmless, right?

  But there was a big difference—Skags and I weren’t friends with the Beasts. Well, not until her recent bonding with Jenny Carpenter, anyway. And Jeff was suppos
ed to be one of Teddy’s best friends. So how could he look at Teddy’s life with such amused detachment?

  Maybe boys were just different about this stuff.

  And anyway, Jeff didn’t know anything about Teddy pushing Misti. I was sure he would’ve been less cavalier about the situation if he knew about that. Maybe I would tell him—eventually. Now clearly wasn’t the moment.

  “Oh, shit,” he said in a low voice. “Look at that.”

  I looked, and saw one of the most uncomfortable scenes I’ve ever witnessed: Jacinta Trimalchio, wearing a sleeveless ivory dress, plus white heels and a tiny white top hat set askew on her head, gingerly talking to a miserable-looking Delilah, who was wearing a tight white dress that seemed illegally short, and a very animated Teddy, who had his arm slung protectively around Delilah’s shoulders. Brock and Reilly stood slightly behind him like sentries, watching the conversation unfold with expressionless faces. As I watched, Teddy threw an arm around Jacinta and drew both girls close to him, lowering his head and murmuring something. Whatever he said, it didn’t go over well—Jacinta pulled back and looked startled, while Delilah furiously threw off his arm and snapped at him. This only served to make him laugh, and he cast a glance at Brock and Reilly, both of whom began laughing, too. Delilah stalked off toward the house, grabbing Jacinta’s hand and pulling her along.

  “I should go talk to Jacinta,” I said, standing up so fast I almost upset my glass of wine. “Something crazy is going on.”

  “You’re a good friend,” Jeff said. I studied him to see if he was being sarcastic, but he wasn’t.

  “I mean it,” he said, taking another gulp of beer. “I know they’re glued at the hip, but I think you’re a better friend to Jacinta than Delilah is. Delilah’s playing some kind of weird game. You—you just care about people. It’s nice.” He sounded almost sentimental. I guess it was the beer.

  “I’ll see you later,” I said, grabbing my white beaded clutch and hurrying away. I passed Teddy & Co. on the way to the house.

  “Hey, Naomi,” Teddy said, and I could tell he must’ve come to the party already drunk. “You gonna save my girlfriend from that psycho?”