Best (Boy)friend

by Melissa J Morgan

  “No prob,” Val said. She flipped on to her stomach, leaned over the side of the bed, and pulled her suitcase out from underneath. Then she jerked upright. “Wait. You got your period? It’s your first one, right? Are you okay?”

  Priya wished Valerie would just hand over the pad so Priya could run into the bathroom. Why did other girls always want to talk about stuff so much?

  “Are you getting food? Because if you are, you have to share,” Brynn said softly from the other bed as Val leaned back down and started rooting through the suitcase.

  “I wasn’t. But—” She pulled a big bag of M&Ms out from a side pocket and tossed them to Priya. “If you’re like me, you’re jonesing for chocolate right now.”

  “I so am,” Priya answered. “Is that a thing? I mean, is that something that happens to you when you get it?”

  “I love chocolate always,” Valerie said. “But there are times when it is vital for my survival.”

  Priya ate a handful of the candy. Maybe the talking wasn’t so bad if it came with M&Ms.

  “Hey, I’m the one who asked for food,” Brynn complained.

  “Priya has priority. She got her period, so it’s like a medical thing,” Valerie answered.

  “Should we try to find you a heating pad or something?” Brynn asked. “Maybe at the front desk?” She blinked. “Hey, wait. Didn’t you say you never? During the game?”

  “First time,” Priya admitted.

  “I read this cool thing. In Uganda when a girl gets her first period, she stays home from school, and her mom and aunts hang with her and fill her in on everything she needs to know,” Valerie said. She pulled a little cloth pouch out of her suitcase and gave it to Priya. “Then later her girlfriends come over and party, and they sing this beautiful song about menstruation.”

  “I’ll sing you a beautiful song about menstruation if you give me some of those M&Ms,” Brynn offered. Priya popped another handful, then passed the bag. Then she hurried over to the rollaway and grabbed pajamas and clean underpants out of her suitcase.

  “Be right back,” she whispered, then locked herself into the bathroom.

  A moment later there was a soft knock on the door. “It’s Alex. I’m leaving some Midol from Val outside the door. It’s good if you have cramps. Have you got them?”

  Priya realized she did. She’d thought her tight achy stomach was from dealing with all the Jordan craziness.

  “A little. Sorry I woke you up,” Priya told her.

  “I’m having some of my sugar-free Reese’s I stashed away, so I’m not complaining,” Alex answered.

  “I’m leaving you the rest of the M&Ms.” It was Brynn. “Well, the rest after this handful.” She cleared her throat. Then she started to sing softly. Yes, sing. “Priya, you’re now a woman/ And that’s sayin’ somethin’/ You get free chocolate/ And that’s saying a lot . . .”

  Priya started to giggle, her whole body shaking so hard she had trouble sticking the wingie things of the pad to her underpants.

  “Why is everyone up?” she heard Sophie ask.

  “We’re celebrating Priya, the way they do in Uganda,” Brynn answered. “She’s menstruating, so we’re celebrating,” she added in song.

  “You okay in there, Priya?” Sophie was right outside the door now.

  “Yeah,” Priya answered.

  The truth was, she was more than okay. She was good. Thanks to her roomies.

  Her girlfriends.

  How had she gotten along without girlfriends—real ones—before this summer? Boys were great. But boys would have been useless in this situation. Boys wouldn’t have known she needed chocolate. Boys definitely wouldn’t have been able to give her pads. And they wouldn’t have made her laugh by singing to her about menstruating. They probably wouldn’t even say the word ‘menstruating.’

  Sometimes you really just needed your girls around you.

  Priya and Alex staggered off one of the National Air and Space Museum’s flight simulators. It still felt kind of weird walking with a pad in her underwear. But at least she didn’t have to waddle the way she had when she’d had all those toilet-seat covers stuffed down her underpants.

  “How amazingly cool was that?” Alex asked.

  “Extremely amazingly cool,” Priya said. Her head felt like it was still somewhere around her toes after that last barrel roll they’d done. It had really felt like they were flying through the sky in one of those old-fashioned barnstormer planes, like the one Snoopy rode in when he was in Red Baron mode.

  “Where to next?” Alex retucked her navy shirt into her shorts.

  “Let’s check the map,” Priya answered. It was the map that she and Jordan had sent away for and used to plan out almost every minute of their trip to the museum. The place was massive. “Next up—the paper airplane contest in the How Things Fly gallery. I’m an expert at paper airplanes. I’ve had a lot of practice—I like to throw them at my little brother—and I can get some extreme distances.”

  “I only know how to do the basic,” Alex admitted.

  “I can teach you some variations, no prob.” Priya lowered her voice. “I owe you for last night. Or we don’t have to do the planes at all. I mean, we don’t have to follow the schedule Jor—” She stopped. “The schedule I planned out.”

  “Are you kidding? It seems like you know more about this place than the tour guides. Can you believe Brynn attempted to talk me into going to that Elephant and the Basketball play with her instead of coming here? She’s my best camp friend. And I’d do almost anything for her. But, puh-leaze.”

  “Grapefruit,” Priya corrected automatically. She wondered how Jordan was doing. Only about the thousandth time she’d wondered the same thing since she hit the museum this a.m. Had he found the perfect thing to use to impress Brynn in one of the reviews after she’d bailed on him last night?

  “Huh? Grapefruit?” Alex shook her head.

  “The name of the play. The Elephant and the Grapefruit. Not basketball,” Priya explained.

  Priya suddenly felt like spewing the whole Jordan slash Brynn deal to Alex. That was what girlfriends did. Talked. And Alex was getting to be a girlfriend. Except it wasn’t Priya’s story to tell. It didn’t have anything to do with her. So Jordan liiiiked Brynn and was going to try and get her to liiiiike him back today while they were at the play. What did that have to do with Priya? A big fat donut of nothing. So it’s not like she’d be talking over a problem with Alex in a girlfriend kind of way. Because there was no problem.

  So why did Priya have a kind of sick feeling in her stomach?

  It was just period cramps, she decided. That or a side-effect from the flight simulator. Or a combo of the two.

  “How do you think the writer came up with that title?” Alex asked, pulling Priya out of her thoughts. “Come on. The Elephant and the Grapefruit?”

  “The Elephant and the Grapefruit is the most fabulous thing I’ve ever seen,” Brynn gushed as she, Sarah, and Val came into the hotel room after the play. “I want to be an actress more than ever. I can imagine myself up there on that stage in the Kennedy Center already, tears streaming down my face like in that scene with the basketball.” Her eyes were moist, like she might start crying right then. And Jordan was crushing on her? Brynn was okay, nice even. Okay, she was actually cool last night. But wouldn’t all the drama drive Jordan a little cuckoo?

  “There was a basketball?” Alex exclaimed. “I’m psychic!”

  “For you,” Val said quietly. She passed Priya a piece of paper, then plopped down on her bed.

  Priya opened the note and read it. Meet me in the lobby. Now! Life and death!!—Jordan. She sprang up from the rollaway and started toward the door. She had her hand on the doorknob before she thought of Sophie. Priya spun back to face the room chaperone. “Sophie, is it okay if I go down to the gift shop for a minute? I need to stock up on pads. I don’t want to keep borrowing from everybody.”

  “Sure. Go ahead. I’ll expect you back in fifteen,” Sophie answe
red.

  Priya raced back over to her bed, grabbed her wallet—to make her lie believable—and bolted before anyone could ask to go with her. She decided not to wait for the elevator. Life and death, her feet pounded out as she charged down the seven flights of stairs. Life and death. She flung open the door to the lobby and raced out. She spotted Jordan in front of the elevators.

  Is he going to be able to tell something is different with me? The thought slipped in between all the worry about Jordan. Is he going to know I got my period?

  Doesn’t matter. Life and death, she told herself. “What?” she exclaimed as she raced over to him.

  “I told Brynn I liked her dress,” Jordan said. His voice sounded flat and dull.

  “So?” Priya frowned. “How is that life and death?” She’d run down here ready to give him CPR or something.

  “She wasn’t wearing a dress,” Jordan answered.

  Oh, no! He was right! Brynn had been wearing pants and this shirt with big, full, lacy sleeves. “Well, okay, that was a mistake. But still not life or death, right?”

  “I’ve hardly ever talked to her before. I’ve said ‘hi.’ And that was the first thing that came out of my mouth today.” Jordan gave a low moan. “I sounded like a complete freak.”

  “She probably just thought it was funny,” Priya said. She felt wetness drip into her pad, and she shifted her weight.

  “I don’t want her to think I’m funny. Not like that,” Jordan shot back.

  “Well, what about the play reviews you read? Did you try out something from one of those?” Priya asked, reminding herself to stay in Jordan’s-best-friend mode, even though all she wanted to do was go upstairs and scarf down some more M&Ms.

  Jordan gave a longer moan. “Yeah. Thanks for reminding me. I memorized this thing from Variety, and at intermission I told it to Brynn. Turns out she’d read the review. She knew that’s what where I got it. So she thought I was this big fake who couldn’t even come up with a thought of my own. She’s never going to want to have anything to do with me now. ’Cause I’m a freak and a fake. And funny in the really bad way.”

  “You don’t know that.” Priya gave him one of their shoulder knocks. He didn’t even smile.

  “I do know that,” Jordan insisted. “The counselors took the group to a food court after the play. I was already at a table with a couple of other people and Brynn was heading right toward me. Right toward me. And she veered. She veered, Priya.”

  The way he said “veered” made it sound like Brynn had grabbed a steak knife and stuck it in his heart. Repeatedly.

  “I need some more help from you.” Jordan started to pace. “You’ve got to help me turn this around with Brynn,” he said as he passed her.

  Priya started to get that sick feeling in her stomach again. It had to be from her period. It had been hours since the flight simulator. And she hadn’t even taken the elevator. “How am I supposed to do that?” she asked.

  Jordan stopped pacing right in front of her. He looked directly into her face, his mossy green eyes intense. “Can’t you just . . . just tell her what a great guy I am? You know me better than anybody. Just explain that I’m not really a jerk. And then see if she’ll go to that Potomac cruise with me. I heard a couple other guys already asked girls.”

  “I’ll try.” Priya’s stomach gave a hard twist as she spoke the words.

  “Your sofa needs a little more padding.” Brynn patted the edge of the bathtub where she and Priya sat side by side.

  “I know. I just wanted to be able to talk to you without anyone listening,” Priya explained. The chill of the porcelain soaked through the thin material of her shorts.

  “Oh, goody. Secrets.” Brynn clapped her hands. “About who?”

  “About you, I guess. You and Jordan.” Priya wished she’d bought some of her own Midol. These stomach cramps were killing her all of a sudden.

  Brynn rolled her eyes. “Has Jordan been eating funny mushrooms in the nature shack or something? Because he was out of control at the play. He started talking about how it was all about acne.”

  Thanks for not mentioning that detail, Jordan, Priya thought. “He was nervous. He really wanted to impress you, Brynn.”

  “Is that why he totally took credit for somebody else’s review and made it sound like it was his own—before all the pimple talk?” Brynn picked up Sophie’s bubble bath and took a whiff.

  “Yeah. That’s exactly why,” Priya said. “Jordan doesn’t know much about plays. But he knows you like them. And I told him you wanted a boyfriend who likes the same things you like—remember you said that the other night?” Priya didn’t mention that she’d started the whole conversation just to get that info from Brynn. “He read a bunch of reviews last night so he could talk to you about the play today—the way you wanted a guy to be able to do.”

  “Oh. That’s kind of . . .” Brynn let her words trail off as she fiddled with the top of the bubble bath.

  “Flattering?” Priya suggested.

  “Yeah,” Brynn admitted. A little smile twitched at one corner of her mouth.

  Priya rushed on. “You’re probably thinking, what good is it to be flattered by a stupid freak boy who lies?” Why did I say that? she thought. That wasn’t exactly helpful. “But that’s not Jordan. I know him the way you know Alex. He’s my best friend. So let me give you the skinny. You can trust Jordan. He knows all this embarrassing stuff about me, and he never blabs. And he’s funny—not just in the dumb way, like about the zits. He’s always making me laugh. And Sarah was saying that was important in a boyfriend, remember? And I think it’s cool. Who doesn’t like to laugh, right? He can make you laugh even if you’re all upset about something.”

  Priya gulped, then continued. “And he’ll try anything, as long as it doesn’t involve eating weird food. I’m sure you could get him to go to another play or whatever. And he comes up with lots of fun games. He’s fun. And maybe he’s not totally gorgeous. But he is cute, right? I mean, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about cuteness. But his eyelashes are amazing. And his eyes are like moss—in a good way. And his freckles. I just like them. And he’s a good dancer. Probably because he’s really athletic. You want a guy who’s a good dancer, you said so. You should go with him to the Potomac cruise. He wants you to. There’s going to be dancing there, and you could see for yourself. Plus Jordan is really—”

  “Stop! My ears are about to implode!” Brynn reached out and put her fingers over Priya’s lips. “So, he’s a great guy, that’s what you’re saying? Just nod yes or no.”

  Priya nodded yes. Jordan was the best. The absolute best.

  “And if I gave him another chance, I’d probably like him,” Brynn continued.

  Priya nodded yes again. Harder. “And he likes you! I forgot to say that!” she burst out. “Jordan really, really likes you!”

  And I really, really like him! Priya realized, horrified.

  He’s the best.

  And he’s funny.

  And he’s fun.

  And he’s athletic.

  And he’s cute. With the eyelashes, and the freckles, and the moss green eyes.

  And he’s trustworthy.

  He’s just the best in every way.

  And I completely, totally LIKE him like him, Priya thought.

  I liiiiiiiiiiiiiike him.

  “Then tell him I’ll go to the Potomac cruise with him,” Brynn said.

  “O-okay,” Priya answered.

  What did I do? Priya silently wailed. What did I just go and do?

  chapter SEVEN

  “Are you trying to kill me?” Jordan asked under his breath. “I gotta know the deal.” He squeezed between Grace and Priya as the tour group gathered in the Pierce Mill the next morning. The mill was kept in the same condition it had been in in the 1820s. It couldn’t actually grind grain anymore, but people were raising money to get it in working condition again.

  “Shhh. The ranger’s about to start the demonstration,” Priya whispered.
>
  She’d sat with Grace when the group took the Red Line subway over to Rock Creek Park where the mill was. Just because . . . well, just because she felt like hanging with Grace. Grace wasn’t in the same room as Priya at the hotel, and Priya had . . . missed talking to her. ’Cause . . . ’cause Grace was funny.

  And since she’d sat with Grace, it made sense to walk with Grace from the subway stop over to the mill. It would have been rude not to.

  Liar, a little voice in Priya’s head piped up. You sat with Grace because you were too chicken to sit with Jordan. And you hung with her on the way over to the mill so you could keep on avoiding him. Grace could have walked with Abby and Valerie—or a bunch of other people—if you’d met up with Jordan. She wouldn’t have minded. And besides, when did you get to be all Miss Manners, anyway?

  Priya tried to ignore the little voice. She also tried to ignore Jordan, but she could hear him breathing next to her. It sounded like he’d been running, but she knew he hadn’t. He was just all agitated because he wanted the scoop on how her convo with Brynn had gone last night. But Priya was kind of afraid to even look at Jordan, now that she knew she was in like with him. And if looking at him was scary—forget about talking to him. What if all her like just spilled out of her like a pile of those nauseating Valentine heart candies with the stupid sayings on them? LUV YOU. YOU’RE MINE. HUGS. So gross.

  Jordan would flip. He didn’t like like her. He like liked Brynn. And she had to tell him that Brynn like liked him. No. Not that. She had to tell him that Brynn was willing to give him another shot and go to the Potomac cruise with him tonight.

  “Did you talk to her? Just tell me that,” Jordan insisted.

  Priya didn’t answer. She kept her eyes on the ranger as he started the corn-shelling demo.

  “Just tell me that,” Jordan repeated.

  Geez. Couldn’t he wait a few seconds? Or a half an hour, or however long the ranger talk would take? Was the Brynn thing that important to Jordan? “Shhhh,” Priya hissed at him through her clenched teeth.