Amigas and School Scandals

by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

  “Um, no. Evan was just telling me how much fun he had at your party. I told him you’d be here in a second, so he could tell you himself,” Madison said as she stared at the contents of her tote bag.

  “Uh, yeah. It was a blast. I loved all that Spanish stuff,” he said.

  “Yeah, you’re a pretty good dancer,” I said, stepping toward him with an innocent grin across my face. “I guess Lilly’s a good teacher, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah. She’s great.” He nodded.

  “I know everyone was really impressed by how well you guys danced together. You know, when it was just the four of us out there.”

  Madison’s gaze remained focused on her bag as she shoved in book after book.

  Evan shrugged. “It was no big deal. It was mostly Lilly they were looking at. And you.”

  “No, I really think it was the two of you together,” I said in my happiest tone. “So have you been to any more of her tennis matches?”

  He cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped back.

  “ ’Cause Lilly said you stopped by yesterday’s match to cheer her on. That was very cool of you. I couldn’t make it because of ballet practice. But I’m sure Madison told you all about that.”

  Madison glanced at me sideways.

  “Um, no. Why would I tell Evan that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I thought it would have come up when you were talking.”

  “Talking? When? In the two-second conversation we had before you walked over?” She shook her head, bewildered.

  “I guess I was wrong. My bad.” I looked at Evan. “By the way, thanks for the new gym bag. I haven’t used it yet; my mom said I have to wait until I send out all my thank you cards. But I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Oh, Betsy picked it out,” he said, before adjusting the strap of his messenger bag and walking away. “See you guys later.”

  “Yeah, bye!” I cheered.

  I shot my head toward Madison, my eyes reduced to slits. “What was that?”

  “What?” She slammed her locker shut and scanned the hallway for Emily, who was late for the second time this week.

  “You and Evan.”

  “There is no ‘me and Evan.’ ”

  “It sure looked like there was.”

  “We danced at your party. I got to talk to him. He’s not a bad guy.”

  “Well, I’m pretty sure Lilly likes him.”

  “Yeah, and I thought Emily liked Bobby,” she snipped, just as Emily came into view.

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Me neither.”

  We both grabbed our bags and marched toward our friend.

  “What do you mean you’re not going?” Madison cried as we drove out of the school parking lot.

  “I mean, I don’t feel like practicing today. Can you just take me home?”

  “But why?” Madison was shooting quick glances at Emily as she drove.

  “Because I don’t feel well,” Emily continued.

  “You’re lying.”

  “How do you know? My stomach hurts.”

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  “What do you want me to do? Puke in your car?”

  I could see Emily’s expression in the side-view mirror from my usual spot in the back. She didn’t look sick. She looked sad. Her shoulders hunched forward and her eyelids drooped. She almost had that vulnerable look of someone who’d been crying.

  “Em, look, I’m sorry you didn’t get the part. It’s just one performance. And you’re doing really well in your role,” I said, reaching for her shoulder.

  “Mariana, it’s not about that,” she snapped, shooting me an icy stare starkly different from the sullen mood she had expressed moments ago. “God, does everything have to be about you?”

  I cringed, a wrinkle forming between my brows.

  “I didn’t say that,” I said softly.

  “No, I know. I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I just don’t feel well.”

  Madison flicked another brief look at her friend. “Is there something going on with you?”

  “No, I just don’t feel like going to ballet today. Since when is that a crime?”

  “Fine. I’ll drive you home.”

  “You’re still going to Cornell this weekend, right?” I asked, half-afraid the sound of my voice would set her off more.

  “Yes, definitely,” she stated plainly.

  We drove the rest of the way to her house in silence. When we dropped her off, there were no cars in the driveway. No one was home. She didn’t look surprised. She probably wanted the solitude.

  Chapter 33

  It was a four-hour drive to Ithaca. We were halfway there and already through two of Madison’s preselected playlists. The car was getting smaller.

  “Seriously, how long is this drive?” Emily whined from the passenger seat, where her legroom was about double the space in the rear.

  She was surprisingly on time this morning. And no one brought up the skipped ballet practice. She had never missed rehearsal before (aside from scheduled family vacations), so Madame Colbert didn’t waste a second questioning her illness. Not like Madison and I did. We still hadn’t managed to find out what was actually bothering her.

  “Hey, you’re not the one driving,” Madison droned from behind the wheel. “Don’t you think I’d rather be lounging around daydreaming to the music?”

  “At least you have something to keep you occupied,” Emily continued.

  “What? Not getting us killed? Yeah, I guess that does pass the time.”

  “Can we please listen to something other than Justin Timberlake?” Lilly pleaded, tossing her head against the back of her seat.

  “This is Nick Lachey,” Madison argued.

  “Is there a difference?”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “Well, then how ’bout this? Do we have anything other than this God awful pop music?”

  “What would make you happy, Lil? Some Ricky Martin? A little Marc Anthony?” Madison mocked. “I’m sure I have your people on my iPod somewhere.”

  “All right, chill out,” I piped up. “Lilly, this is Madison’s car and she’s driving, so she gets to control the radio.”

  “So, we all just have to suffer at her mercy?”

  “Pretty much.” Madison smiled wide into the rearview mirror.

  The trees outside were already changing colors. The farther north we drove, the more colorful they got. Dozens of golden or red-leaved trees whizzed by on the hilly landscape. Within an hour, the scenery had gone from suburban to country, and the closer we got to Ithaca, the more rural the view.

  But I still couldn’t picture Vince’s campus. My parents had described these “mini Grand Canyons” plopped in the middle of the university grounds with pedestrian bridges for students to cross. They even brought me back an “Ithaca is Gorges” T-shirt, thinking it was so clever. I had a hunch it was as unique as an “I heart New York” T-shirt in the middle of Times Square.

  “So what exactly is the plan?” Madison asked as she swiftly changed lanes.

  “Well, we lucked out because both of Vince’s roommates are away this weekend. So we have beds to sleep in,” I said, leaning forward to chat between the front seats.

  “Two in a bed?” Emily groaned.

  “Hey, it’s better than the floor.”

  She shrugged.

  “We’ll probably just walk around for a bit. See the campus,” I explained. “Then, we’ll hang out at his fraternity. He got initiated last night, and he claims it’s been ‘nonstop partying’ ever since.”

  “Vince could throw nonstop parties in the public library,” Madison scoffed.

  “This is true. But he said a lot of people come up for this. So we’re not the only ‘guests.’ ...”

  My voice trailed off. I hadn’t told them about Bobby yet. I thought if Emily heard that he was going to be there, she wouldn’t come with us. And now that I’d kept quiet so long, I felt like I was lying. (Who created the whole ‘lie by omission’ te
rm anyway?)

  “Oh, cool. So there will be other high school kids?” Madison asked.

  “Um, yeah,” I mumbled, slumping back in my seat. “That’s sorta the thing ...”

  “What?” Emily asked, twisting her neck toward me.

  “Well, it’s just, I mean, I was gonna tell you... .”

  “What?” Madison asked, peering at me through her mirror. “Spit it out.”

  “It’s just, well, Bobby’s gonna be there,” I said in a barely audible voice.

  “What?” They all screamed in unison.

  “Bobby McNabb?” Emily choked.

  “Our Bobby. As in ‘Locker Buddy Bobby.’ He’s going to be there?” Madison asked.

  “Yeah. It has nothing to do with us,” I said quickly. “His dad’s an alum. He’s taking Bobby up there to try to convince him to apply to Cornell.”

  “When did you find this out?” Emily glared at me.

  “On Wednesday,” I murmured.

  “Three days ago! And you’re just telling us now!” she shrieked.

  “Why does it matter? He had plans to go long before he found out we were going. And he’s our friend... .”

  “So, then why didn’t you tell us?” Madison asked.

  Lilly was seated silently beside me with a slight grin on her face. She had been encouraging me to pursue something romantically with Bobby for weeks now, and I was certain she saw this weekend as our big opportunity. If it made Madison or Emily uncomfortable in the process, that was just a bonus.

  I paused, my eyes shooting between Madison and Emily.

  “You want the truth?” I asked.

  They both nodded.

  “Fine. I didn’t tell you, because I thought you’d make a big deal out of it,” I said, looking at Madison. Then I turned my gaze toward Emily. “And I thought you wouldn’t come if you knew he’d be there.”

  “So, you intentionally wanted to put me in an awkward situation,” Emily stated. “Gee, thanks.”

  “Why does it have to be awkward?”

  “Because it is!”

  “Because you two went out this summer?”

  Emily opened her mouth to say something, then snapped it shut.

  “What? Em, tell me. Because I don’t understand. Do you like him?”

  “I’m not having this conversation right now,” she huffed.

  “Well, why not? When would be a good time? Because I’ve been trying to get you to have this conversation for weeks now!”

  Lilly’s face glowed with joy as I spoke up to the two of them. She’d been going on relentlessly about my friends’ dislike of her, probably with the secret hope that I would suddenly not like them too. And while that wasn’t going to happen, I was certain that seeing us argue was boosting her hope that it would.

  “Why do you want to talk about it? So you can feel better about yourself for dating him?” Emily asked.

  “I am not dating him!”

  “Whatever.” She shook her head.

  I paused, closed my eyes, and sucked in a long breath. Slowly, I unclenched my fists, relaxed my shoulders, and popped open my eyes.

  “Em, I would never start anything with Bobby if I thought you liked him. But the thing is, I don’t know if you do,” I said calmly. “You don’t talk to me anymore.”

  “Mariana, you were gone a long time,” Madison butted in.

  “I was gone for two months.”

  “And you changed.” Madison glanced over her shoulder toward Lilly.

  “Oh, so this is all my fault?” Lilly snipped. “Blame the Puerto Rican stowaway!”

  I shot Lilly a look, thrusting my eyebrows, then turned back toward the front seats.

  “Ya know, who cares if Bobby’s gonna be there? This is our weekend,” I said, hoping to lighten the mood. “Let’s have fun.”

  A quiet stillness fell over the car, and we drove the next few miles in silence.

  Chapter 34

  I knew October was one of the best times to visit Cornell, but I didn’t expect it to look so much like a cheesy collegiate brochure. It was the exact picture kids have in their heads when they imagine the word college.

  Students in red and gray sweatshirts with frayed baseball caps walked through spacious quads that were dusted in burnt orange leaves. Rustling trees, full of autumn hues, lined every paved road and dirt path. Bikes were parked in front of stone buildings with quaint parapets and sweeping arches. Apples, from yellow to crimson, were sold in rustic roadside stands. And students lounged on faded grass, books spread open before them, enjoying the last few weeks before the harsh upstate New York winter roared in.

  “Wow, I can’t wait until that’s me,” Madison mumbled.

  “Just the idea of being able to do what you want, when you want,” said Emily.

  “Studying outside when the weather’s nice ...” I added.

  “Shopping in between classes ...”

  “Partying on the weekends ...”

  “Being away from our parents.”

  There was a palpable sense of longing in all of our voices. I had never been jealous of Vince before, not until this very moment. But he was right. This was so much better than Spring Mills.

  We met Vince at his dorm. He helped us lug the immense quantity of belongings we had crammed into the trunk for our one-night visit. Each of us had our own ‘weekend bag’ (which in Madison’s case was a piece of luggage large enough for a one-month excursion), plus we brought towels, sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows so we wouldn’t be reliant upon his roommates’ things. It took us three trips to unload the car.

  “All right, so this is home!” Vince stood and swung his arms to showcase the room.

  It was refreshingly spacious with three desks, towering windows, and painted white walls surprisingly not constructed of cinderblock. They each had their own closet and a five-shelf bookcase.

  “Here’s the kitchen.” Vince chuckled, pointing toward an illegal coffeepot and hot plate resting on his bookshelf. “It took my going away to college for Mom and Dad to finally let me break the rules.”

  “And this is my room, Andre’s room, and Paul’s room.” He pointed to each of their beds, all covered in different solid-colored comforters (in basic boy shades of red, blue, and green).

  “Here’s the living room.” He gestured to a small thirteen-inch TV, illegally hooked up to cable, resting on a trunk with a black folding butterfly chair in front of it. “And the bathroom’s down the hall. Don’t worry, there are separate girls’ and boys’ bathrooms. You brought shower shoes, right?”

  We nodded. Actually, we had made a separate trip after school to pick up cheap flip-flops worthy of a disgusting communal shower. We planned to throw them out before we headed home.

  “You guys can just toss all your stuff on their beds. Then, we can head out.”

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “I’m giving you the grand campus tour, which you should find very impressive given that I drank half a case of beer last night. I swear I have more alcohol than blood in my system right now.”

  “Aw, you should put that in a Hallmark card and send it to Mom and Dad,” I teased.

  “You try going through initiation sober... .”

  “How was it?” My eyes lit up.

  “Humiliating. They shoved us each into a tiny nook in the frat house and made us sit there for twenty-four hours. Thankfully, I was stuck in a shower stall, so at least I could take a piss... .”

  “Ew, gross!” Madison squealed, cringing. “What about the other guys?”

  “I don’t want to know.” He shook his head laughing. “Then, they brought us into this cigar-smoke-filled room where these old alumni asked the most ridiculous questions. The whole point was to laugh and tell us we were stupid.”

  “Gee, sounds like fun.” I huffed.

  “Well, you’re missing the best part. They read our most retarded answers to the whole pledge class. It was hilarious. Some dude said he thought the Philippines were in the Caribbean�
��and he said it to a Philippino alumnus.”

  “And you like this?” I asked.

  “Yeah, it was nuts. Then afterward, we got initiated.” He shrugged.

  “Well, how did they do it?” I asked.

  “Was there a secret ceremony?” Madison added.

  “If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” he joked. “But seriously, I’m officially a brother now, and we’re gonna have a slammin’ party tonight to celebrate.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Lilly said loudly, with a shiny grin. “I haven’t had a beer since I left Utuado.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that,” Vince quipped. He snatched his messenger bag from his desk and headed to the door, foolishly thinking we were ready to leave.

  “Vince, you realize I need to get ready, right?” Madison asked, staring at him cross-eyed.

  “Ready for what?” he asked.

  “I’ve been in a car for more than four hours! I’m not going out like this! There are, like, hundreds of college guys out there.”

  While Madison’s expression was horrified, her outfit, hair, and makeup were absolutely perfect—though I didn’t dare say it.

  “You better sit down, Vince. This could be a while.” I smirked.

  We all plopped down onto the beds as Madison dove elbow-deep into her suitcase. I wasn’t in a hurry. I liked seeing where Vince lived. His familiar movie posters on the wall, his family pictures on the shelf, his CDs lined up. Seeing all that well-worn stuff was oddly reassuring. It was like having him back.

  An hour later we were finally strolling through campus. Vince led us on a tour of the gorges, which were as mystifying as my parents had described. Campus facilities sat around giant gaping holes in the earth that jutted out in sharp angles, dropping hundreds of feet toward bubbling creeks below.

  We were currently standing about halfway across the steel suspension bridge above Fall Creek Gorge. Vince said it was the deepest gorge on campus, and by the looks of the massive abyss below, he was right. A rush of white water flowed over a mesh of brown rocks. I leaned onto the metal safety rail and could see a shallow waterfall off in the distance protruding from a wall of thick green and yellow trees.