Kristy stopped at Carle Playground and sat down on the swings. I sat down on the one next to her and joined her in pumping.
"Mary Anne," she said. "Unlike me, you're super-sensitive."
"Um, okay," I said, shrugging.
"Well," she continued. "Then it shouldn't be a surprise to you, really. I mean, I've always liked Logan."
I stopped pumping and looked her in the eye. "What are you saying, Kristy?"
"I'm saying that I--"
"Asked Logan to the dance," I finished for her.
"Well, yeah," Kristy said, looking at me reproachfully.
"Did he say yes?" I asked, holding my breath, pretending to watch Myriah and Gabbie Perkins intensely as they played in the distance.
"Yeah," she said. "Are you okay with this?"
"Of course," I snapped, surprising even myself with my irritation. "I mean," I said with more kindness in my voice. "He's my ex. I'm going with Cary. I mean, whatever. Better you than Cokie, right?"
Kristy seemed relieved. "Besides, I mean, maybe you weren't right for Logan."
I looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"He needs someone more forceful."
I shrugged. "I guess." Truth be told, I wasn't really happy with this situation. First of all, Logan was my first love, even I was over him. Plus, it made me look at Kristy in a different light. Did this mean that for the whole time I was with Logan, Kristy was into him? The thought made me feel confused, and very alone. If I couldn't trust Kristy, who else was left?
I began to feel tears developing. I choked them back as best as I could. Luckily, Gabbie and Myriah had spotted us and came over.
"Hi, Mary Anne Spier and Kristy Thomas," Gabbie said cheerfully.
"Hiya Gabbers," Kristy said. I nodded hello.
Mrs. Perkins came up behind them, holding Laura's hand. "She's gotten so big," I said.
"I know," Mrs. Perkins sighed. "She has so much energy now."
"It's such a great age," I said. Kristy nodded in agreement.
"Well," Mrs. Perkins said. "It'd be a lot easier with great baby-sitters like you girls were." She smiled ruefully.
Kristy shrugged. "High school has been keeping us really busy."
Seems like a lame excuse, I thought to myself. I wanted to get out of there. Everything was starting to remind me of Logan. I didn't want to think of Logan; I wanted to think of Cary. I had to get out of there.
I stood up from my swing. "I have to go, um, start dinner. See you all later. Mrs. Perkins, you can always call me if you need a sitter. I'll call you tonight, Kristy."
I rushed on home.
"Mary Anne," she said. "Unlike me, you're super-sensitive."
"Um, okay," I said, shrugging.
"Well," she continued. "Then it shouldn't be a surprise to you, really. I mean, I've always liked Logan."
I stopped pumping and looked her in the eye. "What are you saying, Kristy?"
"I'm saying that I--"
"Asked Logan to the dance," I finished for her.
"Well, yeah," Kristy said, looking at me reproachfully.
"Did he say yes?" I asked, holding my breath, pretending to watch Myriah and Gabbie Perkins intensely as they played in the distance.
"Yeah," she said. "Are you okay with this?"
"Of course," I snapped, surprising even myself with my irritation. "I mean," I said with more kindness in my voice. "He's my ex. I'm going with Cary. I mean, whatever. Better you than Cokie, right?"
Kristy seemed relieved. "Besides, I mean, maybe you weren't right for Logan."
I looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"He needs someone more forceful."
I shrugged. "I guess." Truth be told, I wasn't really happy with this situation. First of all, Logan was my first love, even I was over him. Plus, it made me look at Kristy in a different light. Did this mean that for the whole time I was with Logan, Kristy was into him? The thought made me feel confused, and very alone. If I couldn't trust Kristy, who else was left?
I began to feel tears developing. I choked them back as best as I could. Luckily, Gabbie and Myriah had spotted us and came over.
"Hi, Mary Anne Spier and Kristy Thomas," Gabbie said cheerfully.
"Hiya Gabbers," Kristy said. I nodded hello.
Mrs. Perkins came up behind them, holding Laura's hand. "She's gotten so big," I said.
"I know," Mrs. Perkins sighed. "She has so much energy now."
"It's such a great age," I said. Kristy nodded in agreement.
"Well," Mrs. Perkins said. "It'd be a lot easier with great baby-sitters like you girls were." She smiled ruefully.
Kristy shrugged. "High school has been keeping us really busy."
Seems like a lame excuse, I thought to myself. I wanted to get out of there. Everything was starting to remind me of Logan. I didn't want to think of Logan; I wanted to think of Cary. I had to get out of there.
I stood up from my swing. "I have to go, um, start dinner. See you all later. Mrs. Perkins, you can always call me if you need a sitter. I'll call you tonight, Kristy."
I rushed on home.