"Morning, Starshine."

I open my eyes to see Sally White's face looming over mine.

I scream. Sally jumps back, knocks into the night table and curses. Someone laughs. I rub my eyes and push up on my elbows, squinting at the sunlight pouring into the room. Greer Carson's seated at the end of the bed, legs crossed, leaning back on her own elbows. She's wearing her stupid beret. What the hell are Greer and Sally, the two people I loathe most in this world – after Kristy and Elizabeth – doing in my bedroom?

"What the hell are you doing in my bedroom?" I demand.

"That's a lovely greeting, Starshine," Sally replies.

"But pretty much the greeting we expected," Greer adds.

I rub my eyes again. The last thing I need are these two clowns annoying me. What day is it? I look at the alarm clock on the night table. It's after twelve. I look down at myself. I'm still dressed in Anna's Shetland sweater and my black slacks, but someone's removed my shoes. Have I been asleep all this time?

"Why are you here?" I ask, irritated.

Sally flops into the chair by the window and rocks back. "Because we're the only two people in Stoneybrook who don't hate you right now," she answers in her bored voice.

Greer shoots Sally a dirty look. "You don't have to be so blunt," she tells her, then turns her head toward me. "Kristy sent me over to check on you," she explains.

"Kristy sent you?"

"Well, no. I got sent by accident," Greer replies. "Apparently, no one in the Thomas-Brewer family feels they should come over right now. Kristy's afraid you may beat her to a pulp or something. But Kristy wanted someone to check on you, so she called Abby. Abby, however, said you're a self-centered hypocrite and refused to come. And Lindsey's in her closet, and Meg Jardin is, of course, a bigot. So then, Kristy called Amanda and Al, but neither was home. So, she called Karl to see if he'd come check on you and I happened to be at Karl's. We were practicing our skit for the Christmas pageant, which is fabulous, by the way. Anyway, I volunteered to come over."

My mouth drops open. Kristy Thomas is such a loud mouth! "Kristy told you what happened?" I shriek, horrified.

"No. She just said you were having a problem and wanted me to make sure you weren't on the brink of swallowing a medicine cabinet or jumping out a window. She didn't tell me anything," Greer says. She pauses a moment, her tongue poking out between her lips, thinking. She continues, "Now Maria did tell me. Pretty much as soon as I walked through the front door. Or at least she told me some weird version of what's been going on. Kristy refused to confirm or deny, so I called Sally, who did confirm and deny."

I glare at Sally. "Thanks a lot," I spit out.

"Hey, you should thank me. Greer seemed to think you were having sex with Mrs. Jamison, the calculus teacher. I quashed that rumor immediately, don't worry." Sally gives me a thumbs-up.

Greer rolls her eyes. "Did I mention that Maria was really fuzzy on the details. I filled in the blanks myself and didn't do such a hot job of it, apparently. I was so relieved!" Greer cries and laughs, but is silenced by a look from Sally. "Naturally, I am appalled, too. I won't even mention what a judgmental hypocrite you are. Or how, although I may be a slut, I own my sluttiness. I don't lie to poor schlubs about my age and make them think we're in a real relationship. I mean, I won't mention any of that, but it's something you may wish to contemplate." Greer takes a breath, the drops her jaw in this exaggerated way. "But omigawsh, Shannon! Wesley Ellenburg?" Greer fans herself with her hand and sighs. "He is adorable. I've met him lots of times. His mother comes into Mom's antique store all the time."

"Yeah, congratulations on that conquest," Sally says, dryly. "As long as you weren't lying to an ugly guy." Sally stands and crosses the room. "Where's that little girl?" she asks and goes out into the hallway. She shouts, "Hey, little girl! Your sister's awake!"

This must be some sort of nightmare. I slide off the bed. "I'm going to the bathroom," I tell Greer and leave the room.

I lock the bathroom door and slump against it. I close my eyes and refuse to cry. How did my life come to this? How did I reach a point where Greer Carson and Sally White, of all the despicable people in Stoneybrook, are the only ones willing to speak to me? I peel off my sweater and toss it on the hamper. I stare at my reflection. I am hideous. My hair's a tangled mess and my eyes are bright red. Eye make-up is smudged all around my eyes. I resemble a crazed raccoon. I turn on the shower and begin attempting to straighten out my disastrous hair day. When the water warms, I step beneath the spray. I scrub hard at my hair and at my body, scrub until my skin is red and raw. It doesn't make me feel better.

After brushing my teeth, I return to my bedroom wrapped in a towel. To my displeasure, Greer and Sally are still lounging around my room. Maria's sitting on the bed, another tray on her lap.

"I'm not hungry," I grumble, passing her. I open the closet and pull out a pair of tan slacks and a white floral-print blouse. Then I retrieve clean panties and a bra from the dresser. I change in front of everyone, not even embarrassed. They know all my secrets anyway, why hide anything at all?

"Mom came home," Maria informs me. "She's not here now. She had to go to the office."

I button my blouse, slowly. I have no energy. I want to go back to sleep. "Did you tell her what happened?" I ask.

"No. She told me not to pester her."

"Where's Tiffany?"

"At work. She's still mad at you."

I figured. Who isn't mad at me these days?

Greer rolls over on the bed, so that she's lying on her stomach. She rests her chin in her right palm. "Okay, Maria, you need to leave now," she says, bluntly. "We need to talk to your sister about things not for the ears of a twelve year old."

Maria scowls at Greer. "You think anything would shock me now?" she replies, then slides the tray onto the night table and storms out.

As soon as the door shuts, I turn to Greer. "Has Wes called?" I ask. I mask the hope in my voice well.

"Maria said she unplugged the phone last night."

Unplugged the phone! What if Wes has called all this time? I hurry over to the desk and plug the phone jack back in. My fingers shake as I dial. I bite my lip, hard. The phone rings.

"This is sad," Sally comments.

The phone rings and rings. Wes doesn't answer. The answering machine doesn't pick up. Tears sting my eyes. I close them tight and hang up the phone.

"He'll come around," I assure them and cross the room. I sit down on the bed and fold my hands in my lap. I stare down at them. Water drips off the ends of my hair and falls onto my pant legs. Falls like tears.

"I don't think he'll come around," Greer says, gently.

I continue to stare at my hands.

"What happened?" Greer asks.

"Elizabeth Brewer wrecked my life," I say, bitterly. "She barged in and told Wes the truth. Or her version of it. He wouldn't even listen to me. I told him that it shouldn't matter if he really loved me. I told him that I love him, but he didn't believe me. He completely freaked out. He said that I could ruin his life, that if people knew he was sleeping with a high school student, they would assume the worst. He'd be labeled a pervert and his teaching career destroyed. He made it sound like all we were doing was having sex. We had a real relationship. We were supposed to be in love."

Greer and Sally don't reply right away. Greer watches me with interest. She watches me like I'm something curious she's never seen before. Sally tips backward in her chair and stares at me, appearing no less bored than usual.

"Don't you think he has a point?" Sally finally asks.

"Excuse me?"

"You could ruin his life. People would say he's a pervert. He's twenty-six years old and you're still in high school. No one will care that you're allegedly in love. They'll think he's a predator out there hunting for lonely, love-starved high school girls, so he can lure them into his bed and break their cherries. Everyone's going to wonder whose little girl he'll defile next. His career will be over. Even if the school doesn't fire him, the parents in this town will run him off. I may have only lived in Stoneybrook for two months, but even I know that this is a town full of Kats. Conservative, stuffy people who don't like the thought of little girls lifting their skirts and spreading their legs for the first guy who claims to love them."

"You know, I didn't ask for your opinion," I snap.

"That's because you don't want any opinion that doesn't tell you exactly what you want to hear. Who have you been listening to all this time? Lindsey Dupree. Lindsey, who eats her own hair and becomes hysterical at the possibility that some chick in a Corvette is going to make her sit beside a trash can. That's who you take advice from? You don't listen to me, you don't listen to Kat, you don't listen to Kat's mom. Who else has told you that you're a selfish idiot? I get the feeling Abigross has. You need to listen. The only person who's wrecked your life is you. You've brought this on yourself."

"You don't understand!"

"That's all you ever say," Sally replies, tipping back in the chair again. "You're so tragic. You're so misunderstood. Those aren't justifications."

I glower at her, nostrils flaring, then look to Greer. "Greer?" I say, flatly.

Greer pulls herself up and folds her legs Indian-style. She looks from me to Sally. She frowns at us both, appearing uncomfortable. "I agree with Sally," she finally says. "Though she may have been unnecessarily harsh. But honestly, Shannon, you've been pretty dumb. Maybe you never intended for things to go so far and I know you never intended to hurt this guy, but you did. Sally's right, you really don't have anyone else to blame. I know Kristy's annoying and her mom can be too, but I seriously, seriously doubt they sit up at night plotting ways to demolish your life." Greer takes a breath and gazes at me, sadly. "We all make mistakes. We do stupid things because of boys and sex and love. I mean, I had to go to the Stoneybrook Health Clinic and have an STD test because of that genital warts outbreak at Stoneybrook High. That's my own fault. That's what I get for wanting to know what it's like to screw a guy with a gimp leg and a cane. Curiosity's a bitch, ladies."

"Did he use the cane while having sex?" Sally wants to know.

"Who cares?" I snap at her. "Neither of you know what you're talking about. You, Greer," I point at her, "have only had empty, meaningless sex. You make conquests, you don't fall in love. And you," I point at Sally, "are obnoxious and don't know the first thing about friendship or relationships or love. So, both of you, shut up and stop judging me!"

"Who says I've never been in love?" Sally asks.

"We aren't judging you!" Greer protests.

"We're telling you what you need to hear," Sally says.

"Shut up!" I snap again.

I spring off the bed and dash to my closet, throwing open the door. I pull out a tan coat and slip my arms into the sleeves. My hair is still a damp mess, but I don't care. I'm not staying in this room a moment longer, not with the judgment twins spewing self-righteousness all over me.

"Where are you going?" Greer asks.

"I'm going to Wes'," I answer and begin toward the door. He's had time to think. We're going to talk this out. You don't just stop loving someone. He still loves me. He may be upset, but his feelings for me don't simply disintegrate because Elizabeth Brewer shows up with Kristy's yearbook and a pack of misconstrued truth.

"You're one of those stupid smart people, aren't you?" Sally asks.

Greer sighs and swings her legs off the bed. "Fine. I'll drive you," she offers. She grabs her coat and purse off the desk chair and follows me out of the room.

Unfortunately, Sally comes, too.

"Isn't it enough," Sally says as we go down the stairs, "that you've ripped his heart out? Now you want to eat it, too?"

Greer shushes her. If I didn't detest Greer Carson, I might be almost grateful.

Maria and Dad are in the living room, sprawled out on the couch, watching a movie. I stop in the doorway with Greer and Sally crowding beside me. I glance at the television. It's some Kathleen Turner movie. Of course.

Dad looks over at me. "Hey!" he says with a wave. "Going out, that's good. Elizabeth and Watson Brewer cornered me this morning when I was heading out to my golf game." Dad rolls his eyes and makes a gesture like a moving mouth with his hand. "Yak yak yak. I guess you broke up with your boyfriend. Too bad. But hey, you're in high school. There's plenty of fish in the sea. You're young. You need to see who else is out there. Hey, my senior year in high school, you know when I was dating that frigid bitch, I said to myself, 'Ted, you should be playing the field'. But hey, I'm a realist and that bitch got me elected Homecoming King and I knew if I rode out the rest of the school year, I could count on her sliding me in for Prom King, too. It was quite the moral dilemma – "

"Do you think a twenty-six year old math teacher could get Shannon elected Prom Queen?" Sally interrupts Dad.

Dad looks confused. "Well, probably not."

"Then how is this story helpful?"

"It isn't," I reply. "Come on, let's go."

"Have fun!" Dad calls after us.

Greer knows not to comment on my parents, but Sally doesn't have that knowledge or tact. "Is that your real father?" she asks.

"Yes."

"He's appalling."

"So are you," I snap.

"We have to take your car," Greer says, leading us through the laundry room into the garage. "The three of us won't fit in my Miata. Give me your keys. You aren't driving."

I'm surprised to see my car sitting in its usual spot in the garage. I left it at Wes'. For a fraction of a second, I'm confused. Then it occurs to me that Maria wouldn't hesitate to hand over my car keys if a Thomas-Brewer came asking for them. Scowling, I dig my keys out of my purse and hand them to Greer. Then I climb into the passenger seat.

Greer backs out of the driveway so quickly she almost runs over Noodle the Poodle. Maybe she's the one who taught Sally how to drive. We roar past Abby and Kristy's houses. I don't look. Instead, I pull out my cosmetics bag and attempt to apply my make-up as steadily as possible. I want to look nice for Wes. I run my hairbrush awkwardly through my damp hair. It doesn't look too fantastic. Perhaps that will work in my favor. Wes will see me and glimpse how I feel in the inside. Worn out and broken up.

"Take Forest Drive to Main Street," I instruct Greer. "Then go down Birch Street."

Sally leans forward. "Let's go to Good-Time Charley's instead," she suggests. "You can eat your weight in chocolate."

"No."

Sally sighs and leans back.

Greer pulls through the entrance of the Birch Street apartments and squeals to a halt in an empty handicap spot. I search the parking lot with my eyes. Wes' Volvo isn't under its covered spot. My heart sinks. Then it rises. Maybe he hid it. Or maybe he'll be back any minute.

I unlatch my seatbelt and turn to Greer. "Stay here. I'm going alone."

Greer glances back at Sally, unsure.

Sally waves, dismissively. "Let her go."

Greer frowns at me, then sighs. "If you're not back in ten minutes, we're coming after you," she tells me. "What's his apartment number?"

Sally leans forward again. "Oh, we'll just follow the sounds of the man screaming that his life has ended," she suggests.

"It's apartment 137," I say, opening the door. I hop out of the car and begin up the walkway. I wind around the bushes until I curve up the path to Wes' building. I take a deep breath and march confidently to his door. I knock lightly, then reconsider and knock again, this time much more forcefully. I wait. And I wait. I attempt to look through the kitchen window, face pressed against the windowpane. The blinds are closed, but I know I detect someone moving in there.

I knock again.

Footsteps.

The door creaks open and a blonde head pokes out.

That Lauren girl.

She laughs. "I knew it was you!" she screeches in my face.

My stomach twists. "What are you doing in Wes' apartment?" I demand, hotly.

"Certainly not what you were!" she squeals, gleefully. "I'm feeding the cat."

"You're…you're feeding the cat?" I repeat. "Why?"

"Mr. Ellenburg left and I'm not allowed to tell anyone where he went. And by anyone that means you. He showed me your picture and said not to let you in here. Of course, I'd already seen that picture and already knew who you were. Obviously. Why did you give him a picture with Anna Stevenson in it? That's the only reason I knew who you were. I saw Anna and thought, 'Oh, my gosh, that's the girl with the fish bowl from that party!'"

"You…what?"

"Saw the picture. The last time I fed the cat. I guess you were having a rendezvous in New York. You have no idea how difficult it was to contain myself! I kept your secret for, like, two weeks! But I had to say something to someone after I caught you half-naked on the porch!"

"You're the girl who fed the cat?" I ask and it clicks. Of course. Wes said his demonic cat shredded the girl's headband and then he said the photos on his mirror were misarranged. She'd been going through his stuff!

"I'm really disappointed that I missed yesterday's blow up," Lauren says. She actually sounds apologetic. "You broke Mr. Ellenburg's heart. His eyes were all bloodshot."

I glare at her. "Where is Wes?" I ask.

"I can't tell you."

"He's at his parents' house, isn't he?" I can't believe it. He ran home to his parents! He's hiding from me. How childish.

"I can't tell you," Lauren repeats.

"I can just drive out there myself," I inform her, testily. Except I don't remember how to get to their house. Greenvale isn't very big. I could find it. I bet Greer knows where the Ellenburgs live. "You have the phone number, don't you?"

"I'm not giving you the phone number!" Lauren cries. "Now, you need to leave. If you don't, I'm going to scream for Mr. Prezzioso."

"Fine!" I yell.

Lauren slams the door and locks it.

Well, she can't stay in there forever. She doesn't live there. She has to come out and go home sometime. I'll simply sit on the stairs and wait her out. Then I'll jump her and steal her key. Yes. That's what I'll do.

The lock turns again and Lauren opens the door. Her head reappears. "Oh…" she says in this odd voice, "and please tell Kristy Thomas that I haven't been gossiping about you to anyone. Well, other than to the people I had already gossiped to about you. So, she doesn't need to punch my lights out and she certainly doesn't need to tell anyone about that thing I did. Or about that other thing I did. And she definitely doesn't need to tell Emily Bernstein about what I accidentally did to her cat. I mean, the cat shouldn't have been playing in…its own front yard…um, pass that on. Thanks."

What?

Lauren starts to close the door again, but I spring forward and grab it. I push inward. Lauren pushes back. I wedge my left knee between the door and the frame. Lauren stomps on my foot.

"Mr. Ellenburg won't pay me if I let you in," she growls.

"I don't care!"

"I'm going to scream!"

"Go ahead!"

Lauren opens her mouth. "Mr. Prezzioso!" she bellows at the top of her lungs.

I release my grip on the door and leap backward. I turn and run, racing down the walkway. Greer and Sally have just jumped out of the car and are headed toward me.

"Was that you screaming?" Greer shouts.

"No, no," I reply, briskly. "Back in the car, back in the car."

"What the hell happened?" Greer asks as she puts the car in reverse.

"He wasn't there," I answer a bit breathlessly. "I got in a fight with the girl feeding his cat."

"You really need to re-evaluate your life, Starshine," Sally says from the backseat.

I ignore her. "He left!" I tell Greer. "He left! He's hiding out at his parents' house. I think he's afraid to see me. He knows I can convince him to give me another chance. No, don't turn onto Main Street. We're going to Greenvale. Go back the other way." I attempt to grab the steering wheel but Greer bats my hands away. "Come on, Greer! You've been to the Ellenburgs', haven't you? You need to take me there!"

"You need to get a freaking grip on yourself," Sally says.

Greer turns onto Essex. "I am not taking you to Greenvale," she says, firmly. "This is insane. He's hiding from you because he doesn't want to see you. Now, Sally and I already decided, we're taking you to Thelma's Café and you're going to eat something. Then we're taking you home."

"That isn't what I want."

"No, but it's what you need."

At Thelma's Café, I'm halfway through a grilled cheese sandwich when I start to cry. Greer and Sally take me home.