Dawn opened Ducky's latest letter between classes. She hadn't been surprised when he came out earlier in the week, but she was disappointed. Ever since she moved back to California, she and Ducky had been spending more and more time together. After hanging out at the boardwalk one night, she and Ducky had had one of the most meaningful conversations of her life.
"What are you looking for out of life?" Ducky had asked her.
"Out of life? Who can say? I'd like to finish high school first before I start making any big plans," she teased.
Ducky picked up a flat stone and skimmed it across the surface of the still water. It bounced three times and splashed to the bottom. "Damn, I've never been good at this," Ducky mused.
Dawn turned the question back on him. "What do you want out of your life, Ducky?"
He dropped into the sand and sighed dramatically. "To be out of here. Maybe go to San Francisco, New York, Chicago. I just need some sort of change. But I'd probably go to San Francisco. I have a friend out there that I can stay with for a while." He slowly cuffed up his pants and charged into the surf. "Come on," he called, swimming furiously.
She hadn't taken him seriously at the time. Sure, Ducky had a rough time in high school, but he usually combated everything with his wit. In Dawn's static life, Ducky was one of the few consistent people. Even though she had originally met him through her best friend Sunny Winslow, she and Ducky had grown much closer over the years. In her last move to California, she and Ducky became even closer than ever, spending all of their time together.
Funnily enough, Dawn had even begun to think that she might be secretly in love with Ducky, though she could never admit it. There was just something about him that made him so different from other guys.
And again, Dawn laughed to herself. To think the thing that made Ducky so different from all of the other guys was the fact that they shared the same sexual preference.
She sighed and closed her locker, stuffing Ducky's note in her pocket. She'd read it when she didn't feel so close to the situation, so responsible for what had happened.
Mary Anne wrenched herself from Logan's grip, resisting the urge to wipe her face off after his battering of kisses. She hated PDAs, especially in front of her locker. But she couldn't tell Logan that. And it's not like it would change anything for her if she did. It's not like standing up for herself ever had any effect on Logan. Sure, he had a cute southern drawl and Cam Geary looks (who Mary Anne could still not believe had been busted for possession and was now in rehab – my, how things change!), but it didn't mean that their relationship had to play out in front of the whole school.
She excused herself to go to lunch, wondering if the BSC would still sit together. Even though the group no longer existed as they knew it, she still wanted to preserve their friendships. She just wondered if it would be too much for them to get past.
Mary Anne had spent the night before calling clients to inform them about the demise of the BSC. Most had taken it pretty well, and some had even confessed to Mary Anne that they had been considering switching sitters already. Plus, most of their clients were growing old enough to be left alone for a few hours, so the break up couldn't have come at a better time. Still, Mary Anne did cry a bit over how the situation played out, wondering if there was anything she could have done differently.
She sat across from Kristy in the lunchroom, who made a pointed effort to not look at Mary Anne. Instead, she took an aggressive bite out of her peanut butter sandwich. Mary Anne tried to bridge the gap. "Kris, I called everyone last night and told them about the BSC. They took it pretty well, for the most part. And most of our clients asked for numbers of specific sitters that they could reach if need be."
Kristy momentarily brightened. "Who asked for me?"
Mary Anne hesitated. "Well, the Rodowskys. And the Newtons."
"And?"
"And that was about it. Like I said, most of our clients already have new sitters lined up."
Kristy's face darkened again, and she balled up the rest of her sandwich and stormed off. "Excuse me, I have something to do," she called over her shoulder.
Mary Anne sat alone, wondering if she should go after Kristy. She was used to her sudden mood swings that had begun shortly after starting high school, but she had never seen her like this.
But Mary Anne wasn't one to confront. Instead, she ate her cold chicken sandwich quietly and did her math homework. Just maybe, she would try to call Kristy later that night.