Disclaimer: I don't own the BSC or any characters that Ann M. Martin created.
A/n: Thank you for the lovely reviews! This chapter marks half way through... hopefully :)
Changing Lanes
Chapter 10: Kristy's Worst Idea 2.0
/
We had four days before winter vacation started and I still had to ask Mallory to our BSC reunion dinner. I had asked Abby a week ago when I caught sight of her in the halls. She had straight away said yes and then joked about whether or not I'd put a visor on and call the dinner to order. I hadn't seen Mallory at all, not that I was sure I wanted too. Mary Anne was still being sneaky, but Claudia and I had been investigating her odd behaviour. I dropped down in the chair next to Mary Anne. We were in study hall in the library. Sometimes, I think the teachers just stick us in here just for the sake of it. "Hi."
Mary Anne looked up from the book she was reading. "Hey." She said. "What's up?"
"Nothing..." I said as I pulled out my maths notebook. "You?"
Mary Anne shrugged. "Same old. Dawn arrives tomorrow night."
"Yeah, she told me." It had never been this awkward to talk to Mary Anne. She had been my best friend since we were nappies. "So..."
Mary Anne closed her book. "Kristy, you obviously came over to ask me something. Ask." Mary Anne usually wasn't like this.
I looked at her in the eyes, trying to possibly decipher something out of it. I licked my lips. "I...uh...Still haven't asked Mallory to the reunion dinner. I don't really know how too."
Mary Anne raised her eyebrows a little. "I could ask her for you, if you want?" She asked.
I smiled. "That'd be really nice." I said.
Mary Anne stood up. "I'm going to loan this out. I'll see you at lunch?"
I nodded. "Yes, you will." I watched her walk towards the librarian. I smiled down at my notebook.
/
"Did you ask her?" Claudia asks me while we're standing in the lunch line.
I nodded. "She kind of suggested it." I replied. "She got a bit snarky when she realised I had come to ask for a favour."
Claudia shrugged. "As long as she doesn't get that we're sneaking around trying to find out why she's sneaking around, then everything should be all good."
I watched some junior jock smack the tray table out of a freshman's hands. Some people were just jerks. "I don't get why she would be sneaking around."
"What if she's doing drugs?" Claudia's eyes were huge.
I shook my head. "She's not that much of an idiot." I said as I stared at the hot food in front of me. Twelve years of going to school and the food hadn't gotten any better. More like worse. I grabbed a plate of potato bake, a banana, a pudding and a bottle of water. "Plus, it's Mary Anne we're talking about."
"But still, it could be one of those stories you see on TV. The good kids no one suspects! They're the best at hiding it!"
I shook my head. "You crazy, Claud." I said as we walked towards our normal table. I hoped Claud wasn't right but.
/
I leaned back on Claudia's director's chair. I didn't sit in it often. It reminded me too much of the BSC and those days. Claudia was down stairs getting us some soda and snacks. We were hanging out at Claudia's house almost everyday. My house had become a zoo of craziness, like it normally did on holidays. Charlie was home, Nannie was getting everything ready to start cooking and Karen was chucking a tantrum because she couldn't go to Ricky Torres' party.
"Have you booked a table yet?" Claudia asked as she walked back into her room. "I bet every where will be booked out for Christmas parties." She handed me a glass of soda and a plate of biscuits.
"Yeah, I booked a table last night at Renwick's. I thought we could go to Chez Maurice, but that's a little to expensive." I said. "Plus, I don't know whether or not they have a vegetarian option for Dawn."
"Are we just meeting there?"
I shrugged. "I guess we could. I don't know how else we're going to get everyone there in one car."
"I get my license in a month and then we can drive around everywhere!" Claudia said, reaching under her bed and throwing me a three musketeers bar.
"You're parents are buying you a car still?" I was three months off getting my license.
Claudia nodded. "Within reason, but I don't care! I'll have my license and I'll have a car and I'll be free!"
"No more chauffeur Alan?"
Claudia giggled. "No! No more chauffeur Alan and that ridiculous accent! God, I hate that accent." She said. "That reminds me, what you get Cary for Christmas?"
Gift buying isn't my strong suit. I struggled with Claudia's and Mary Anne's, and I've been buying them presents for years. "I got him a book." I said.
Claudia raised her eyebrow. "A book?"
I nodded. "He's into biology and human bodies so I got him some book."
Claudia stared at me. "Okay. I do not want to know what you two when you're alone."
I threw the closest thing I could grab, which happened to be a shirt. "What did you get Alan?"
"I painted him a picture of us. And I got him that Radiohead CD he wanted that came out last month. He's been whining that he hasn't been able to buy it." She grinned. "I may have snagged the last copy that was in the whole of Stoneybrook."
"Do you really reckon Mary Anne is doing drugs?"
Claudia shrugged. "No, but my mom is always going about the dangers and signs of drugs and the people who do them. If it's a boy, then I don't get why she's hiding it. Unless he's hideously ugly or married."
"Jordan Pike."
Claudia frowned. "What about him?"
"I think it's him! After that party we went too, he asked me about Mary Anne and I told him to call her. Oh my god, I'm an idiot!" I slapped myself on the forehead.
"Mary Anne's sneaking around with Jordan Pike? One of the Pike triplets? Our ex-baby sitting charge!" Claudia stood up. "Why didn't you think of this earlier!" She pointed her finger at me.
I raised my hands. "I don't know! I don't know! I guess I was too busy thinking about Cary to remember or realise!" I stood up too. We both started screaming. "Why are we screaming?"
Claudia paused. "I don't know!"
"I don't know either!"
/
It was Friday. Four days later and the night of our reunion dinner. I had gone over Claudia's after school since she decided she wanted to help me get ready. She had put me in a dark red top and black dress pants. I wore my black coat over the top and lace-up black boots. I thought I looked good, and I was comfortable. Claudia's dad drove us to Renwick's when he came home from work. I was nervous. I had been having nightmares about it. Ones where a shark smashed through the windows and took all our heads off. Claudia and I stood outside the restaurant, a little cold from the gale force type winds we had been having for the past two days. We were a little early, but I kept looking around, looking for any familiar faces.
"Kristy! Claudia!"
I turned around. Jessi Ramsey was crossing the road. She had grown a little. She looked very the ballet dance I'd expect her to look like. Her hair was pulled back neatly and she was wearing a pink coat with black stockings and ballet flats. "Jessi!" She gave me a hug and then Claudia. "Wow, you look so grown up!"
Jessi smiled. "Thanks. It feels so good to be in Stoneybrook! But what's up with the weather?"
Claudia shrugged. "It's pretty windy. I hope everyone arrives soon."
"Is Mallory coming?"
"Mary Anne invited her, but who knows. She's changed so much. It's like she's a different person." I said, looking around again. "I didn't even recongise her when I first saw her."
Jessi looked a little upset. I wondered if she ever thought back then that she and Mallory wouldn't be friends. "Are you still with Alan?" Jessi asked, with a grin on her face. "That has to be the weirdest couple I would've ever dreamed up of!"
Claudia laughed. "Yes, yes, I'm still with Alan." She said. "Come on, it's not as weird as Kristy and Cary!"
Jessi bursted out laughing. "You should've seen my face when I read the email with her telling me. I was like, what girlfriend? Have you been smoking something wacky!" Jessi and Claudia bursted into giggles together.
"Oh, ha ha. So funny guys." I said.
"What's funny?" Abby said, walking up towards us. "Tell me I want to know."
Jessi stopped giggling for a second. "Just when I read Kristy's email saying she was dating Cary Retlin!"
Abby laughed. "Yeah, that's a left fielder!" She hugged Jessi. "Good to see you."
Mary Anne and Dawn arrived next. More hugs and hello's and laughing at my poor expense happened. Then Stacey arrived and it was a little awkward. She looked great of course, her blonde hair sitting nicely and she was wearing a nice caramel coloured coat with a black dress, stockings and flats on underneath. I thought Stacey and Claudia weren't going to say a word to each other but Stacey looked at Claudia, smiled and said, "Hello." politely.
"Hi." Claudia said, barely audible as she dropped her head to look at her shoes.
I turned to Stacey. "I'm glad you came." I said.
Stacey jammed her hands into her coat. "So am I." She said quietly. "Is Mallory the last one to arrive?"
I nodded. "Mary Anne?"
Mary Anne turned around, her eyes making one small moment of contact before darting away. "Yeah?"
"Did Mallory say whether or not she was coming?" I asked, my teeth chattering a little bit. The wind was picking up and it had began to snow a little bit.
"I didn't get to ask her, I left a message with her mom, but she said she would make her."
"We should go inside. She can join us at the table." Claudia said.
I nodded, quickly looking around for a sign of the Pike's car or Mallory. "Okay, inside!" I said, opening the door and walking into the warm air. Renwick's was busy, at least for a miserable Friday night near the holidays. I walked up to the waitress who was standing around the stand. "Hi, I have a reservation for Thomas?"
The waitress smiled and ran her finger down the notebook. "A table for eight? Right this way." She led us to the back section, where the was a large table set up for eight. I sat down next to Dawn and Claudia, opposite Mary Anne and Stacey. This couldn't get more awkward, and I was beginning to regret this already. The waitress gave us menus and took our drink orders. Then it was silent. I thought it was because everyone was studying the menus, but I caught Mary Anne looking at Dawn funny over the top of her menu and Stacey was sneaking glances at Claudia.
"Mallory." Jessi said, and we all looked up. Mallory was walking towards us, wearing her usual amount of eyeliner and that grateful dead T-shirt. Mallory sat down next to Abby, at the opposite end of the table to Jessi, who was staring at her.
"Do you want to have a look at the menu?" I offered Mallory.
Mallory looked up at me, her eye quickly glancing at Jessi, before returning to me. "No. I've been to Renwick's a million times. I basically have it memorised." I bit my lip, unsure of what to go with next. I looked down at the table in front of me.
Jessi cleared her throat. "I have an announcement. I only found out on Wednesday, but..." She laughed. "I'm going to France, starting next semester, for eighteen months. I got a exchange with this prestigious school in Paris."
"Wow." Mary Anne said, patting Jessi's arm.
"Congratulations." Abby, Dawn, Stacey, Mary Anne, Claudia and I all said together.
"Paris will be so lovely in the spring time. Can you bring me in your suitcase?" Mary Anne asked, her voice sounded dreamy. Mary Anne had always had a dream to visit Paris since she was a little girl. She was always fascinated by big cities.
"And me?" Stacey asked. "I've always wanted to go to Paris fashion week."
"Me too!" Claudia said.
Jessi smiled. "I wish I could bring you all." She said. "I'm so nervous. I leave a week after new years."
"Mary Anne?" Mallory asked, causing all of us to turn to her. She hadn't spoken a word since Jessi's announcement. "If you go to Paris, won't you miss Jordan?" She leaned across the table so she could see Mary Anne. Mallory had a big smirk on her face. Mary Anne's face was red. Every one was quite. "Would you?"
"Jordan?" Stacey asked, looking clueless.
"Jordan Pike?" Abby asked, her eyes wide.
"Your going out with Jordan Pike?" Dawn said. Mary Anne stood up, pushed her chair back and hurried off to the bathroom. Surprisingly, Stacey beat everyone else on getting up and followed her.
"You bitch!" Claudia exclaimed. "You knew she hadn't said anything!"
Mallory shrugged, leaning back in her chair. "No, I didn't."
I shook my head at Mallory. "That was so rude of you." I said. "If she wanted to keep it a secret, she could've, but you had to ruin that didn't you?" Mallory rolled her eyes. "What happened to the old Mallory?"
"And you wonder why you have no friends anymore." Jessi said, from the other end of the table. "It's because you think the world owes you something. Well, sorry, it doesn't."
"I'm going to check on her." Claudia whispered in my ear, getting up. I wanted to tell her I would, because Stacey was already in there, but Claudia had already walked away.
"What did she say about me?"
I snapped my head towards Mallory. "Nothing is always about you, but you like to make it, don't you. You've been back in Stoneybrook for two months and your the girl whose name is written all over bathroom walls and is getting suspended for smoking pot with a bunch of dropkicks."
Mallory shook her head. "I don't have to listen to this. I only came tonight because I was forced to by my parents." She said. "I would never talk to any of you if I had the option."
I heard the bathroom door close. I turned my head and Stacey was walking back alone. She looked angry. "I hope your happy." She said to Mallory. "Because karma will come and bite you in the ass." Mallory rolled her eyes again. "You just ruined something she wanted to do on her own, and she was going to do it tonight. You don't know what it's like to have something secretive and special that you want to tell everyone about. You want to know something? I've been dating Sam Thomas since freshman year and we're getting married next year." She stared at Mallory. "There's something you don't know, but you like to think you know everything."
"Why do you think I stopped being friends with you?" Jessi asked. "You became angry, spiteful, jealous of everyone who had something good going for them. What are you jealous of? Mary Anne dating Jordan? He's your brother, you should be happy he's with someone like Mary Anne. Someone who will treat him right. Or are you jealous that you can't find someone for yourself and you just want to bring everyone down with you?" Jessi stood up and turned to me. "I'm sorry, I'm going to leave. I can't be here anymore and my appetite is ruined." Jessi picked up her handbag and gave Abby, Stacey and I a hug each. "Give Claudia and Mary Anne my goodbye and tell her, I'm sorry for leaving. I just can't do it. I'll call you."
I turned to Mallory. "You happy? Your driving everyone away." I turned towards the bathroom and started walking towards it.
"I think you should go." I heard Stacey say.
I pushed the bathroom door open and Claudia was standing there against the row of sinks. One stall was closed and I could hear Mary Anne sniffing. "Mary Anne?" I called, leaning against the door.
"Is she gone?"
"Yes." I said.
"I'm sorry." She said, opening the door. I moved backwards. She turned the sink tap on and washed her face. "I was so stupid for hiding it from you guys. This is a small town, everyone knows everyone's business."
I shrugged. "It's okay. Claudia and I were kind of working it out ourselves..."
"We just didn't know when to bring it up. We were kind of waiting for you." Claudia finished my sentence.
Mary Anne smiled and blew her nose into the paper towel. "I think I want to go home." She said. "I'll call you both tomorrow."
"Okay." I said. "Bye." I looked at myself in the mirror. I was a god damn idiot for ever thinking something like this would've worked out.
"I'm going to head off too. I'm going to get Alan to come and get me. Do you want him to give you a lift?"
I shook my head. "I'll be fine." I said. I didn't feel like being around anyone. Except one person.
/
I left the restaurant, saying goodbye to Abby and Stacey. I had walked from Renwick's all the way to Cary's, which in the wind, seemed to take forever. I could barely see in front of me. Only one light was on downstairs, and I didn't want to upset his parents by randomly rocking up to their house at night-time. I walked around their house until I was under what I hoped was Cary's window. "Cary!" I shouted as quietly as I could. I looked around, looking for a small rock I could throw against his window.
"What are you doing?"
I whirled around. Cary was standing at the back door. "I...um..."
"Aren't you meant to be at that dinner thing with all your baby-sitters?"
"Yeah. Kind of ruined by Mallory Pike." Cary held out his hand, grabbing mine and pulling me inside. It was so much warmer compared to outside. "What about your parents?"
"Their at dad's Christmas party and Ben and Stieg are both at sleepovers, so it's just me." He said as he directed me up the stairs and into his bedroom. I inhaled the smell. It seemed to calm me down and before I knew it, I was crying. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Cary asked as he wiped my tears before they slid past my cheeks.
"Tonight was horrible! I tried, I tried to put it back to what it was and it didn't work."
"You know everyone's changed, you knew it would've been hard."
I sniffed and brushed my hair out of my face. "And Mallory... she is just so angry with us all, she had to go and tell everyone about Mary Anne and Jordan."
"Mary Anne and who?"
I stood still as Cary helped me out of my wet coat and boots. "Jordan Pike, that basketball playing freshman that all the seniors think is cool. He is Mallory's brother."
Cary nodded. "Yeah I know him." He said, as he neatened his bed up, smoothing out the cover and pillows. "I guess Mallory is just a spiteful bitch."
"And poor Jessi. She used to be best friends with Mallory and now they never talk and after tonight I don't think they ever will again. Jessi was so angry with her." I raised my arms as Cary pulled my shirt off and unclipped my bra. He undid my pants and I shimmed out of them. "I'm just..." I sighed. "I wish everything could be like it used to be. Everyone got along and everything was comfortable and had a routine." Cary slipped a shirt over my head that came down to my knees.
Cary leaned down and kissed my head. "Stop." He said. "Stop thinking about it. It will drive you insane." He smiled. "More insane than you already are." He picked me up and dropped me on the bed and pulled the covers over me. "We're going to sleep. No but's." He flipped the light off and climbed in next to me.
I closed my eyes as Cary's arm slipped across my stomach, pulling me closer to him. I felt relief.
A/n: This is just a little birthday present for myself for Friday! Big 21 it is! :)