What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson

Author:Martin Wilson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780375848926
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2008-11-24T05:00:00+00:00

After the movie lets out—it was pretty good but reminded James of too many other movies he’s already seen—he feigns interest in the credits so they can avoid the mad dash out the door (and, of course, Alice). Then, when the crowd has thinned, they both hit the bathrooms. The girls’ has a line that eases out the door, and by the time James finishes peeing, Clare is still nowhere to be seen.

He stands off to the side in the lobby, waiting for her. Soon he sees Alice exit the bathroom, and he thinks about ducking behind one of the big potted plants. She sees him before he can make any attempt to hide.

He looks away, hoping she’ll just sneer from afar. But before he knows it, she’s in front of him. He can smell her perfume. “So, you and Clare Ashford are back together, huh?” she says, arms folded over her chest.

“No, we’re not. We’re just friends.”

She smiles and rolls her eyes. “It doesn’t matter if you are, James. I don’t care.”

Yeah, sure you don’t, he thinks. He sees her turn away, maybe searching the theater lobby for her meathead boyfriend.

“I’m going out with Shane Rollins,” she says, turning back to him. “He’s the quarterback at Hillcrest. A football player.”

“Oh, really? Gee, I thought he was quarterback on the basketball team.”

Just then, Clare walks up and stands next to him, like she is unsure of how close she should get, maybe afraid that Alice will try to scratch her eyes out. Clare says, “Hi, Alice.”

But Alice just gives James a shit-eating grin and turns and walks away.

“Let’s get out of here,” James says.

In the Jeep, Clare says, “Sorry about that.”

“About what?”

“Alice. Sorry that you had to talk to her. I know it must be weird.”

“She came up to me. She told me about her new redneck football-playing boyfriend.”

“God, I’m lucky I don’t have to run into Mason at school.”

“Who?”

“Mason, my ex. You know, the college guy.”

“Oh yeah.” Mason. Shane. All the guys who came after him. Well, he can see why Shane wants Alice—he clearly just wants an easy lay. That’s the only reason any guy wants Alice. And she just likes him because of the football thing. Whatever.

“I feel sorry for her,” Clare says.

“Why?” he asks, incredulous, almost laughing, thinking immediately of his slashed tire.

“I don’t know. I mean, she seems nice. She just…she has a chip on her shoulder, I guess. I’ve always tried to be nice to her, unlike some of the other girls. But she hates us, so I guess we all hate her back. Except me, really. It just doesn’t seem like she has any friends.”

“Well, she’s a psycho bitch, if you ask me.”

Clare sighs. “Oh, James.”

“What?” he says.

But all Clare says is “Never mind.”

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