Leslie's Journal - Allan Stratton [21]
“Jason, no. It’s too much.”
“Nothing’s too much for you. Or what I want to do for you.” His eyes go soulful. “See, Leslie, it’s about your mom. I’m sure she’s great and all. But she’s also a wacked-out control freak. You’ve basically said so yourself. With this cell, you can contact whoever you want, whenever you want, without her looking over your shoulder. Take it. Please. It’s not just a cell. It’s freedom.”
I start to hug him like crazy, but there’s this voice calling from across the football field: “Leslie!” It’s Katie. She and the gang are on their way back from Mister Pizza’s. While the rest of the girls go into the school, she runs over with this goofy grin on her face.
I send her these very strong Stay-Away-Katie vibes. But apparently the only messages Katie picks up come from God or something, because she sure doesn’t get mine. She comes right up, like I’m supposed to welcome her into our private conversation. I don’t.
“Yeah?”
“I thought I’d come over and say hi.” She gives a girlie finger wave to Jason. “I’ve seen you around, but we’ve never been actually introduced. You must be Jason.”
“And who must you be?” he says, polite and sarcastic all at once.
“Katie. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“And I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Really?” Katie’s face lights up like she’s in kindergarten and the teacher’s put a big gold star on her forehead.
Wake up, Katie, I think. He’s insulting you. Don’t you get it? Why don’t you leave us alone? But it’s too late. Jason’s getting ready to leave.
“I’d love to stay, shoot the breeze,” he says, “but I’ve got things to do.” I go to follow him, but he holds up his hand. “You stay with your pal Katie here. I’ll catch you later.” He walks off without looking back.
Katie’s all moon-eyed. You’d think she just talked to a movie star or something. But me, I’m heartsick. Jason and I were having such a good time, and she went and scared him away. A wave of anger surges inside me. But just as I’m about to let rip, Katie stammers, “So, are you guys doing it?”
My heart skips. “Who says we’re doing it?”
Katie looks at my face and gasps. “Oh no, you are!”
“I never said that!” I shout. “I asked you, ‘Who says?’”
“Nobody.”
“Nobody?”
“Okay. Ashley. She says that’s why Jason’s started to hang around.”
“What a bitch.”
“Well, are you?”
“If Jason and I were doing it, do you think I’d tell you?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“You can’t keep your mouth shut, that’s why not.”
“Are you still mad I told Ashley you made up boyfriends?”
“Among other things,” I say.
“What other things?”
“Last night you told my mom you were at choir practice. I told her I was at your place. You got me in so much trouble—”
“It’s not my fault you lied to your mother.”
“And it’s not my fault you’re a moron.”
Katie’s eyes fill. “Leslie, why are you yelling at me? What’s the matter? We used to be friends.”
“Used-to-be’s right, isn’t it? And I suppose that’s my fault. All I know is I used to have a friend I could count on, but now she only has time for my worst enemy. Well, I don’t care. I have a boyfriend who loves me and I don’t need to waste my time with a nerdy little baby who needs her mommy’s permission to pee.”
Katie’s face disintegrates. I watch as she turns and runs across the grass, shoulders heaving.
Serves her right. I’ve never let anyone come between us—not parents, not friends, nobody. So how come she’s the one acting hurt? All the same, I feel like a turd.
By the time I get to math class, I’m not mad anymore. While Mr. Kogawa writes math equations on the board, I scribble a note and slip it on Katie’s desk. It says, “I’m so sorry. You’ll always be my best friend, no matter what.” There’s a little pause, and then Katie turns around with a look so serious I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. She whispers, “Me too,” and I know which: I cry.
Thirteen
Even after I made up with Katie, I was still worried that she might have wrecked things with Jason. I had this bizarre panic that when he walked away from the bleachers, he wasn’t going to catch me later, that he