“Anytime. If you have any questions, my office is around the corner,” he relays.
“Thank you, sir.”
“You’re most welcome. Have a good afternoon.”
When he walks away, I call out, “Audrey Macmillian!”
She stands up straight and tall, looking at me, wondering why I’m yelling her name.
“You lied to me. You’re supposed to be my best friend, and you lied.”
She’s so confused. “What did I lie about?”
“My Chucks! You lied about my Chucks! How could you?” I ask dramatically, throwing my forearm over my eyes for effect.
“It did you good. How did you do with those?” she asks, pointing to my current shoes.
“They’re not the most comfortable but they’re better than those,” I reply, pointing to hers—MaryJane shoes with heels. Ouch.
She rolls her eyes and tosses her red hair over her shoulder. “It does you good to wean yourself from your Chucks. Mix it up, Jillie. What can it hurt?”
“You asked me that before the party that night and look what happened.”
She winces. “There’s that.”
I nod.
Isla catches up and we head out to Audrey’s car.
“He confronted me,” I blurt out when we pull out of the parking lot.
“Really,” Audrey asks. Isla turns in her seat, curious.
“Well… sort of.” I replay the conversation in my head. “He was as douchy as before.”
“Are you serious?” Isla questions, eyes wide.
“Serious.” I huff. “He claims he and Ellen aren’t a couple. They’re just dot, dot, dot, and I told him to stop there. I didn’t want to know.”
Audrey snorts. “I’m pretty sure they’re friends with benefits. She’s such a clinger. I feel for him maybe just a little bit because of her.”
“I don’t,” I admit. “He likely lets her think there’s more going on than there is. I mean, going back for more is a form of encouragement.”
“That’s true,” Isla agrees. “I still think he should apologize to you for making your first day miserable and assuming whatever he was assuming.”
I nod. “Thank you. Yes, he should, but he’s not going to. And since something tells me my misery isn’t over yet, I’ve decided I’m going to call him Lenny.”
“What?” they both ask, laughing.
“You know, Leonard equals Lenny. I’ve already started calling Ellen, Ella—well, only to Leo,” I relay with a shrug.
Audrey laughs so hard she snorts. “This is going to be so much fun to watch.”
Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m not the old Jillie anymore. I’m not the Jillie who let people intimidate her. I’m not just the bookworm in the corner—not if Isla and Audrey have anything to say about it.
Something happened to me that night on the beach. I’m not sure what, but I feel like a new Jillie and this Jillie vows to take no one’s crap. Not even from the most popular guy and girl in the school.
