“Nothing,” Jill said glumly, slumping down in her seat.
Lorylyn made a glum face too. “It’s been a shitty end of the year. The Brady thing, the Todd thing, and Hilton and Lindy lost last week...”
Hilton waved her hand. “Oh, that’s all right. It was a bummer, but there’s always next year. Then after that I’ll be all by myself...probably playing singles...” She made a sad face. She and Lindy had been doubles partners in tennis for the second year in a row, and had lost at regional in the second and final round in a third-set tiebreaker.
“Oh, speaking of it being a shitty end of the year,” Jill said, “you probably don’t even wanna know, but Brooke was telling everyone in children’s lit yesterday how her dad and mom got together and went around her step-dad and gave her the money for Spain for her birthday.”
Lorylyn shrugged. “Like it matters. Spain or not, they’ll probably end up together.” She laughed bitterly. “I was at the mall last night with my mom, and we went past Foot Locker and she was in there talking to him. And it’s like we don’t even know each other in chem. Even when we do a lab, it’s like I’m just some girl who’s his lab partner, and that’s it. He won’t make eye contact with me. I can’t believe it. It’s like we never had anything. He should’ve just been with her all along.”
“Come on, guys,” Hilton said, giving them a sympathetic look. “Cheer up! We only have two days of school left. It’s almost summer!” She hated seeing Jill so bummed, but it was almost worse seeing Lorylyn this way, because she was usually the most giggly, perky person Hilton knew, always excited about something in her innocent, cheerful way. Hilton hated Brady for taking that out of her.
“That’s just depressing,” Jill said. “It’s gonna be so different from last summer.” Her computer beeped.
“Ooh, Detter,” Hilton said, peering at the screen. “You guys have been emailing a lot lately.”
Jill shrugged indifferently. “Whatever. I just can’t understand how he could wanna be with her. After everything we had together, all the memories...he went to California with me when my aunt died! I just can’t imagine what it’s gonna be like this summer without him around.”
“Oh, he’ll be around,” Hilton said.
“Not really,” Jill said, feeling like she might cry. “Not like he was last summer. We probably won’t even hang out except when Landon has parties. It’s not like I can invite him over to come swimming anymore.”
“Sure you can,” Hilton said. “You and Todd are best friends. You can do whatever the fuck you want with him. He still came over to watch Friends right up till the finale.”
“That’s true.” Jill straightened up a little. “I guess I can. But him and Melanie weren’t officially together at the season finale. So it’s different now.”
“No it’s not. She’s gotta understand he has friends. If she doesn’t, fuck her. She knows you guys are best friends. And we’ll invite him to Cedar Point for Hillary and Lorylyn’s birthday, and we won’t invite her. And I’ll have Landon have us all over to go tubing again.”
“Okay,” Jill said, brightening somewhat. “That’ll be fun.”
“Yeah. Don’t give up and just let him fall out of your life. Don’t stop being his best friend. You guys are meant to be together. He’ll see that eventually.”
“Do you really think that?” Jill had never heard Hilton say she and Todd were meant to be together before. She knew Hilton had thought they’d make a cute couple, but this was totally different.
“Are you kidding me?” Hilton asked. “You’re Ross and Rachel.” She grinned at Jill, knowing Jill would like that comment.
“We are,” Jill said, smiling. Then she clapped her hands and giggled. “And they just got married in Vegas! So maybe they’ll get back together.” The season five finale had ended with a huge shocker: Ross and Rachel drunkenly leaving a Vegas wedding chapel.
“Exactly. They had a rough patch, where it just wasn’t the right time. But they’ll end up together. Just like you and Todd. Meant to be together, just not right now.”
Jill smiled. She liked the sound of that. She started typing back to Detter.
“And we have the student council stuff,” Hilton added. “Car washes and cookouts and stuff. That’s gonna be so fun next year. I’m so glad we made it.” She smiled at Jill.
Jill smiled back, but she didn’t share Hilton’s excitement as much as she had when Hilton had first convinced her to run. Back then she’d been hoping she could convince Todd to run too, but with everything that had been going on with Melanie, she hadn’t even suggested it to him. She’d been afraid of another let-down, another feeling of rejection.
“What about me, guys?” Lorylyn asked despondently. “I don’t even know if I wanna go to Cedar Point this year. It’ll just make me think of how great things were with me and Brady when we went last year. And I didn’t run for student council.” Her big brown eyes were sad.
“Don’t worry,” Hilton said, trying to be encouraging. “You can run next year. And we’ll find you another guy for the summer. You can have a summer fling. Plus you have us. And we love you, and we’re way better than some asshole guy.” She smiled at Lorylyn and was relieved to get a small smile back. “Trust me, guys.” Hilton grinned at both of them now, her eyes sparkling. “It’s gonna be a great summer. Right now, put your hands together.” She held her hand out, and Jill and Lorylyn placed theirs on top. “This is to all of us and all the fun we’re gonna have this summer. And it’s to Brady dying in Spain.” Hilton flashed a grin at Lorylyn, and this time she got a genuine grin back. “But really, here’s to not letting guys ruin our lives or control our feelings, but to going out and having a great time no matter what the hell kind of stupid issues they have going on...like being too stupid to see what girl they should be with. And here’s to knowing that we’re too good to sit around bumming and putting our lives on pause while they’re out living their lives. We’re gonna live our lives too, and the most important thing is it’s gonna be all of us together.”
All three girls raised their hands in the air, smiling at each other. Jill felt immensely better. Hilton was right. She and Todd were meant to be together, but right now must not be their time. So in the meantime, she was going to live her life...and live it to the fullest.
###
Next, in Spin the Bottle...
Best-Kept Secrets...
*Todd’s relationship with Melanie sends Jill spiraling in a new direction that could lead to trouble...
*Brady and Brooke fly off to Spain...
*Lorylyn struggles to get over her first love...
*Todd faces more problems at home...
*Hilton takes her relationship with Landon to the next level...
*Hillary inadvertently makes a horrifying discovery about her past…
*Blake Bishop becomes a sudden and surprising, if only temporary, ally...
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