the day and I’m not going to get what I want from Nancy. Not ever. I have no idea how to give her what she wants.
“I’m sorry,” I say and attempt to sound convincing. “Just had a bad day yesterday.”
Nancy nods once. She sits there in her nightgown, sipping on her coffee.
Mom winks at me when she thinks Nancy isn’t looking, but Dad keeps his eyes on the newspaper. A squeaking noise comes from behind me. A maid is using cleaner on the massive windows.
Nancy scoops another bite of eggs.
“It’s a beautiful day. What’s your schedule?” she asks me.
“Work on my essay for a while then maybe go to the beach,” I say. Yes, let’s pretend we’re having a normal conversation.
“You could go with me to the salon if you’d like.”
Oh boy. This could be Nancy’s weird way of trying to make peace. It could also be a hint. I smooth my hair and wince from the soreness in my wrist. I almost forgot.
“What’s wrong?” Nancy asks and frowns.
“I fell last night. It’s just bruised.”
She takes another bite and I conveniently pretend to watch the news on the TV so I don’t have to tell Nancy that going to a salon is my own personal version of hell.
“I’m happy to see you’re not going to WHOI every single day,” she says.
“I love WHOI,” I say immediately. “I just haven’t had the time to go as much as I’d like.”
I don’t want Dad to be hurt. I dare to look at him but don’t think he heard me.
“And I told you at the barbecue, I met a friend,” I offer, and as the words are coming out of my mouth, I immediately regret it. “The girl I hung out with on the Fourth? Her name is Claudia,” I add.
“That’s right,” Nancy says. “I thought that was just a story to shut me up.”
“I didn’t lie,” I say, but my cheeks burn.
“You could invite her to the party if you want.”
Then Claudia would have to see me in the cupcake dress and I’d have to look like a complete loser on multiple levels.
“I think that’s great,” Nancy adds and eats her eggs with her pinkie finger up. I had no idea that people could actually eat this way successfully. “It’s good you’re getting your head out of the clouds.”
“She’s on top of it, Nance. Give her a break today?” Dad says gently and puts down the paper. He grabs his WHOI briefcase and kisses me on the head as he heads for the door. Thank goodness I showered before coming to breakfast. My sheets still smell like beer.
“Did you ever find out if that boy Tucker is coming to the party?” Nancy asks Mom.
I am suddenly not very hungry.
“Well, he said he wasn’t coming, but I think Carly is insisting, which really isn’t necessary.”
Mom avoids my eyes when she says this, but if I were Tucker I wouldn’t want to go either.
Am I Andrew’s girlfriend? Curtis said I was, but Andrew and I haven’t exactly discussed it. It’s been less than a month; I’m not sure if that’s the right time to ask. I’m not usually in this position. If Tucker does show up, I don’t want to explain that Andrew is my “sort of” boyfriend.
“They need to behave like adults,” Nancy stresses, and I leave the conversation to go up to my room.
Is it wrong that I want to make it official? Is it wrong that I want Andrew to say I am his girlfriend? I put on a Scarlett bathing suit, a black one-piece with a very low plunge in the neckline. I almost wish Nancy and Mom would see me in it, just to make them notice me. My phone beeps.
ANDREW: Dune riding at sunset. You in?
Do these people ever work? I text back as much.
ANDREW: Yes, Star Girl. But the key word there was sunset.
Once I pack up my beach bag for the day, I text Claudia to see if she and Chelsea want to meet me at Nauset. Turns out she’s solo again because her friend had to go home.
She agrees to meet me at Nauset and once we’re on the beach, I know I have to explain about the Fourth of July. Within minutes of getting onto the sweltering sand, we’re rubbing in sunscreen.
“Gabe left yesterday too. But we’ll stay in touch . . . I think,” she says with a shrug and slides on dark circular sunglasses. I’m wearing a cheap pair of aviators I