Monica sighed and looked -- how weird was this? -- contrite. "I know what you're thinking. Yes, I was a bitch to you, and I hurt you. And I'm sorry. " Gina and Jennifer, her constant Greek chorus, nodded and repeated sorry in whispers. "Water under the bridge, all right? All is forgiven?"
Claire was, if anything, even more mystified. "Why are you doing this?"
Monica pursed her glossy lips, leaned forward, and dropped her voice to a low, confidential tone. "Well ... All right, yeah,it's not like I had a head injury or something and woke up thinking you were cool. But you're different now. I can help. I can introduce you around to all the people you really need to know. "
"You're kidding. I'm different how?"
Monica leaned even closer. "You signed. "
So ... This wasn't about Michael. Claire had just become ... Popular. Because she'd become Amelie's property.
And that was terrifying.
"Oh, " she managed, and then, more slowly, "Oh. "
"Trust me, " Monica said. "You need somebody in the know. Somebody to show you the ropes. "
If the only other person left on the planet was Jack the Ripper, Claire would have trusted him first. "Sorry, " she said. "I have plans. But -- thank you. Maybe some other time. "
She shut the door on Monica's surprised face, then locked it. She jumped when she turned to find Shane standing right behind her, staring at her like he'd never seen her before.
"Thank you?" he mimicked. "You're thanking that bitch? For what, Claire? For beating you? For trying to kill you? For killing my sister? Christ. First Michael, then you. I don't know any of you anymore. "
In true Shane fashion, he just took off. She listened to the heavy tread of his footsteps cross the living room and travel up the stairs. Heard the familiar slam of his door.
"Hey!" she shouted after him. "I was just being polite!"
t; he mimicked. "You're thanking that bitch? For what, Claire? For beating you? For trying to kill you? For killing my sister? Christ. First Michael, then you. I don't know any of you anymore. "
In true Shane fashion, he just took off. She listened to the heavy tread of his footsteps cross the living room and travel up the stairs. Heard the familiar slam of his door.
"Hey!" she shouted after him. "I was just being polite!"
er him. "I was just being polite!"t; he mimicked. "You're thanking that bitch? For what, Claire? For beating you? For trying to kill you? For killing my sister? Christ. First Michael, then you. I don't know any of you anymore. "
In true Shane fashion, he just took off. She listened to the heavy tread of his footsteps cross the living room and travel up the stairs. Heard the familiar slam of his door.
"Hey!" she shouted after him. "I was just being polite!"
"So, " Eve asked as she drove Claire to school, "what was up with the Monica thing? I mean, maybe you ought to watch your back with her. Even more than you already do. "