you just proved my point. It’s all about popularity with you.”
She rolls her eyes. “It is not! And you just proved my point. Out of everything I just said, the one thing you pick out is the last part, not the part about you being a selfish ass.”
I have never, ever seen her like this; not when she caught Peter flirting with that sophomore, not when her mom took away her cell phone for making 829 texts in one month, not even when Rolling Stone trashed Allison’s new album.
Rayann kind of covers her mouth and snorts at Terra’s “selfish ass” comment, and maybe I’m acting like a child, but that’s the last straw. I go on the defensive.
“Fine, you know what, I don’t even want to be here. I shouldn’t have come. I don’t even like Allison Blair!”
It feels like a million faces are staring at me now. Leave it to me to go into the equivalent of a Star Wars convention and be stupid enough to say I’m actually a die-hard Trekker. Terra’s face is the most surprised and hurt out of all of them, though. She’s just looking at me, mouth hanging open, eyes wide.
“I don’t belong here.” I start gathering my stuff.
Terra’s expression turns into a scowl. “Then why are you still here?”
Hearing those words makes my heart hurt. Just as I start maneuvering my way back the way we came, the lights go out, and the crowd lets out a collective cheer.
…
The lobby is nearly empty. I feel like a little lost puppy as I lean against a wall and try to figure out what to do next. I look in my purse for my cell, but something else catches my eye. A corner of the NerdCon pass peeks out at the bottom of my purse. I should have given it back to Logan, or at least to Dan. NerdCon is happening right now, at this very moment. I don’t know if Logan is there, but after everything that just happened with Terra, I feel reckless.
I walk up to the clerk at the ticket desk. “Excuse me, I need a taxi. How does that work, exactly?”
The guy looks me over and frowns. “How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
“Okay… I could call one for you, I guess. Are you sure you’re eighteen?” He picks up the phone.
“Of course, I’m sure,” I say, pretending to be insulted. If I’ve learned anything about lying, it’s that I have to make it look good.
It starts to drizzle as I stand outside and wait for the taxi. When it pulls up, it’s not yellow and black like I expected, but just a normal-looking maroon grandma car. I get in the back and read the driver the address from the back of the pass.
During the drive, Terra calls a couple of times, but I don’t answer. Might as well be consistent in my awful-friendness. After I pay the driver, I get out and throw on the pass. I’ve only taken a few steps toward the front doors of the enormous convention center when a drunk Wookie runs into me from behind. I hit the ground hard, scraping my bare knees and hands on the concrete. The big furball doesn’t even say he’s sorry; he just growls the Wookie growl and goes inside.
And here come the tears, right on cue. The rain is really starting to come down now, my so-called best friend just basically told me to eff off, and I’m picking out pieces of possibly vomit-encrusted grit from open wounds on my knees and palms.
Best. Night. Ever.
My phone rings. It’s Mom. Crap. I forgot to call when we got to the concert.
“Where are you?” She sounds a lot more frantic than I expected. I almost always forget to do the “call me when you get there” thing. But then she says, “Terra just called and said she can’t find you. That she’s been all over the concert looking for you.”
I’m such a jerk. I’m the worst person in the history of people. Of course my best friend would call my mom. She may hate my guts, but she still cares. “I’m… I’m fine.”
“I’m going to ask you one more time, Madelyne Jean Summers, and you better not lie to me. Where. Are. You?”
I know better than to argue with that tone of voice. “I’m at NerdCon. In Shreveport.”
“What? Where is that? Why… You know what, we’ll talk about it when you get home. I’m calling your brother to come pick you up.” She