Gilbert and Louis Rule the Universe: First Impressions (12 page)

“Did you see him?”
I question.

“Winston?”
Rowan asks.

Of course, ladies.
Get to the good stuff.

“I didn’t see him,” Rowan continues.
“Did you?”
she asks the others.

“No, I am not sure if he was there,”
Riley says.

”Maybe he was bummed you couldn’t go that he didn’t go,” suggests
Rowen
.

From the attitude of his text I doubt it, but
whateves
, I don’t say that.

“Maybe,” I say.
“Well, I better get to class.”
As I walk away I can hear the girls talking excitedly about their weekend.
I know they are trying to downplay the Christmas tree lighting so as not to hurt my feelings, but I still feel like crap.

I tried to get more information about the weekend’s festivities out of the other kids.
I was busy eavesdropping on any conversation so I could to try and get the details.
I even went so far as to stalk Sophie.

“Sophie!”
I called after her in the hallway as she walked from one class to the next.

“Oh, hey Leah, what’s up?”
Sophie gave me a look like why was I bothering her.

“Um, hi, yeah, so did you go to the Christmas tree lighting this weekend?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she sounded both bored and annoyed by the question.

“Was it fun?”
I was really trying.

“It was okay.
Weren’t you there?”
she asked.

“No, I, um.
I, um, had to see my grandma,” I lied.

“Bummer.
Yeah, it was cool.
Same as last year.”

“Anyone cool there?”
Please Sophie, please, please give me some information.

“I don’t know, the usual.”

Should I ask?
Should I bring up his name or is that too desperate?

I didn’t even get the chance.

“Well, see you.”
We had already made it to her next class and she walked in the door.
The late bell rang.
I was tardy.

*   *  
*

The next three days are totally uneventful.
Thursday is Thanksgiving and this year I have to go with my dad and Bonnie to
Bonnie’s
parent’s house. They are, like, some kind of health nuts.
They have free-range turkey, whatever that is, and grain stuffing.
They even made homemade cranberry sauce, which they are all raving about.
I can’t see the big deal, it is totally gross.
I like the stuff straight from the can with no lumps in it and the funny can markings on the side.
On the way over, I try to tuck a can of
Oceanspray
into my bag but my dad catches me and says that would be rude. To top it off, I don’t get to eat my aunt’s sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping.
In fact, there isn’t a marshmallow in sight at
Bonnie’s
parent’s house.
During dinner I borrow my dad’s phone and text my mom that the food totally sucks and to bring home left-
overs
.
The only thing that is any good are the homemade buttermilk biscuits.
I eat ten.

My mom and aunt felt sorry for me and so my aunt gave my mom all the left-over sweet potatoes to take home.
Over the weekend, and
since I can’t even leave my house, I sit in front of the TV eating the sweet potatoes and marshmallows straight out of the pan.
To top it off, I eat about a million turkey sandwiches on sourdough with mayo and cranberry sauce—from the can.

By Sunday, I have gained, like, five pounds.

Since I am still pulling my
groundie
detention I have to go with my mom to get her hair done.
I am sitting in the waiting area flipping through magazines waiting for her to finish.
I rip out the
CosmoGirl
: Body and Soul
challenge to take home with me.
I am going to have to do it just so I can fit back into my jeans.

Next, I flip to the quiz:

“What Kind of Friend Are You?”

What kind of problems do you turn to your friends for advice about?

□
 
Clothes and makeup.

□
 
Help with homework.

□
 
Absolutely everything.

I go to my friends with everything.
I talk to them about fashion and celeb gossip.
How totally lame my parents are, how Ralph is a total jerk, and how cute Winston is.
I am a really good friend.

The next question is:

When do your friends turn to you?

□
 
Questions about clothes and makeup.

□
 
Help with homework.

□
 
To talk about problems with friends, family or boyfriends.

I am about to check problems with friends, family and boyfriends, but then I think about it.
Gilbert and I talk about some of this stuff, but I don’t really know what Riley thinks of her brother or sisters or what Rowan does when she isn’t with us.
I guess we normally go shopping or look through magazines and talk about other people. I move my pen and check “clothes and makeup.”

I check off a couple other questions and then:

What do your friends admire about you?

□
 
The fact that I know who every celebrity is dating.

□
 
My super high GPA.

□
 
That I am always there when they need me.

I immediately put an “X” next to the fact that I know who every celebrity is dating.
I am known for this.
I read all the
mags
and, when I am not grounded, read the gossip blogs like every day.
After I check it, I have the sneaking feeling that I should have checked, “That I am always there when they need me.”
But I am not sure if that is true.

You and your friend both have a crush on
the same guy—
but he's just e-mailed you and asked you out. What do you do?

□
 
Of course I would go!
He asked me!

□
 
Check with her first to see if she is cool with it.

□
 
No way, I would never go out on a date with a friend
'
s crush.

Um, yeah. “Of course I would go!”
If we were both crushing on a boy then theoretically he is still fair game, right?

Which item of your clothing are your friends borrowing right now?

□
 
My
Bebe
dress.

□
 
My Roxy
hoodie
.

□
 
I don
'
t let anyone borrow my clothes.

Yeah, I don’t let anyone borrow my clothes.
Ever since Melinda spilled cranberry juice on my favorite sweater in kindergarten, I am very protective of my outfits.

Do your friends tell you their secrets?

□
 
Not really.

□
 
One or two of them.

□
 
We tell each other everything.

I am about to check “we tell each other everything,” because Alex had told me about Dylan, but then I think about it.
I don’t really know anything secret about the other girls.
I am too busy talking about myself.

I tally my points and find that I fall into the “Suzy Selfish” category.

Suzy Selfish

Girl, you are spending too much time thinking about yourself!
Get out there and make the effort to see what your friends are thinking and feeling.
Ask them questions, and here is the kicker: actually listen to their answers.
If you don’t, you could find out that you don’t have any friends left.

Oh my gosh, is Gilbert right?
Am I being a bi-
atch
?
As soon as we get home I run up to my computer.

“Mom, I forgot there is an extra credit project I can do for social science.
I just need to look up some stuff on the computer.”

“Sounds great, honey.
Glad to see you putting in the extra work.”

I know I am not allowed to use IM, but this is an emergency.
I pull up a page on Mycenae just in case my mom walks by, turn off the sound, and open my Yahoo account.
Luckily
,
Gilbert is online.