Part 25 (1/2)

Kristie and I stayed arm-in-arm as we strode into the cafeteria. As we pa.s.sed a Happy Hopeless table, I noticed Gabe Friedman's jealous scowl and Robert Schwarner's appraising nod. Then we pa.s.sed the Theater Geeks, and I swore I heard jaws. .h.i.tting the table. Even Archer looked surprised. I slipped him a quick smile so he could see I knew exactly how cool this was and totally appreciated it.

At the Populazzi table, Eddie was already deep in conversation with Brett and Marsh, but he gave me a smile as I slipped in next to him. Kristie was on my other side, with Trista, Ree-Ree, and Gemma rounding out what seemed to be the girls' half of the table. I wondered why Trista and Ree-Ree weren't sitting with their boyfriends, but the answer became clear as they and Gemma leaned in to get as close to me as possible.

”So tell us,” Trista whispered. ”What's Nate Wetherill like in bed?”

A hot flush crawled up my cheeks.

”Trista!” Kristie objected. ”Eddie's right here!”

”Whatever.” Trista waved her off. ”He's not paying attention.”

It was true; he wasn't. The guys were concerned with exactly how much b.u.t.t the Philadelphia Eagles would kick in the upcoming Super Bowl. The team's appearance in the game was apparently only a slightly bigger deal than the Second Coming. Karl would have loved the conversation. To me it was gibberish.

”You look offended,” Kristie said. ”Are you offended?”

”She can't be offended,” Gemma said. ”You do the deed, you own the deed.”

”My guess is he's highly sensual,” Ree-Ree said. She looked like she was already imagining the specifics.

”Spill it, Cara,” Trista said. ”We want to hear everything.”

”There isn't that much to tell,” I said.

Gemma snorted. Trista just looked at me and sang, ”'Of this one thing I am sure / Cara Leonard is a wh.o.r.e / Or at least that's how she acted in my bed...'”

I blushed harder. Somehow the song was less amusing in Trista's mouth than in Claudia's.

”He may have exaggerated a bit,” I said.

”You didn't sleep with him?” Ree-Ree was obviously not pleased. Even Kristie looked a little disappointed.

I had to turn this around quickly, but I couldn't totally change my story or they'd know I was lying.

Then it hit me.

”I didn't sleep with him,” I whispered, looking around, then leaning in, ”because he couldn't.”

Ree-Ree laughed. ”For you he couldn't. I bet I'd get it up just fine.”

”He's a pothead,” Gemma told her. ”Potheads can't always get it up.”

”Exactly!” I cried. ”And Nate's not just a pothead; he's the pothead.” I launched into a vivid description of Nate's obsession with the stuff, including his bong-friend Purple Haze, who even had her own gender.

”He actually introduced it to you as his 'friend'?” Trista asked.

”Yes! I'm telling you his whole house was a freak scene...”

I started telling them about the place, and immediately I knew it was the right story. The Populazzi hung on every word, all four of them gasping and laughing and oh-my-G.o.dding as I wove the tale.

So I made it even better.

I didn't lie, really. I just leaned heavily on the more gasp-worthy details. I spoke vividly about the brothers living like savages in layers of squalor and Thackery maniacally playing Wii all night long. The girls seemed to like the pot stories best, so I went back to those and enhanced them a little, giving Purple Haze a cast of cohorts and making Nate's obsession with them even crazier.

Sure, the details might have been exaggerated, but the spirit of what I said was dead-on accurate. It was just that I told a cartoon version of the truth, without the deeper things like Nate's comatose mom, his indifferent dad, how sweet it kind of was that he wanted to share what meant so much to him-or the fact that I actually liked and felt sorry for him.

That stuff would have bored the Populazzi. I wanted to captivate them. And I did.

”It's all so gothic,” Ree-Ree said. ”Is it weird that it makes me totally want to bed him?”

At the same time, Kristie said yes and Gemma said no.

”I bet the little brother will grow up to be a serial killer,” Trista said. ”You're lucky you escaped with your life.”

”Did he really name all his”-Kristie lowered her voice-”paraphernalia? And talk to them? And make them talk back to him?”

”All the time!” I said. ”I swear, sometimes I think he was flirting with them!”

”Hot and crazy.” Ree-Ree smiled.

”If he wasn't getting it up for you, I wonder if he was getting it up for them,” Gemma said.

”So, so wrong, Gems.” Trista laughed. ”Was he?”

”I never saw it happen,” I said, ”but he would disappear into the bathroom with one of his 'friends' for way too long to smoke or pee. And sometimes when he came out he'd ask if the others were jealous.”

”And were they?” Gemma asked.

”I was!” I retorted.

That got all four girls laughing so hard that the guys stopped their conversation to ask what we were talking about.

”Dudes, you will not believe,,” Gemma said, then turned to me. ”Lay it on them.”

Uh-oh.

It was one thing to let the story run away with me, but to purposely lay it out the same way again ... that seemed like more of a lie. But I couldn't change it up now. And besides, the Populazzi never hung out with Nate, so what did it matter?

I told the story again.

The guys loved it even more than the girls. Of course they did; I'd had a rehearsal. I knew how to sell it. Marsh and Brett roared. Eddie smiled, but he was quieter than the other guys. I couldn't figure out why until I finished and Brett pounded Eddie on the back.

”Dude, you gotta watch your a.s.s with this one,” he said. ”She'll tell it all.”

”Yeah,” Eddie said. ”I can see that now.”

I was still smiling from my storytelling triumph, but now my smile felt stale. Had I completely messed things up with Eddie? No matter how much I had won over the Populazzi, I had no doubt that my members.h.i.+p in their club would be immediately revoked if Eddie lost interest in me.