Part 29 (1/2)

But that will never happen now.

”Why didn't you tell me?” I asked Lilly. I wasn't mad, really. Too much time had pa.s.sed-and water gone under the bridge-for me to be mad. I was just curious, more than anything.

”Oh, what,” Lilly said, letting out a sarcastic laugh, ”you're the one who started going out with him the day he dumped me, practically-dumped me for you, by the way.”

”He did not dump you for me,” I said, shaking my head. ”That's not how it happened.”

”I beg your pardon,” Lilly said. ”I was there, you were not. I think I would know. J.P. most a.s.suredly dumped me because, as he said, and I quote, he was hopelessly in love with you. I didn't mention that part, did I, the day I told you about our breakup?”

I stared at her, feeling color creep up my face. ”No-”

”Well, that's what he told me. That he was dumping me like a hot potato the minute it looked like things were over with you and Michael because now he, quote, had a chance with you, unquote. But I told him there was no way in h.e.l.l my best friend would ever give him the time of day, because you would never do something like go out with the guy who'd broken my heart.” Her look of disgust deepened. ”Oh, but...I guess I was wrong about that, wasn't I?”

I was so shocked I didn't know what to say. I couldn't believe it. J.P.? J.P. had told Lilly he loved me...before he and I had even started going out? J.P. had dumped Lilly because I'd become available?

That was worse-way worse-than calling the paps on me, and telling them where I'd be having dinner.

Or getting a publisher to agree to print my book without even having read it.

”Don't try to deny it, Mia,” Lilly went on, her upper lip curling. ”Not five minutes after I told you about our breakup-our next cla.s.s period, practically-I saw you two kissing.”

”That was a mistake!” I cried. ”He turned his head at the last minute!” On purpose, I knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

But then, I shouldn't have been flinging my arms around boys in the hallway, anyway.

”Oh, and it was a mistake that you two went out on a date the same night my brother left for j.a.pan?” she asked, with a sneer.

”It wasn't a date,” I said. ”We went as friends.”

”That's not how the press saw it,” Lilly said, shaking her head.

”The press?” I inhaled, a single, horrified breath as the truth finally sunk in...after twenty-one long months. ”Oh, G.o.d. He called them that night. The night we went to see Beauty and the Beast. That's why the paparazzi showed up. J.P. called them himself.”

”Oh, NOW you finally realize it.” Lilly shook her head. Now that the blindfold had been lifted from my eyes at last, she'd stopped looking so disgusted. ”He played us both. He only went out with me because it was a way to be closer to you...although I'm not entirely sure what sleeping with me had to do with you-”

”Oh my G.o.d!” That's when all the bones in my body turned into jelly and I had to sit down before I fell down. I collapsed onto one of the velvet couches the Waldorf-Astoria hotel staff had helpfully supplied for this purpose, and sunk my head into my hands.

Also, I would just like to add, I knew it! I knew they Did It! Way back in the beginning of eleventh grade, I knew it.

”Lilly!” I cried. ”You told me you never slept with him! I specifically asked you, and you said he could have taken advantage, and he never did!”

”Yeah,” Lilly said, sinking down beside me and slumping against the wall. Her face was devoid of expression. ”Well, I lied. I still had some pride, I guess. And anyway, it's not like I didn't get something out of it, too. I was totally warm for the guy's form. I just would have appreciated it if, in the end, he wouldn't have turned out to be l.u.s.ting for my best friend the whole time.”

”Oh my G.o.d,” I said, again. I was having a whole lot of trouble picturing J.P. and my best friend-Lilly-doing...well. That.

Also, what about all those times J.P. said he was a virgin, just like me? About how he was so glad he'd waited for the right girl, and how that girl was me? J.P. Reynolds-Abernathy IV's Big Fat Lie Number Four. Or was it Five, now? Wow, he was going to start beating my lying record soon.

”Lilly,” I said. My heart felt like it was twisting in my chest, I felt so bad. Not for myself. For Lilly. I understood now. Everything...even about ihatemiathermopolis.com. This didn't make it right.

But it made it more understandable.

”I'm so, so sorry,” I said, reaching out to take her hand, with its black-painted nails. ”I had no idea. And...well, about the other thing. Him dumping you for me. I had no idea about that, either. Honestly, though...why didn't you just tell me?”

”Mia, come on.” Lilly shook her head. ”Why should I have had to? As my best friend, shouldn't my ex have been off-limits? You should have known better. And what were you doing, breaking up with my brother over that dumb Judith Gershner thing in the first place? That was just so...psychotic. Most of the beginning of last year, you were psychotic.”

I bit my lower lip. ”Yeah,” I said. ”I know. But the things you did didn't help, you know.”

”I know,” Lilly said. When I glanced at her, I saw there were tears in her eyes. ”I guess I was pretty psychotic, too. I...well, I loved him, you know. And he dumped me for you. And I...I was just so angry with you. And you were being so stupidly blind about who he really was. But...you seemed happy. And by then I had Kenny, and I was happy...and well, I figured maybe now that he had you, J.P. would be better...how do you apologize for something like that...what I did?”

She looked at me and shrugged helplessly. I looked back at her, my own eyes filled with tears, as well.

”But, Lilly,” I said, sniffling a little. ”I missed you. I missed you so much.”

”I missed you, too,” Lilly said back. ”Even though I kind of hated your guts for a while.”

This made me sniffle harder.

”I hated your guts, too,” I said.

”Well,” Lilly said, the tears sparkling like jewels in the corners of her eyes. ”We both acted like idiots.”

”Because we let a boy come between our friends.h.i.+p?”

”Two boys,” Lilly said. ”J.P. and my brother.”

”Yeah,” I said. ”Maybe we should agree never to do that again.”

”Agreed,” Lilly said, and snagged my pinky with hers. We pinky swore. Then, sobbing a little, we hugged.

And it's weird. She doesn't smell like her brother.

But she smells really good, just the same. She smells like something that reminds me of...well, of home.

”Now,” Lilly said, wiping tears from her eyes with the backs of her hands, when she let go of me. ”I have to get back to the party, before Kenny blows something up.”

”Okay,” I said, with a shaky laugh. ”I'll be right out. I just need...I just need a minute.”

”See you later, POG,” Lilly said.

I can't even tell you how good it felt to hear her call me that. Even though I used to hate it. I couldn't help laughing as I wiped away my own tears.

And she got up and left, just as two girls who looked only kind of familiar to me came in and went, ”Oh my G.o.d, aren't you, like, Mia Thermopolis?”

And I was like, ”Yeah.” What now? Seriously. I don't know how much more I can take.

And they went, ”You better get back out there. People are looking for you. Everyone is saying they're going to name you prom queen. They're just, like, waiting for you to come back out so they can start the ceremony.”

So. Yeah. Looks like I'm prom queen.

Sadly, if J.P. is prom king, he's in for a big surprise.