TTYL (30 page)

SnowAngel:

hey, zo. remember in 8th grade when my parents rented a house at myrtle beach, and u and maddie got to stay with us for a whole week? and we had that contest to see who could eat the most banana pudding?

zoegirl:

ha! yes!

zoegirl:

and the rule was that the only thing we could wash it down with was fanta grape, and afterward maddie looked pregnant because she'd eaten so much.

zoegirl:

what made you think of that?

SnowAngel:

nothing, i guess. i was just thinking about all the stuff we've done together.

zoegirl:

yeah

zoegirl:

i know what u mean

zoegirl:

listen, angela… i was hoping i could talk to you about something that doesn't have to do with maddie, if that's ok.

SnowAngel:

of course. i'm at 7-11 with chrissy, but she can be entertained for a l-o-n-g time in the candy aisle. shoot!

zoegirl:

it has to do with mr. h.

SnowAngel:

i figured. intrigue!

zoegirl:

shut up, it's not THAT exciting. but this morning at friday morning fellowship, he said something that sort of weirded me out.

SnowAngel:

were the two of you alone, or were you with the whole group?

zoegirl:

the whole group was there, but mr. h and i were sitting at the far end of the table, and no one was paying attention to us.

zoegirl:

at least i don't think anyone was paying attention to us. if they were, and they heard what he said…

SnowAngel:

*bams on glass case of hot dogs*

SnowAngel:

what? what did he say?!!

zoegirl:

he was talking about next weekend, which is when he's going to be house-sitting for the kravitzes, and at first it was like… sexy. kind of.

zoegirl:

(don't laugh!)

SnowAngel:

what do u mean?

zoegirl:

just that nobody was listening, but they COULD have been. and that made it… i don't know. exciting.

SnowAngel:

oh man

zoegirl:

he told me about how nice the kravitzes' house is, and he told me about the hot tub again.

zoegirl:

then he lowered his voice and said, “you're still coming, right?”

SnowAngel:

FUCK.

zoegirl:

please don't say that word. *especially* that word.

SnowAngel:

what'd u say?

zoegirl:

i said, “i think so, yeah,” and he said, “good.” then he touched my hand really lightly and said, “you can wear your bikini.”

SnowAngel:

!!!

SnowAngel:

i was KIDDING when i told u to wear a bikini!

SnowAngel:

i was not…

SnowAngel:

u r not…

SnowAngel:

TEACHERS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY “YOU CAN WEAR YOUR BIKINI” TO THEIR STUDENTS!!!!

zoegirl:

i know!

zoegirl:

at first i thought he *was* just teasing me, and i said, “yeah, right, me in a bikini. wouldn't that be a lovely sight.”

SnowAngel:

and…?

zoegirl:

and then his eyes kind of dipped over my body, and he said, “it would indeed be a lovely sight. i'm looking forward to it.”

SnowAngel:

“it would indeed”?!!

zoegirl:

i know. it sounded fake, like something a cheesy guy on a TV show would say if he was hitting on a girl. although i know how ridiculous that sounds, because why would he hit on me?

SnowAngel:

zoe, u have got to open your eyes. he IS hitting on u. MR. H IS HITTING ON U.

SnowAngel:

the question is, what r u gonna do about it?

zoegirl:

i don't know!

zoegirl:

i'm flattered, i guess. but all of a sudden it feels… REAL. in a physical way, like with… well, like with *bodies*, and not just as a meeting of the minds.

SnowAngel:

only u would talk about yr affair as a “meeting of the minds.”

zoegirl:

NOT an affair.

SnowAngel:

not yet…

zoegirl:

anyway, my stomach's in knots, and whenever i think about it, i feel like i'm going to throw up.

SnowAngel:

poor zo. ur just nervous.

zoegirl:

but is that a good thing? should i be nervous, or should i be… i don't know… suddenly begging to be homeschooled?

SnowAngel:

i can answer that last one. u r *not* allowed to be homeschooled.

zoegirl:

okay. but. i'm 15. he's 24.

zoegirl:

he's 9 years older than me—and he's my teacher.

SnowAngel:

ur just now realizing this?

zoegirl:

no. i'm just now admitting that maybe it's a little sketchy.

SnowAngel:

so ur not gonna go hot-tubbing with him?

zoegirl:

i never said that

SnowAngel:

so u R gonna go hot-tubbing with him?

zoegirl:

i never said that either, although as far as he knows, i am. but if i do, i'm most definitely not wearing a bikini.

SnowAngel:

u should wear one of those granny suits, one of those old-timey ones that covers up your entire body.

SnowAngel:

or a scuba outfit. ha!

zoegirl:

ack, this is not helping

zoegirl:

i wish i could talk to maddie about it, even though i know she'd just make fun of me. but maybe that's what i need.

SnowAngel:

yeah

SnowAngel:

did u hear what happened in 6th period? how brant simms offered her ten bucks for a peep show?

zoegirl:

what an ass

zoegirl:

how'd you hear that?

SnowAngel:

a couple of kids were talking about it in history. they shut up when i sat down.

zoegirl:

poor maddie. poor, poor maddie!!!

SnowAngel:

i saw her walking to her car when i was on my way to drama club. her eyes were all puffy. i called out to her, but of course she didn't turn around.

zoegirl:

she wldn't talk to me when i went up to her during lunch, either.

SnowAngel:

i miss her, zoe

zoegirl:

me too

SnowAngel:

zoe—i have an awesome idea!

zoegirl:

oh yeah?

SnowAngel:

let's make maddie a care package!

zoegirl:

to cheer her up, you mean?

SnowAngel:

exactamundo. we could decorate a box and fill it with candy and tacky magazines and stuff like that.

zoegirl:

hmm…

zoegirl:

and we could write her a sappy poem telling her how much we miss her, maybe?

SnowAngel:

perfect

SnowAngel:

altho u'll have to write it since i suck at that stuff.

zoegirl:

maybe we cld take a selfie of the two of us looking sad and forlorn. hey, i know—we cld have our arms over each other's shoulders, and then one of us cld have her other arm out in the air, around the place maddie would be if she were there. it'll show, like, the gap she's left in our friendship. how we aren't whole without her.

SnowAngel:

ooo, ur good. we can send the pic to rite aid and get it printed it up. we can use the quickie service!

zoegirl:

how will we get the care package to her once we've made it? will we actually mail it?

SnowAngel:

nah, we'll just leave it on her doorstep and run.

zoegirl:

i'll c if mom can drop me off. see you soon!