“Oh, I don't know. It's so hard to decide. There's Mark Flemming and Brant Hegerwood and David Downey-he's in my remedial English class, and he's developed this killer body over the summer. And then there's always Nick…”
Deborah hooted. “Our Nick? The only way he'd look at you is if you had four wheels and a clutch.”
“And besides, he's taken,” Faye said, and her smile reminded Cassie of a crouching jungle cat.
“You just said you wanted Jeffrey-“
“They both have their uses. Get this straight, Suzan. Nick and I have an… arrangement. So you just back off and pick yourself a nice outsider, all right?”
There was a moment of tension, and then the strawberry blond shrugged. “Okay, I'll take David Downey. I didn't really want Nick anyway. He's an iguana.”
Deborah looked up. “He's my cousin!”
“He's still an iguana. He kissed me at the junior prom, and it was like kissing a reptile.”
“Can we get back to business?” Faye said. “Who's on the hate list?”
“Sally Waltman,” Suzan said immediately.
“She already thinks because she's class president she can stand up to us, and if you take Jeffrey, she's going to be really mad.”
“Sally…” Fay mused. “Yes, we'll have to come up with something truly special for dear old Sally… What's wrong, Deborah?”
Deborah had stiffened, looking up the hill toward the school entrance. “Intruder alert,” she said. “In fact, it looks like a whole delegation.”
Cassie had seen it too, a group of guys and girls coming through the main entrance down the hill. She felt a surge of hope. Maybe while Faye and the other two were occupied with them, she herself could slip away unnoticed. Heart beating quickly, she watched the new group approach.
A broad-shouldered boy in front, who seemed to be the leader, spoke up.
“Look, Faye, the cafeteria's crowded. So we're going to eat out here-okay?” His voice started out belligerent, but it wavered toward the end, becoming more of a question than a statement.
Faye looked up at him without haste, then smiled her slow, beautiful smile. “No,” she said, briefly and sweetly. “It isn't okay.” Then she turned back to her lunch.
“How come?” the boy burst out, still trying to sound tough. “You didn't stop us last year.”
“Last year,” Faye said, “we were only juniors. This year we're seniors-and we're wicked. As wicked as we wanna be.”
Deborah and Suzan smiled.
Frustrated, Cassie shifted her weight. So far there had never been a moment when all three of the girls were looking away. Come on, turn around, she thought pleadingly.
The group of guys and girls went on standing there for a minute or two, exchanging angry glances. But finally they turned and walked back toward the school building-all except one.
“Uh, Faye? Did you mean I had to go too?” she said. She was a pretty, flushed girl, and young. Probably a sophomore, Cassie guessed. Cassie expected her to get packed off like the others, but to her surprise Faye raised her eyebrows and then patted the landing invitingly.
“Why, Kori,” she said, “of course you can stay. We just imagined you'd be eating in the cafeteria with the Princess of Purity and the rest of the goody-goodies.”
Kori sat down. “Too much goodness can get boring,” she said.
Faye tilted her head and smiled. “And there I thought you were a namby-pamby little Puritan. Silly me,” she said. “Well, you know you're always welcome here. You're almost one of us, aren't you?”
Kori ducked her head. “I'll be fifteen in two weeks.”
“There, you see,” Faye said to the others. “She's almost eligible. Now what were we talking about? That new slasher movie, wasn't it?”
“That's right,” Deborah said, showing her teeth. “The one where the guy chops people up and makes them into condiments at his salad bar.”
Suzan was unwrapping a Twinkie. “Oh, Deborah, don't. You're making me sick.”
“Well, you make me sick with those things,” Deborah said. “You never stop eating them. That's what those are, you know,” she told Kori, pointing at Suzan's chest. “Two giant Twinkies. If Hostess went out of business, she'd be wearing a double A.”
Faye laughed her sleepy, throaty laugh, and even Suzan giggled. Kori was smiling too, but looking uncomfortable.
“Kori! We're not embarrassing you, are we?” Faye exclaimed, opening her golden eyes wide.
“Don't be silly. I don't embarrass easily,” Kori said.
“Well, with brothers like yours, I should think not. Still,” Faye went on, “you seem so young, you know; almost… virginal. But that's probably just a false impression, right?”
Kori was blushing now. All three senior girls were looking at her with insinuating smiles.
“Well, sure-I mean, it is a false impression-I'm not all that young-“ Kori swallowed, looking confused. “I went out with Jimmy Clark all last summer,” she ended defensively.
“Why don't you tell us all about it?” Faye murmured. Kori looked more confused.
“I-well-I think I'd better get going. I've got gym next period, and I have to get all the way over to E-wing. I'll see you guys.” She got up quickly and disappeared.
“Strange, she left her lunch,” Faye mused, frowning gently. “Oh, well.” She extracted a package of cupcakes from Kori's lunch sack and tossed them to Suzan, who giggled.
Deborah, though, was frowning. “That was stupid, Faye. We're going to need her later-like in two weeks. One empty space, one candidate, you know?”
“True,” Faye said. “Oh, well, I'll make it up to her. Don't worry; when the time comes, she'll be on our side.”
“I suppose we'd better get moving too,” Suzan said, and behind her rock, Cassie shut her eyes in relief. “I've got to climb all the way to the third floor for algebra.”
“Which could take hours,” Deborah said maliciously. “But don't strain yourself just yet. There's more company coming.”
Faye sighed in exasperation, without turning. “Who now?. What do we have to do to get a little peace around here?”