room and show you my etchings.”
Chloe makes a sound in her throat. “Cheesy!”
“See what you do to me? I’m forced to use really bad pickup lines.”
She ignores this and studies her split ends with intense concentration. If I didn’t know better, I’d seriously think she was giving him the brush-off. How does she manage that? Not to be unkind, but of the three of us, I always considered Chloe the least promising at acting. Now I see she’s really quite convincing when she’s writing her own script.
Tyler comes over and hands Chloe a shawl. “Ms. Honaker thought you might want this.”
Chloe shoots him a withering glare. “Why?”
“Uh, because your costume has a—you know—”
“A shawl ,” she says, like she’s addressing child, “it’s called a shawl.”
“Yeah. So she wants you to get used to it. As a prop.”
She looks utterly disgusted. “It’s a costume element, not a prop.”
“I just meant—”
“Whatever, manservant ! Here, I’ll drape it over me. Does that make you happy?”
Josh laughs.
“It’s n-not me,” Tyler stammers, “Ms. Honaker. She wants—”
“Yeah. I got that,” Chloe says in a tone that clearly says You’re dismissed.
Okay, can I just say? My friend Chloe? Nowhere in sight. Her evil twin? Very much present. I mean really, what was that? When she’s Cruella with Josh it doesn’t bother me—the guy’s been nothing but rude to me all day. But Tyler? He’s smart and kind and obviously just trying to help. He’s even cute if you really look at him! Those pretty gray eyes? The expressive eyebrows? And Chloe, my friend since the second grade, who deep down has a very big, very generous heart, has sweet little Tyler so freaked out he’s stammering. Articulate, funny Tyler develops an instant speech impediment—that’s how intimidating she is.
How’s Chloe ever going to get with anyone but assholes like Josh if she behaves so bitchily? And if she gets screwed over by him, who can she possibly blame except herself?
Darcy’s way on the other side of the spectrum. While Chloe treats every guy like something disgusting she’s just scraped off the bottom of her shoe, Darcy treats them like the strangers her mom warned her about. Josh doesn’t pay any attention to her, and she doesn’t dare attempt to engage him in conversation. Tyler, though, seems kind of interested. He keeps making lame jokes and checking out her reaction with sideways glances.
“Hey, what if Lady Bracknell had pink hair?” Tyler suggests.
“We’re getting Darcy a wig,” snaps Ms. Honaker impatiently. “It should be here tomorrow.”
Darcy’s eyes dart from one face to another, but she says nothing.
“I know, but I’m just saying, it would be cool. This proper old lady with hot pink hair? Maybe we should set the whole thing in the eighties. Jack could be like a hair band dude, and Algernon could be a break-dancer.”
This gets a tiny smile from Darcy. I totally expect her to join in with casting and costume ideas—she loves bad eighties everything—but she looks at the floor and stays silent.
Frankly, I’m mystified. I know for a fact that Chloe and Darcy are two of the coolest girls in existence. Yet who are they around guys—at least these ones? Chloe’s PMS personified and Darcy . . . well, Darcy’s not saying a word. She’s been silent all night, except when Mr. Pratt orders her to say a line. My colorful, fearless friend has displayed the personality of a potato.
Why have I never really noticed this before? Sure, I know Chloe can be harsh and her flirting style’s a bit acerbic. I know Darcy often gets shy around guys she doesn’t know. That’s part of why she’s wasted so much time clinging to Rob, I guess; he’s one of the few guys she feels comfortable around. But watching Chloe and Darcy tonight is so eye-opening. It’s like seeing them for the first time.
This leads me to the scariest question of all: What am I like around guys? Both Chloe and
Chloe makes a sound in her throat. “Cheesy!”
“See what you do to me? I’m forced to use really bad pickup lines.”
She ignores this and studies her split ends with intense concentration. If I didn’t know better, I’d seriously think she was giving him the brush-off. How does she manage that? Not to be unkind, but of the three of us, I always considered Chloe the least promising at acting. Now I see she’s really quite convincing when she’s writing her own script.
Tyler comes over and hands Chloe a shawl. “Ms. Honaker thought you might want this.”
Chloe shoots him a withering glare. “Why?”
“Uh, because your costume has a—you know—”
“A shawl ,” she says, like she’s addressing child, “it’s called a shawl.”
“Yeah. So she wants you to get used to it. As a prop.”
She looks utterly disgusted. “It’s a costume element, not a prop.”
“I just meant—”
“Whatever, manservant ! Here, I’ll drape it over me. Does that make you happy?”
Josh laughs.
“It’s n-not me,” Tyler stammers, “Ms. Honaker. She wants—”
“Yeah. I got that,” Chloe says in a tone that clearly says You’re dismissed.
Okay, can I just say? My friend Chloe? Nowhere in sight. Her evil twin? Very much present. I mean really, what was that? When she’s Cruella with Josh it doesn’t bother me—the guy’s been nothing but rude to me all day. But Tyler? He’s smart and kind and obviously just trying to help. He’s even cute if you really look at him! Those pretty gray eyes? The expressive eyebrows? And Chloe, my friend since the second grade, who deep down has a very big, very generous heart, has sweet little Tyler so freaked out he’s stammering. Articulate, funny Tyler develops an instant speech impediment—that’s how intimidating she is.
How’s Chloe ever going to get with anyone but assholes like Josh if she behaves so bitchily? And if she gets screwed over by him, who can she possibly blame except herself?
Darcy’s way on the other side of the spectrum. While Chloe treats every guy like something disgusting she’s just scraped off the bottom of her shoe, Darcy treats them like the strangers her mom warned her about. Josh doesn’t pay any attention to her, and she doesn’t dare attempt to engage him in conversation. Tyler, though, seems kind of interested. He keeps making lame jokes and checking out her reaction with sideways glances.
“Hey, what if Lady Bracknell had pink hair?” Tyler suggests.
“We’re getting Darcy a wig,” snaps Ms. Honaker impatiently. “It should be here tomorrow.”
Darcy’s eyes dart from one face to another, but she says nothing.
“I know, but I’m just saying, it would be cool. This proper old lady with hot pink hair? Maybe we should set the whole thing in the eighties. Jack could be like a hair band dude, and Algernon could be a break-dancer.”
This gets a tiny smile from Darcy. I totally expect her to join in with casting and costume ideas—she loves bad eighties everything—but she looks at the floor and stays silent.
Frankly, I’m mystified. I know for a fact that Chloe and Darcy are two of the coolest girls in existence. Yet who are they around guys—at least these ones? Chloe’s PMS personified and Darcy . . . well, Darcy’s not saying a word. She’s been silent all night, except when Mr. Pratt orders her to say a line. My colorful, fearless friend has displayed the personality of a potato.
Why have I never really noticed this before? Sure, I know Chloe can be harsh and her flirting style’s a bit acerbic. I know Darcy often gets shy around guys she doesn’t know. That’s part of why she’s wasted so much time clinging to Rob, I guess; he’s one of the few guys she feels comfortable around. But watching Chloe and Darcy tonight is so eye-opening. It’s like seeing them for the first time.
This leads me to the scariest question of all: What am I like around guys? Both Chloe and
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