Free The People in the Park by Margaree King Mitchell Page A

Stacie’s mom was president of a big food company. They lived closer to me in a gated golf club community. We had been BFF’s since middle school. We had all moved to Fairfield at the same time and met on the first day of school.
    Buying semiprecious stone leather bracelets for $170 was no problem for either of us, except I couldn’t do it anymore. I tagged along as they exchanged their phones for newer ones and downloaded the coolest apps onto them.
    I tried to tell myself that just being with them was what was important. It was good to hang out with my friends and laugh and talk.
    With the lawyers gone from our house I could almost believe that life had returned to normal and the past few weeks had been a dream. Except I still couldn’t spend any money, other than my $100 a week allotment from my savings. If I wanted to buy something, I had to calculate in my mind if this was a necessary expense. Or I would have to think if we might need the money to purchase food for dinner.
    I was glad I had all my new clothes from our Chicago trip. I didn’t feel so bad just tagging along with my friends while they shopped.
    After shopping in all my favorite mall stores, we stopped for a bite to eat at a gourmet hamburger place and had malts and burgers. My hamburger had Swiss cheese and mushrooms. Stacie’s burger was stuffed with blue cheese. Melanie had the barbeque burger, and Callie’s burger was wrapped in cured hickory smoked bacon.
    They talked about their boyfriends and what they were wearing to the prom. I told them about my dress.
    “Jay will find a way to take you to the prom,” Callie said. “He hasn’t asked anybody else.”
    I didn’t say anything. Even if he did find a way, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go with him. He had added heartbreak to my family concerns when I was so looking forward to going to the prom with him.
    It was time I faced certain things. As good as life had been for me in Fairfield, I now knew who my real friends were because of the situation with Dad. Callie, Stacie, and Melanie had been there for me from the beginning and they were still there.
    “Jay’s time has come and gone,” I said. “He didn’t step up at the right time, so it’s time I face the fact that we’re over and move on.”
    “Jay’s a rat,” Stacie said. “He didn’t have the guts to stand up to his parents on your behalf.”
    “Yeah, he’s really something,” Melanie said.
    “Jay’s not so bad,” I said. “He just wants to please his parents.”
    “Listen to you,” said Callie. “You’re going to break a guy down and defend him.”
    “Yeah,” said Stacie. “You’re waiting to fish him back in.”
    “You just can’t cut a guy off like that,” Melanie said.
    “Let’s talk about something else,” I said. “No more Jay talk.”
    Callie said her boyfriend was renting a Hummer limo and wanted all of us to go the prom together. We chatted about the fun we’d have and who was hosting after parties and who was serving breakfast the next morning. I was caught up in the planning even though I didn’t have a date. I thought of Jay and how he had messed up our plans. He was probably planning this same type of prom evening with his friends.
    “I have the perfect date for you,” Callie said.
    “Who?”
    “The new guy, Richard Moss. Remember, he transferred here this year.”
    “Naw, I don’t think so,” I said. “He’s sort of heavyset.”
    Callie, Melanie, and Stacie screamed with laughter.
    “Beggars can’t be choosy,” Stacie said.
    “I’m not desperate,” I said.
    The manager gave us keep-it-down looks. But we couldn’t keep our voices to a low decibel.
    “What about Stanley Reed?” Callie asked. “He’s a smart, studious boy.”
    “And boring!” I said.
    “You are picky, picky, picky!” Melanie said with mock horror.
    They kept on naming boys from the entire upper school that nobody wanted to be seen with. A group of three guys came into the restaurant and sat at a table near