Free Bad Girls in Love by Cynthia Voigt Page A

“And I have to go there this weekend. To my mother’s,” she told the group. “She went back to her maiden name.”
    â€œWe all know that,” Cassie said. “And none of us care. Why should she take her husband’s name in the first place, and especially, why should she keep it when they’re not even married anymore?”
    That subject didn’t get discussed, however, because Tan asked, “Has anyone else been asked to this party at Darlene’s? Tonight.”
    â€œRhonda’s having one too,” Frannie said, “and she’s got Shawn Macavity coming to it so I expect everybody else will want to. Does Darlene know?” she asked Tan.
    â€œProbably by now she does. Do you think she’ll cancel? Maybe not,” Tan decided. “I’ll still go.”
    â€œYou’re going to Heather McGinty’s tomorrow, aren’t you?” Cassie asked Frannie, who nodded.
    â€œMe too, oh good,” Casey said. “Shawn’s going to be there.”
    Mikey’s alarm grew.
    â€œShawn’s going to Rhonda’s tonight? And Heather’s tomorrow? I wonder if I can get my mom to bring me home Saturday afternoon in time to go to Heather’s.”
    â€œWere you invited?” Margalo hadn’t been.
    â€œOf course not,” Mikey said. “She’d never. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t go.”
    â€œYou’d crash it?” Cassie asked, and when Mikey nodded all she said was, “Cool.”
    â€œShawn’s probably why all the parties are happening,” Frannie said.
    â€œWell, dunhh,” they told her.
    â€œBecause he doesn’t have a date for the dance,” Frannie continued.
    â€œI bet I could make Rhonda ask me to her party,” Mikey said. “And put off going to Mom’s until tomorrow morning.” She thought about this. “Or Margalo could. Could you, Margalo? Will you? Figure out how to make Rhonda ask me?”
    Margalo was gathering her books because the bell was about to ring. The lunch duty faculty had already left the room, and many of the students had too.
    â€œWill you?” Mikey demanded. “Are you paying attention?”
    No, Margalo wasn’t, but now she started to. She thought about Mikey’s request. She thought about how much Rhonda would hate having Mikey at her party, and considered ways for Mikey to get there. If, for example, Mikey just went up to Rhonda and asked, “What time should I tell my dad the party will be over?” Probably Rhonda would answer the question before she understood the implications, and that would be as good as an invitation.
    It might be fun, getting Mikey to Rhonda’s party.
    But—”It’s too late this time,” Margalo realized. “Because you know how your mother is about changing her plans.”
    â€œInflexible,” Mikey agreed. “I know what you mean. It makes her really hard to deal with,” Mikey acknowledged, then demanded, “What are you all laughing at?”

6
TELEPHONE MADNESS
    A ll that week Mikey had tried to get Shawn’s phone number. What was wrong with calling him up, anyway? If she was the boy, and he was the girl he (really she) wanted for a girlfriend, it would be a perfectly OK thing for him (really her) to call her (meaning Shawn).
    For the first couple of days she’d tried just asking him. “Hey, you know? I don’t know your phone number,” she said in the hall between classes, and “That’s right,” he said. Next time she was more direct. “What’s your phone number?” He didn’t answer, just went on talking to whoever he was talking to at lunch, some preppy in a little short skirt and a little short sweater. He ignored Mikey.
    Or at least he tried to ignore her. “Yeah, but what is it?” Mikey asked. She figured out later that maybe she should have waited until he was alone; but since he was never