Vân Ước arrived at the lockers after preschool orchestra practice on Monday morning to find Annie in the middle of a heated dispute with Pippa. She listened idly as she got out her laptop and copy of Ariel for first period, English.
“I am too off sugar, you dweeb,” Annie said to Pippa.
“But you just put about a gallon of honey in your tea in the common room. I was there right next to you, so… you’re not. Off sugar,” Pippa said, in her patient, slightly trippy voice. “You’re actually mainlining sugar.”
“Honey isn’t sugar,” Annie said, closing her locker with a bang.
“But it’s a sugar,” Pippa said. “It’s in the sugar family.”
“Listen, sugar is white and comes in a bowl, and, it’s like POISON. Honey is a yellow liquid. It’s healthy because it’s made by bees, who, PS, we would die without, because they pollinate our food.”
“No one’s saying bees aren’t like totally good guys and all, but honey is a sugar in dietary terms,” said Pippa. “Put it this way: if ants like it, it’s a sugar, babe.”
Holly walked in with Tiff, and stopped dead when she saw Vân Ước.
“Security alert—lock up your belongings,” she said.
“What are you talking about?” asked Annie.
“Didn’t you hear? You know that cardigan Vân Ước had on last week? She ‘found’ it,” Holly said, doing the quotation mark fingers in the air. “So, just keep an eye on your valuables.”
“Oooh, I loved that cardigan,” said Pippa. “Where did you find it?”
“In the Botanic Gardens,” said Vân Ước.
“What do you mean—it was just lying around?” said Annie.
“No, I would have left it, if it had been.” Finally, an opportunity to tell her story without Holly’s false spin on it. She found an extra shred of courage as she saw Michael arrive.
“It had a tag pinned to it that said…” Of course, she remembered—she had proof. She opened her locker again. “I’ve still got it here… somewhere.” She pulled out her backpack and felt around inside the front pocket where she’d put it. “It was here. I must have lost it.”
“How convenient,” said Holly.
“I haven’t done anything wrong. I found the cardigan, and I know what the tag said…”
“And I know a liar when I see one.” Holly ostentatiously locked her locker. “But do let us know if you find this nonexistent tag.” She gave Vân Ước an unpleasant Cheshire Cat smile.
If all the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you, and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends. Huh! Cold comfort. Of course that was the saintly Helen Burns speaking, not Jane Eyre. Jane’s rejoinder had been, No; I know I should think well of myself; but that is not enough: if others don’t love me I would rather die than live—I cannot bear to be solitary and hated, Helen. Jane was always spot on the money. Who wanted to be solitary and hated? Who didn’t want to be popular and loved?
Ms. Norton, who was also another class’s homeroom teacher, was running a few minutes late for English, and the whole room was humming with chat when Billy arrived. He came over to Vân Ước. “I’ve been scouted by Brown,” he said. “They want me and Ben to row for them.” Vân Ước could see Billy’s friends exchanging looks: a few aberrations were becoming a pattern—what was Billy doing talking to that girl again? With his full focus on her, she was unable to ignore him.
“Brown. You mean… Ivy League Brown?” she said.
“Yep.” And as though struck by an important realization, he added, “They have great art schools there, too.” She wasn’t the only one giving him the shock bomb. What he seemed to be saying was that she, too, might like to study in America.
Holly looked at her with open hostility. But Ben made light of it. “Actually, they have a whole lot of good universities there. And Robbo says we’ll get more offers. Now we just have to ace the regatta this weekend.”
“I think we’ll be okay. I pulled a 6:26 this morning,” said Billy.
Vân Ước saw a quickly covered spark of annoyance cross Ben’s face. Billy was talking about his ergo time. Six minutes, twenty-six seconds. She wondered what his splits were.
Ms. Norton came in with apologies, making sure that everyone had completed their practice session by now, or had them scheduled for some time that week and had made appointments with her for their first orals.
Vân Ước and Billy were meeting after school on Wednesday. She knew for sure if she looked up he’d be looking at her. She managed not to look up.