The Grover Girls - Chapters 16-18

CHAPTER 16
         Pete met me that evening, and we walked back to Grover together, hand in hand.  It was so nice spending time with him.  There were no expectations, no wondering what he was thinking.  It just felt right.  Easy.
         After spending time together at the first dance, Pete and I were practically inseparable.  As ninth graders, Pete and I went to a few dances together, so he was not a complete stranger to me.  That was nice.  There were none of those awkward silences that sometimes happen when you’re getting to know a new person.  Any silences between Pete and I were completely comfortable and welcome. 
         Pete had been coming to Northwoods since the sixth grade, same as me.  He had actually been recruited by the swim coach.  The alumni association had recently put the finishing touches on the new Hunter Brogdon Memorial Aquatics Center (the AC in Northwoods-speak) and a swim team was being formed to represent Northwoods.  Pete had been making a name for himself in the swimming world in Phoenix, even as a fifth grader.  At first, Pete’s parents were reluctant to pull him out of his middle school and send him across the country to Maine, but Northwoods offered him a hefty scholarship.  Also, Pete is incredibly intelligent, and had not been thriving in public school.  He wasn’t being challenged, and found himself struggling to stay motivated.  He was able to get straight A’s without even trying, but was bored to tears by the work.  The Northwoods swim coached explained to Mr. and Mrs. Ryan that Pete would definitely be challenged at Northwoods, and a difficult entrance exam was required to get in.  Of course, Pete passed the entrance exam easily, and became a part of the Northwoods family.
         I barely remember Pete in sixth grade.  Chloe says she didn’t remember him either!  Pete was extremely studious, and always sat up front in classes.  He wore thick glasses back then and was a scrawny little thing.  Because the swim team was so new, the meets (especially junior level meets) were not as popular with students as football and basketball games.  Pete continued to keep to himself through seventh and eighth grade, not spending much time socializing.  He never attended dances or any off campus social activities.  His nose was either in the books or under a pair of swim goggles.  All of his free time was taken up with swim team training.  And even when he was not training with the rest of the team, he headed to the pool alone for a workout. 
         All of those workouts paid off.  The summer between eighth grade and our transition year, ninth grade, was kind to Pete.  He got rid of the coke-bottle glasses and got contacts.  All of the sudden he had muscles where there had been nothing but skin and bones.  Northwoods began winning their swim meets with Pete’s help, and the students, especially girl students, began to take notice.  His attitude changed slightly, too.  He began to relax a little bit, academically.  He was still the top ranked kid in our class, but he began to take time out to talk to some of the kids in our class.  He actually began to attend dances and some off-campus excursions.  It was during one of these excursions that we starting hanging out.
         Chloe had coerced me into signing up for a whitewater rafting trip that was to take place in April of our ninth grade year.  I was completely against it, but Chloe thought it would be an adventure.  She was so excited about it, I found it hard to tell her no, and lo and behold, we were signed up to go.  I was nervous as heck about it, you already know that I am NOT an athletic person.  I was worried, but figured with Chloe along it would be fun.  If it were that dangerous, they wouldn’t be letting us go, would they?  The day before the overnight trip, Chloe became violently ill.  Food poisoning.  If she wasn’t feeling so lousy, I could have killed her.
         Not wanting to back out and lose the large amount of money I had paid to be a part of the trip, I bravely packed my bags and headed out to the bus the next morning.  Pete was there with a few of the other ninth grade members of the swim team.  There were NO other girls signed up to go on the trip.  NONE!  Pete politely asked me to join him and his friends, and the rest, as they say, is history.  We sat together on the bus and spent both days together.  Because I was the only girl along, I had to spend the night in a tent with Mrs. Weatherby, the librarian cum whitewater rafting guru.  She had volunteered to chaperone the trip and look after the girls.  Being the only girl, I was stuck with her!  In ninth grade, “dating” for most of us consisted of spending time together during visitation, holding hands under the table in the library, and passing notes in class.  It was all very innocent.  Pete and I “dated” for the rest of ninth grade, and we shared our first kiss at the end of the year.  We didn’t discuss staying boyfriend/girlfriend through the summer.  At fourteen, it wasn’t something we thought about. 
         That fateful summer was the summer of Lacey for Pete.  As he mentioned, her family spent a few weeks at a resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, not far from Pete’s house.  Lacey called Pete and they began “hanging out”, in his words.  Pete later admitted to me that he had lost his virginity to Lacey that summer.  I was completely shocked.  I knew that Lacey was a little more “advanced” in the sex department, but I didn’t think she was actually having actual SEX.  Especially with Pete.  My Pete!  When Lacey’s vacation ended, Pete spent some time at a swim camp in Burbank, California, not far from Lacey’s home.  Of course, she and Pete hooked up again, and picked up right where they left off.  A few weeks later, school started and he and Lacey still considered themselves a couple. 
         It was a bit unnerving for me to find out that Pete and Lacey had had sex.  At first it was all I could think about.  Every time Pete kissed me, all I could think was “What if he wants to have sex now?  He’s going to be mad when I tell him no.”  It was all consuming.  Finally, I told Pete about my worries.  He actually laughed at me! 
         “I know you and I aren’t ready for that.  I almost think it was a mistake…all those times with Lacey.  It’s okay.  Just because I had sex with her doesn’t mean we have to.  Really.  It’s not that big of a deal.”  I couldn’t believe I had such a nice boyfriend.  What did I do to get so lucky?
         Pete also confided in me that things with Lacey weren’t always picture perfect.  It was not a partnership, and he always found himself doing what she wanted to do.  He felt a bit bullied by her, but was afraid to say anything.  He did enjoy spending time with her, ahem, and he wasn’t ready for that to end.  So he just went along with it. 
         Things began to fall apart for Pete and Lacey shortly after my episode with Graham.  Pete said Lacey stopped calling, and stopped spending time with him during visitation.  He said he knew it was over when he stopped by the auditions to support Lacey and saw her kissing Graham outside of the voice room.  This is also when I saw them, while they were trying (and succeeding) to screw up my audition. 
         He called Lacey that night, and she in no uncertain terms told him that it was over between them.  She gave no other explanation except that she just didn’t want to be with him anymore.  He said she didn’t even seem sad or sorry.  He said that it hurt that the last few months seemed to have meant nothing to her.  His biggest regret was giving up his virginity to her.  It wasn’t something he could get back from her like a necklace or a sweatshirt.  He had been burned badly, and was in no hurry to have sex with someone else and get hurt all over again. 
         Shortly after Lacey and Graham started dating, we ran into each other and started up our “romance” again.  A few weeks later, I told him my theory as to why Lacey wanted to date him in the first place.  It was hard for me to be the bearer of bad news when it came to Pete, but I thought it was important for him to know.  Pete took the news in stride.  He admitted that he was trying to put all of the Lacey stuff behind him and concentrate on the here and now.  He admitted that it never felt “right”, but he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed having a girl like Lacey for a girlfriend.  She was glamorous and mature, not to mention the whole sex thing.  And while Pete is sweet, level-headed, and intelligent, he’s still a fifteen year old boy.  I was lucky to have him.  Again.   

CHAPTER 17
         On opening night of The Sound of Music, Mason and I stood backstage together, dressed head to toe in black.  We had been roped into being a part of the stage crew, to help Mr. Paul.  Mason would be handling props, and I had volunteered to help with some of the quick costume changes.  Talia, Chloe, and Maya were all in the pit orchestra, and we had decided to meet up after the show for the long walk back to the dorm.          
         The first few scenes went off without a hitch.  I helped Jill a few times with her clothing changes as Maria.  Ms. Backes, the costume advisor, asked me to help Lacey with her change before her scene with Graham (Rolf).  Her outfit was several layers thick, full of chiffon and very cumbersome, and it took the full efforts of two people to get it on right.  Lacey was in such a rush, we quickly put the garment over her head and I had just kneeled down to pull the layers down when she darted back onto the stage, afraid to miss her cue.
         One problem.  Lacey’s purple cotton underpants were on display for the whole world to see.  She had not let me straighten out the skirt, and she did not notice that it had accidentally been tucked into her underwear.  Good Lord.
         I KNEW at that moment that Lacey would find a way to blame this all on me.  I knew life as I knew it, was over.  In those few seconds before the audience realized what had happened, my stomach dropped to my knees.  Life was moving in slow motion, like a dream sequence in a movie.  In those endless moments, my entire life at Northwoods flashed before my eyes.  I knew as soon as she turned around, the audience would see her behind and I would be a dead costume girl.  I hoped Talia would enjoy her single room.
         Lacey did a big spin and headed toward the freshly painted gazebo to sing her duet with Graham.  The audience caught a glimpse of the purple moon and hushed whispers filled the house.  Someone guffawed.  Another person laughed aloud.  Lacey looked slightly confused, and Graham stared, wide-eyed.  He then shot a look to me, backstage.  I threw up my hands in a gesture that clearly said “What the hell was I supposed to do about it?”.  Ever the professional, Graham continued with his song, attempting to tug at Lacey’s skirt while dancing with her.  This caused more laughter from the audience.  By the end of “Sixteen Going On Seventeen”, the audience was nearly in tears, as was I.  Clearly, for different reasons.  I knew I would never ever survive the wrath of Lacey now.
         I hastily ran from the backstage area, ignoring Mason’s pleas to stay, and headed directly for Grover.  I needed to start packing my bags.  I wondered how long it would take to get a cab to come to the school and bring me back to Manhattan. 
         The dorm was empty when I arrived; it seemed as if the whole school was at the opening of The Sound of Music.  Even worse for me.  Ugh.  If I were not so busy trying to pack my things, I would have thrown up.  I was a woman possessed.  I wandered back and forth in my room, wringing my hands.  The logical Lexi knew that I could not run.  I had to stay at Northwoods.  Had to deal with the problem head on.  The lily-livered Lexi was already headed to Manhattan, suitcases packed.
         I spent the next hour and a half in my room, running through possible scenarios in my head.  I heard the click of the common room door, then voices.  Chloe.  It was Chloe.  I opened the door and pulled her in.  Talia and Maya quickly followed.
         “What have you done, Lexi?” Chloe asked, genuinely concerned.
         “She’s on a rampage, Lex.  She is on her way here, now.  You’d better be ready for a showdown.”  Leave it to Talia to tell it like it is.
         “LEXI!” Came the battle cry from the common room.  I swallowed hard and stared at my friends.  They were all wide-eyed with concern.  I knew I was on my own.  Nothing they could say to Lacey would help the situation.
         Meekly, I made my way out into the common room.
         “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL!  You have just embarrassed me in front of the entire school!  The entire city of Franklin!  Jesus, Lexi!  How the hell could you do that to me!”  Lacey had a few other choice expletives for me.
         “Lacey, I know you are not going to believe me, but I swear I didn’t do it on purpose.  I tried to fix it, but you rushed out onto the stage too quickly.  I’m…sorry.” I explained stupidly.
         “Yeah, right, you crazy witch.  Of course, I do not believe you.  You have had it out for me this year.  You got Devin kicked out of school, and now you are trying to get me out.  I’ve got news for you; it’s going to take a lot more than the student body seeing my ass to get me kicked out of Northwoods.”  By now, a crowd of girls had gathered, and they all heard Lacey accuse me of getting Devin kicked out.
         I do not know what struck me funny about Lacey’s last statement, but I started laughing and I could not stop. 
         “Yeah, if the student body seeing your ass would get you kicked out of Northwoods, you would have been out in the sixth grade.”  Did I say that out loud?  Did I mention that sometimes I totally have diarrhea of the mouth?
         Out of nowhere, Lacey grabbed me by the neck and starting pulling my hair.  In an attempt to defend myself, I was haphazardly swinging my arms around.  In the moment that my fist connected with Lacey’s jaw, I heard the common room door click open again.
         “GIRLS!” Someone screamed.  The gathering crowd parted, revealing a very angry and red-faced Ellen Bracken.  Crap.  Now we were both going to get it.  There is a very, very strict non-violence policy at Northwoods.
         “Dr. Phillips.  NOW”, was all Ellen Bracken could manage.
         She lead both of us by our necks through Grover and across the quad to the headmaster’s house.



CHAPTER 18
         I had no thoughts as the three of us crunched across campus towards the headmaster’s house.  My mind was surprisingly clear.  I had read somewhere that in times of crisis, one’s mind is calmer and clearer than at any other time.  My mind may have been clear, but my stomach was another story.  I felt as if I had swallowed a great big brick.  And it felt as though that brick wanted to make the trip back up through my esophagus.  I glanced at Lacey, and she was FUMING.  Ms. Bracken looked as though she could spit fire, too.  When did things get so out of hand?
         When we arrived at Dr. Phillips house, we let Ms. Bracken do all of the talking.  She explained what she discovered when she came to congratulate Lacey and Jill on a job well done onstage that night.  Was that tonight?  For some reason, Opening Night seemed so long ago.  Dr. Phillips silently listened, nodding his head and touching the tips of his fingers together.  I anxiously shifted in my leather chair.  I had never been in the headmaster’s office before.  I decided just then that I certainly did not ever want to come back, either.  At least not under these circumstances.
         “Ms. Blume, you and Ms. Bracken will wait in the hallway while I speak with Ms. Frost.  I will then hear your side of the story”, Dr. Phillips said.
         When Lacey and Ms. Bracken were gone, I was not sure if I should just start talking, or if I should wait to be asked a question.  It all seemed so foreign and formal; I was not sure what to do with myself.  I stared at my hands, willing myself not to cry.  I was not used to being in trouble.
         “Well, Ms. Frost…what do you have to say for yourself?”
         The tears fell.  I could not keep them in anymore.  I started at the beginning, telling him how Lacey and I had never really gotten along well, but things seemed to reach a new low this year.  I told him about TSOM auditions, our confrontation on the sidewalk a few weeks ago, my accidental costume mishap this evening, and ended with our catfight in the dorm just a half hour ago.  I felt better, but I was also nervous.  Did I say too much?
         “And why is it, do you think, Ms. Frost, that you and Ms. Blume have such a distaste for each other?” he asked.
         I took a deep breath.  I told him that Lacey believed that I had something to do with Devin Mines not being at Northwoods this year.  I also told him about my history with Amanda, Devin, and Lacey.  That they had asked me on several occasions to help them cheat and that I was not willing.  I was a little worried about what the implications of telling Dr. Phillips all of this would be, but I figured that it would be smarter to lay all of the cards on the table when it came to the headmaster. 
         When I finished, Dr. Phillips put a ballpoint pen in his mouth and nodded his head, leaning back in his leather chair. 
         “Thank you, I know that was not easy for you, Ms. Frost.  Please send in Ms. Blume, now,” he gestured towards the door.
         I stood up and made my way towards the door.  I had no idea how that went.  I told Lacey it was her turn, and collapsed onto the hallway bench next to Ms. Bracken.  She rubbed my back a bit, and I felt better.  That little gesture meant that Ms. Bracken was on my side, didn’t it?  I looked up at her.  She smiled at me.
         “I knew the two of you were like oil and water, but I never suspected that I would find you ripping each other’s hair out”, she said with a slight frown.
         “I’m really sorry, Ms. Bracken.  Things really got out of hand.”  I apologized feebly.
         “We’ll get through it, Lexi.  It’s not the first time girls have fought at Northwoods,” she said cryptically.
         A few silent moments later, Dr. Phillips appeared at the door and called Ms. Bracken and I back into the room.  I glanced at Lacey as I sat back down in the leather chair.  Tears streaked her face, and she was wearing a look of disgust.
         Dr. Phillips faced us. “Ms. Blume has been made aware that you, Ms. Frost, had nothing to do with Ms. Devin Mines’ absence from Northwoods this year.  I trust that this will clear up some of the problems between the two of you.  However, since you both have dishonored the no-violence policy, there will be significant punishment for both of you.  I will not be involving the disciplinary committee at this time, but rest assured that if there are any more displays like tonight, you will both be expected at a hearing with the committee.  Ms. Bracken, if you would please escort these young ladies back to Grover.  You will both be notified tomorrow as to your punishment.”  He nodded and stood up, a sign we all took as the end of our meeting.
         I did not feel much better walking back towards Grover.  What would our punishment be?  I hoped it did not involve giving up extra-curricular activities.  The Chorale was what was keeping me sane this semester; I certainly did not want to give it up.  And the only extra-curricular activity that Lacey was involved in was TSOM.  Dr. Phillips could not pull her from the show for the last four performances, could he?