After that, the buzz began. Whispers, like hummingbirds, fluttered about the ears of others in my class. Before the end of the day, I understood I had been accused of being a tease, a girl who promises more than she will ever deliver and enjoys tormenting boys. Most blamed it on my being a spoiled rich girl who always got what she wanted when she wanted it.
Moving in like some parasite, Megan Stein was all over Kent whenever she had the chance. Maybe to hurt me more than to please himself, Kent behaved as though he had just discovered her. I saw him talking softly to her at her locker between classes, his lips so close to hers they were already kissing each other’s breath.
As I was walking out of the building, Bobbi’s final comment to me for the day was, “You know that this makes it harder for you to get another boy in our school interested in you.”
Instead of showing the sadness and pain that she and the others expected, I simply said, “I’ll survive,” and walked away from her. I knew this would just reinforce their idea of me as being stuck-up and arrogant. Since Cassie already had this reputation, it was easy for them to paint me with the same brush.
I didn’t think that Cassie had ruined things for me with the other kids in school. In fact, I suddenly was prouder of her than ever. As I made my way out to the parking lot, all I could think was that Cassie was especially right about boys. Cassie was still the smartest person I knew. As usual, the moment she set eyes on me, she knew I had gone through a difficult day.
She said nothing until we drove away from the school. I was looking out the side window but seeing nothing.
“You don’t have to say anything, Semantha,” she began. “I’ll tell you what happened. Your wonderful new boyfriend treated you like horse dung all day.”
I turned to her and nodded.
“And he made sure everyone knew it was all your fault, right?”
“Just like you said, Cassie.”
“It’s so typical,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Most of the boys in this school are the same. They don’t have class. They’re not up to being with you and me, Semantha. This is why I wanted us to go to a private school. They’re all riffraff. Don’t you spend a second regretting anything. None of this is your fault, Semantha.”
“I won’t.”
“Good, good. Don’t worry. The right young man for you is out there, so get that sad look off your face. We certainly don’t want Daddy to see it. The worst thing for you right now is pity, and that’s what our parents would feel for you, especially Mother. She would make you feel even worse doing that. Don’t act any differently from the way you’ve been. If you think you are going to be sad, walk away and come see me, okay?”
“Okay, Cassie.”
“I just knew something like this would happen. I could tell what sort of boy he was just by looking at his older brother. What they say about the apple not falling far from the tree is correct.”
“His father was very nice, Cassie.”
“You haven’t met his mother, and you don’t know their family background. They’re common people, Semantha. We’re the Heavenstones. Don’t ever forget it, even for a moment. You won’t be able to forget it. It’s in you, and it’s stronger than anything else in you.
“The Heavenstones,” she muttered, and drove on. I was beginning to hear myself chanting the same thing.
Because Daddy was so excited about his new store in Lexington, when we arrived at the house, it wasn’t difficult for me to hide my social and emotional disappointment. He was so excited that he broke his rule about not talking about business at dinner. Mother had prepared a delicious stuffed pork roast and her special mashed sweet potatoes, but she looked tired to me and even a little pale. She put on the best face she could because of Daddy’s enthusiastic description of everything.
“There’s a very good chance that the governor himself will be at our opening gala,” he revealed, “and at least one of our United States senators, not to mention a herd of other important local politicians, businessmen, and just about all the television and radio media available.
“Your uncle Perry has come up with what I must say is a brilliant public-relations idea, as well,” he added, looking at Cassie and me.
“He has?” Cassie asked. “What?”
“Customers in all of our other stores are filling out coupons. We’re having a drawing the night of the gala opening, a lottery, and the winner gets to spend one thousand dollars in any of our stores. It will bring in tons of publicity,” he said.
Cassie returned to eating without any comment. I was happy for Uncle Perry, and Mother said she thought it was brilliant. When Daddy asked Cassie to think up some additional good ideas to make the gala as exciting as possible, she brightened again and told him she would make a list and bring it to him in his office later.
I could see that despite her efforts to hide her fatigue, Mother was too tired to help with the cleanup or do anything more. I pleaded with her to go up to bed, and she finally relented and did just that. Cassie surprised me by chastising me for persuading Mother to rest.
“Don’t you know that when you tell someone she looks sick and tired, she’ll feel sick and tired? Daddy spoils her too much as it is, especially now, when he has all this important business to do.”
“But—”
“Never mind, Semantha. I’ll take care of it. Go do your homework. I’ll do all this.”
“I can help you. I can—”
“Just go up to your room and do your homework,” she said. “I know you’ve had a very trying day, and you hid it well from Daddy. Go on,” she repeated, and turned her back on me.