Chapter 4
Jodie ignored her for several days. Kailey felt kind of bad about it, she hated making Jodie mad about these things. Usually they made up within a few hours, let alone a day. But this was several days. When Kailey was doing her homework she secretly expected Jodie to call her up on her cell phone, just to let her know that they could be friends again. But to no avail. Kailey hung out with Daffodil, who seemed to be friendlier and more welcome everyday, and Jodie hung out with some other girls, Wendy, Nina, and Francesca.
"Are you still kind of sad that you and Jodie aren't speaking?" Daffodil asked innocently, pushing her salad around with her plastic fork at lunch. Kailey had gotten the same thing, and successfully cut beef out of her diet after some coaching from Daffodil.
"I'm not sure. . ." Kailey replied, glancing over to where Jodie was sitting, talking animatedly to the other three girls at her table.
"Oh." Daffodil said. "Have you two talked to each other since the whole Study Hall incident?"
"No, not at all. It's weird. We haven't talked to each other directly since forever." Kailey's words quieted at the end.
"You should talk to her." Daffodil said after swallowing a leaf of lettuce.
"I don't know. . ." Kailey said, unsure. "Jodie can be a bit headstrong at times."
"You shouldn't be hating someone like that unless they really deceived you." Daffodil said reasonably.
"But she hurt your feelings." Kailey pointed out, looking down at her salad she had smothered in Ranch dressing.
"It's okay." Daffodil stood up. "I think I'll buy a dessert." She thought for a moment. "I think I'll have some pudding. Want me to get you something?"
"Thanks but, I'll pass." Kailey said, running a hand through her hair and glancing once again over at the table where Jodie was still talking to her "friends".
~*~
Finally, Kailey couldn't stand it anymore. Saturday afternoon, when Daffodil had gone grocery shopping with her mom, Kailey decided to try and make things up with Jodie.
The day was unseasonably warm, an "Indian Summer", as they would say. It was a balmy 70 or so, and Kailey wore that Aeropostale shirt she had worn on the first day of school, hoping to soften Jodie a little.
She knocked on the dark green door, and Jodie's mom answered it.
"Why Kailey, haven't seen you in quite some time!" she said, beaming that smile that she shared with Jodie, the model smile.
"Nice to see you too Mrs. Lynne." Kailey replied. "Is Jodie here?"
"Why yes she is, she's in the livingroom doing her homework." Jodie's mother said.
"Thanks." Kailey said, and she proceeded into the livingroom.
"Hey Jodie." Kailey greeted.
"Oh, hi." Jodie said, her voice cold and unfriendly.
"What's been up?" Kailey asked stiffly.
"I'm going over to Nina's in an hour, so make the waterworks and apologies quick." Jodie snapped.
Stung, Kailey replied quietly, "I wasn't coming here to beg for forgiveness."
"Then what are you here for?" Jodie fired back.
"I'm here to ask you why you hate Daffodil." Kailey told her.
"Well you aren't going to get an answer, if that's what your wondering." Jodie said.
"Why not? We used to be so close." Kailey said softly.
"Used to. Anyway, I have new friends, that don't turn their backs on me when they meet some freaky hippie English environmentalist perfectionist."
"Don't talk about Daffodil that way!" Kailey defended.
"Why not?!! She stole my best friend! Who I guess wasn't my best friend after all! You're nothing but an opportunist Kailey! You've been that way your whole life!"
"No I haven't!!" Kailey shouted, tears forming in her eyes. "You're the one who's too closed minded to even see that I wanted to be friends with both of you!"
"Well I don't! Face it Kailey, if you want to have me as a friend you'll have to put Daffodil back in the Circus Freak Show! She doesn't. Belong. Here." Jodie said through clenched teeth.
"Who said?!" Kailey could feel herself screaming, the words pouring out, the tears streaming down her face.
"I DID. YOU SHOULD LEARN TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE." Jodie yelled.
"Daffodil is my friend too! Grow up Jodie! I can have more than just one friend!"
"Well not some stupid little British girl!"
"STOP TALKING ABOUT DAFFODIL THAT WAY."
"NO! NOT UNTIL YOU LET THAT LITTLE FLOWER CHILD INTO THE MEADOW OF NO RETURN!"
"You're not even making any sense!"
"You're dumber than I thought if you didn't understand that!" Jodie screamed.
"Now get. Out. Of. My. House." Jodie turned and ran up the stairs to her bedroom, the door slammed shut with such a force Kailey felt practically the whole house shake.
It took a few seconds of awkward silence, the clock ticking the seconds slowly by, before Kailey could finally leave Jodie's house.
The day was still young, the temperature still warm. Kailey, upon reaching her house, went into the backyard and sat on the trampoline. She layed down on it, looking up at the blue sky with the scattered clouds, just, thinking. She breathed in the day's air, so fresh and full of oxygen. She wiped away the tear stains and took a huge deep breath, as big as her lungs could hold. Then she let it all out slowly.
Feeling the sudden numb indifference.
Reindeer Training School Champion!
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