Riley

28

Theo threw the last piece of his sandwich into his mouth, chewed it and swallowed it in quick succession. For a moment, the girls thought he swallowed it whole. "Is everything clear?"

They looked at each other dumbfounded. All clear, but too little certainty that his plan could work. Sally began to shake her head slowly, while Riley bestowed a fake smile.

"Theo, you can't ask us to do that!" said Sally contritely. "This is no longer a rescue plan, but a competition to see who can throw the worst insult! I don't want to be kicked out of your house and remembered as the Sally who had the gall to insult them!"

"There must be another way," Riley added. "A simple talk, right?"

Theo slumped back in his chair in frustration, not expecting to have to discuss his plan with his friends. Why didn't they want to be a part of it now?

"I wouldn't have called you if it was a simple chat!" he thundered toward Riley, then said to Sally, "Do you want their attention? Being rude and... and... assholes is the best strategy!"

Sally felt hurt by his retort. Her friend had lost control of the situation. He wasn't talking seriously, he wasn't thinking clearly, this lessened the sting of that cut. It could only get better or else.

"You're not serious!" retorted Riley. "Theo, do you hear yourself when you speak?"

"Of course," said Theo inscrutably. "I don't feel like I said anything stupid."

His friend gritted her teeth and stormed away from her desk. She moved him a few inches. As she walked away, she said to her friends, "I'm going to the bathroom, I need to calm down."

Sally watched her disappear out of the classroom, surprised at how quickly the conversation had heated up. Theo's annoyed snort brought her back down to earth.

"What's her problem?" he asked, then. "She's getting more and more nervous; whenever you talk to her, she always ends up yelling at you."

Sally did not answer right away. She wanted to prove to herself whether Theo had gone mad with his crazy plan. She assumed a dumbfounded look.

She continued to speak. "Tell me that you at least support me, Sal. Please!"

Yes, he had officially gone crazy. Unfortunately, he had to tell her, but how? How!

Sally took a deep breath. Uncertain, she began to say, "I... I... no... no."

"No what?"

"No," she asserted confident in her position, "I don't support you. This plan makes no sense!"

Theo paled.

The rocking friend continued. "This is not the right way to... to try to talk to your parents. I know you care about Riley and I helping you out, but..."

He interrupted her brusquely, slamming both palms on the counter, she jumped to her feet. "But what, Sally? Do you want me to leave? Do you want me to give up? Is that what you want?!"

His voice was sharp and resentful. He felt betrayed, stabbed in the back by his best friends. The only people with whom he shared his and their greatest secret. Honesty and loyalty were close to death.

She tried in vain to run for cover, but to no avail. "We want you to stay! We don't want to follow your plan! You are asking us to hurt your parents! Does that sound like something to ask of your best friends!"

"I don't have many choices," he replied testily, "in fact, I don't!"

Sally put her hands together in supplication, she thought it was the right card to play to persuade him from making a mistake he would bitterly regret.