Major Crush

Chapter 7

"What do you mean, back off? You've got a lot of nerve to—"

Luther put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't. You remember what happened the last time Drew told y'all to back off?"

"Right," Allison said, smiling tightly. "He's keeping everyone from trampling on his machismo, and you're letting him. Meanwhile, he's ruining his relationship with Virginia. Look at her."

I looked away, across the lunchroom, and noticed one twin or another staring at me with an evil grin. I turned back to Allison.

"He needs to reassure her that everything's okay between them," she said.

"Everything is not okay between them," Luther said. "Can you imagine how humiliating this is for Drew?"

"Humiliating!" Allison exclaimed.

"Yes, humiliating." Luther counted on his fingers. "He has to share drum major. With a girl. A younger girl. A rich, spoiled doctor's daughter.

Who used to dress up like JonBenét Ramsey. And who's stopped wearing shoes. That was bad enough. And now, to top it off, he actually lost drum major to this person."

I wanted them to shut up. But I kept listening with a kind of horrified curiosity.

"Virginia is a good drum major," Allison said. "She wouldn't have won otherwise. If Drew feels humiliated, that s Drew's personal problem."

"Drew would have gotten over it," Luther said. "The trombones would still be badgering him about it, but if Mr. O'Toole had come clean and told Drew he lost the election in the first place, he would have gotten over it." He shrugged. "But now Drew's spent a couple of months going through the motions, thinking he won, and thinking Mr. O'Toole gave Virginia the position because he had a thing for little blondes. It's completely humiliating for Drew to find out that he didn't win after all, and he's just a charity case. Now he has to quit."

"Quit!" Allison squealed. "He can't quit!"

"The position is rightfully Virginia's," Luther said. "He has to quit. Otherwise, his dad will kill him. His dad will kill him anyway for losing."

"But what about Drew and Virginia's relationship?" Allison insisted.

Drew was still eating. Holding my breath, I waited for Luther's verdict on our relationship.

"What relationship?" he asked. "It hasn't even been a week. They've made out once, and they haven't been on a date yet."

"But they've been leading up to this for months."

"Well, it's over now," Luther said. "I'm sorry, but Drew can't get past this. It's not just him, do you understand? It's his dad and his brothers who think he's let them down. It's the trombones and the whole school laughing at him."

"If he really liked her, he would be big enough to get past it." Allison stood up, teary-eyed. "I can't believe I trusted you! I thought you truly liked me, or I wouldn't have hooked up with you. But clearly, you'll take whatever you can get, wherever you can get it, and I was your latest target!" She whirled around and stamped daintily away.

Luther watched her go. "What just happened?"

I said quietly, "Girls are shocked when they find out how boys really think."

He looked at me in alarm, scraped back his chair, and ran after Allison.

Drew had started on his cheeseburger.

"We don't even know for sure that the rumor is true," I said. "I'll go ask Mr. Rush."

"You do that," Drew said.