Turn To You

Turn To You: Chapter Six

Asha

Rhonda got home first and she brought pizza.

"What kind?" I asked.

"Don't worry - it's veggies galore! Green peppers, black olives, artichokes. No meat, you weirdo. Have what you like and can you toss me one of those Dr. Peppers?"

I sat at the kitchen counter with her and rolled a can of soda her way.

"How was your day?" she said, biting into a slice and getting sauce on her chin.

"It was a lot of fun," I said. "Wait until you see my dress. It's gorgeous."

"I'm so glad you found something," she said, wiping her face with a paper napkin. There was something in her tone that made it seem as if she meant something more but I wasn't up for following the clues. If she wanted to tell me something, she would eventually.

"What did you end up doing today?" I asked.

"I went to a movie at the Cineplex. By myself. And ate a plate of nachos. All by myself."

"Rhonda," I said in a voice that made it clear I would not feel sorry for her.

"Geez, Ash. Don't worry. I'm not attempting to extract pity from your cold, cold heart. The movie was good. I liked seeing it alone and not having to share my nachos. So there." She took another bite of her pizza and followed it with some Dr. Pepper before continuing. "By the way, your boyfriend called. He thought he was supposed to come over today, but I told him you preferred the company of pretty lesbians."

"Rhonda!" I said.

"Just kidding! Geez. I told him you were out with your friend Betsy and I'd tell you to call him once you got in."

"Thank you," I said. A moment passed before I said, "So you admit you thought Betsy was pretty! Ha!"

She shook her head.

"You have no witnesses - you can't prove anything."

"We both know you said it, Rhonda. It's only a matter of time before you end up fixed up on a date with my new friend. Don't you think you ought to surrender now?"

"We'll see," she said with a wink and hopped off the barstool, pizza slice in one hand and Dr. Pepper in the other. I followed her to the living room to eat our dinner in front of the television together, our usual ritual for nights when we were the only two home.

Later I gave Todd a call back, but he was out. I left a message with his father for him to call me when he got in. I assumed he'd just gotten tired of waiting for me and gone out with his friends, so I said to let him know that we could get together Sunday afternoon.

"I'll let him know, Ashley," his dad said.

"Asha," I corrected him.

"Right," he said and laughed. "Can hardly keep Todd's lady friends straight? I'll let him know you called."

I hung up the phone, unsure of how to take Mr. Rossi's comment.

 Betsy

Monday morning at school, I skipped homeroom and sat in the parking lot trying to finish a song I'd begun working on over the weekend. I was also waiting for Glenn to drive up so that I could talk to him. But by the time the bell rang for first period, he still hadn't shown up.

I started to feel a little worried when he wasn't in Spanish class, either. By the time we started conjugating verbs and he still hadn't walked through the door, I excused myself to go to the nurse's office. Instead of heading there, though, I went to the cafeteria and used the pay phone.