Miss Hill was totally pissed. She was going to suspend us for the next game, but Richard convinced her it was his idea. Anne is still really pissed at him though, she wouldn’t even thank him. I told her not to be mad at you. She said we should meet up at lunch. Suz

Brian and Suz walked into the crowded cafeteria, waving at different people as Brian led them to the foursome’s usual table. Richard was already there.

"Hey," said Suz, "Anne’s really mad at you."

"Screw her," Richard said, "I just got a note to see Coach after school You know that that means, that wench Miss Hill went to him."

"No way!" said Suz, dropping into the seat next to him. Brian sat down on her other side.

"Yes way. I get you guys off, but she still is pissed I guess."

"Oh Richard, I feel bad, we didn’t want you to get in trouble or anything."

"Yeah, and I didn’t even get my shoulder rub," Richard said with a playful pout.

"Hey, screw that, Suz promised me," said Brian.

"Oh come on, Suz! I got you guys off and everything!" protested Richard.

Brian leaned into Suz. "You know you’ll be hearing about this for the rest of your life, right?"

She giggled and nodded.

"I mean, you’ll be like fifty and the phone’ll ring and it’ll be Richard going, hey, remember that time in the tenth grade...."

"Forget him," said Richard. He turned Suz around in her chair to face him, "What if I get benched next game don’t you feel sorry for me at all?" He put his head on her shoulder.

"Okay, okay," Suz said, patting his head, "I know how I can do this." She stood up and pushed her chair out of the way and tried to pull Brian and Richard’s chairs together. They snickered as Suz futilely yanked on their chairs, unable to budge them. She stood back up with her hands on her hips.

"You guys, I can’t do both of you at the same time if you don’t come closer!"

Brian and Richard looked at each at other, then burst into laughter as Suz reddened.

"You guys, you know what I meant! Get your minds out of the gutter!" She reached out and smacked them each in the back of the head.

"Oh, that was classic," Richard said weakly when they had recovered enough to move their chairs closer together.

Suz put a hand on Brian’s left shoulder and Richard’s right and rubbed them simultaneously.

"Ah..." said the boys.

"We definitely need to have more pep rallies," said Brian, as Suz moved her hands to the back of her necks.

"I’m not stretching over both of you, you’re going to have to switch chairs if you want the other shoulder done."

"As long as you can keep doing both of us at the same time!" Richard said as the boys laughed again.

"You guys really are perverts. I see I’m going to have to watch out for myself at the regionals party."

The basketball team had been planning a party for the week of Christmas break, after they found out they were going to the all-regional tournament for all regions in Northern Virginia. When Brian first heard the excited talk in the locker room he assumed he would not be invited, especially after he heard the party was at Danny Willis’s house.

But one day Danny waylaid Brian and Richard after practice and asked them if they were coming to his party.

"We can get you guys a ride or something," said Danny, in his sudden friendly mode, "I figure you can’t drive yet, right?"

"Actually," Brian straightened up, "I will be able to by regionals week," he said, wincing inwardly. Danny had not said when his party was yet--now Brian sounded like he knew all about it and was just waiting to be asked.

Brian’s birthday was the week before regionals. He’d practiced all fall with his dad so he could get his license on the day, since he would be the first one to drive.

"Cool, then you guys should come," said Danny.

"Yeah, maybe, if we can," Richard said.

Brian was about to give his friend a smile for his casual attitude when Danny said, "Well, ask your mommies," and walked off.

Richard assured Brian that Danny added the last part because they were so cool that he had to say something. "We played it off," he said.

But they weren’t so blasé with Suz.

"No way, are you kidding me? Like I’d really go to a party at Dickhead Willis’s house," said Brian. He assumed the rivalry between them was no secret.

And apparently it wasn’t; Suz didn’t ask for any explanation. "Oh, so what about Danny, all these other people will be there, you won’t even have to see him."

"Suz, it’s at his house," Brian said, "wouldn’t that be kind of rude?"

Suz snorted. "It’s not a tea party, Brian. It’s a high school kegger--it’ll be like the football team, basketball team, JV and varsity cheerleaders,...." Suz continued to massage as she thought, "...drill team...." She motioned for Brian and Richard to change places so she could do their other shoulders.

"Drill team’s goin’?" asked Richard as they changed seats.

"Yeah, see? You probably wouldn’t even see him, Brian. Don’t be stupid, it’ll be a lot of fun. If you come I’ll protect you from the big, bad, Danny." Suz leaned over Brian to massage both shoulders at once.

"I’m not afraid of him; I just don’t want to spend all night with him," said Brian.

"But that’s just it, you wont, there will be so many people there. Just think about it, Brian okay?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Richard said, pointing to his neglected shoulders, "What about me?"

"Oh, you were convinced the minute I said the drill team was going. I don’t need to work on you anymore," Suz said.

"Aw man, that’s cold," Richard said.

Brian happened to look up towards the door and saw Anne and Maria approaching their table. He watched them take in the scene and exchange a look Brian knew all too well.

"Oh God," he said.

Richard looked in the same direction. "Here we go."

"What?" said Suz, looking up. She saw the approaching Anne and Maria. "Hey Anne," she said when they got to the table.

"Hey Suz, what’s up?" Anne said lightly.

"I’m just paying back our little debt," Suz said. Her voice faltered a little as Anne looked at Maria, who lifted an eyebrow as they dropped their books in front of chairs across the table and sat down. Brian was annoyed at them taking out their anger on the innocent Suz.

"So I got a note to see coach after school. That probably means your little cheerleader advisor went to him. You happy now?" Richard said.

"Oh, so this is my fault?" Anne said.

"You know, a thank you would have been nice."

"Oh yeah, right! Thanks Richard for embarrassing me in front of the whole sophomore class, thanks a lot," Anne said.

"You wanted me to lift you up," said Richard, " You were sitting there laughing the whole time, and then as soon as the woman comes over it’s all of the sudden my fault."

"I wasn’t even talking about that Richard! You deliberately stood up too early when I was getting down so my skirt would fly up in front of this whole group of guys, just so you could be stupid and show off!"

"You were laughing Anne! Now I’m this big mean guy!"

"You know what you sound like?" Anne said. "You sound like one of those guys that rapes girls, then says ‘Oh she wanted it’."

"What? You’re calling me a rapist? What kind of shit is that?" Richard looked at Brian in disbelief.

Brian sat up. "Okay, we’re getting a little out of control here," he said in the voice he used when he was left in charge at home, "nobody’s a rapist, it was just a stupid accident during a pep rally."

"Oh now the big man decides to help. Too little, too late, Brian," snapped Anne.

Brian’s eyes widened. "What are you mad at me for? I didn’t do anything!"

"Exactly," said Anne. She stood up and stalked over to the lunch line.

"I’ll be right back," said Suz. She patted Brian on the shoulders and followed Anne to the lunch line.

"Now I’m a friggin’ rapist," Richard muttered.

"Richard, she’s just being dramatic, forget it," Brian said.

Maria spoke for the first time. "She has a point you know. When you put on that uniform you're representing the school...."

Richard cut her off. "Maria don’t start, I’m not in the mood." He turned to Brian. "Now because of some stupid pep rally I might have to ride the bench next game."

"How is that different from most games?" Maria asked coolly.

Richard whipped around to face her. Brian knew that expression. But before he could stop Richard from saying anything Richard said, "Hey Maria, why don’t you kiss my butt?"

"You wish," replied Maria.

"Oh and by the way, you’re welcome for the math help." Richard stood, snatched his books off of the table and stalked off.

Maria watched him leave. Brian saw she had that little defiant look people always got when they knew they were being jerks but were trying to play it off like they were right.

Brian knew it was in his best interest not to get involved, but it seemed as though he already was since Anne was pissed at him. So he said sarcastically, "That was nice."

"Brian, he’s not even listening to what she’s saying," Maria answered.

"Well, what do you have to do with it? You didn’t have to insult him."

"Oh, but it’s okay for him to treat me like that. It’s okay for him to insult Anne in front of the whole class."

"What the hell is the big deal? He didn’t do anything."

"Yes he did, Brian! It’s about respect! He’s supposed to be one of her best friends and he makes a total spectacle out of her in front of the whole school."

Brian laughed in spite of himself. "Oh, now it’s the whole school. I swear, you girls take one thing and blow it so out of proportion." He shook his head.

"That’s a lie," Maria said, "you guys just don’t take anything seriously."

"What are we supposed to take seriously? Anne calling Richard a rapist?"

"Prime example, she did not call him a rapist. She just said he sounded like one."

"Oh. Ooookay," Brian said, pretending as if he were suddenly figuring out a hard problem. He looked over at Maria. "That’s a bunch of crap," he said evenly.

"No!" Maria’s finger shot out in front of his face, "The bunch of crap is you jerks hanging around us like you’re our friends and you treat us like we’re nothing because we’re not giving you back rubs." Maria nodded towards the lunch line where Suz and Anne had gone. Brian sighed. He knew that would come up. Maria continued. "You take us for granted...just like the compass."

"Oh, I was waiting for you to bring that up!" Brian said.

"Can I finish?" Maria said.

Brian shrugged. "Why? I know what you’re going to say."

Maria sat back, arms folded. "What?"

That gave Brian pause. Usually he sat while Maria went on and on. "Well...all I’m saying is that I never though borrowing a school supply would be so complicated."

Brian had often borrowed the compass since Maria had unwrapped it from Alex’s package. They developed a familiar pattern--Brian asked to borrow it, claiming desperate need, then if Maria hesitated, he and Richard teased her about Alex being her idol until she handed it over to prove them wrong. Brian knew it probably wasn’t right to pressure her into giving him the compass, but he figured he and Richard were only kidding anyway. Plus he wasn’t hurting the thing.

True, he did pull off the burgundy and blue ribbon that was on it and told her the ribbon fell off. What was he supposed to do, show up in team study hall with decorated school supplies? Like Danny and Mike needed more ammunition! At first he tried to keep the ribbon in his locker so he could put it back on later, but after awhile that seemed really psycho compared to a simple lie. Besides, it wasn’t like Maria hadn’t saved every other scrap off the package.

Maria bitched about the ribbon, but she kept letting him borrow the compass. The latest time had been particularly difficult to convince her because the time before he’d just asked Anne to grab it out of the girls’ locker. Maria did not like that.

"If it was anybody else, like Suz you would totally be all sweet and make a big deal out of her letting you borrow it. But with me, it’s like you think I owe you something for you being my friend."

Brian saw Anne and Suz approaching the table. He was not going to be triple-teamed on this. He wished he could’ve followed after Richard like Suz did Anne. Girls had it made. Brian reached into his backpack and pulled out the compass. He slid it across the table to Maria. "Here, if it’s so important to you."

Maria didn’t pick it up or even look at it. She just looked at him with an expression he hated--surprised and sad. He hated it because it made him feel guilty. "Brian, the compass is not the point."

Brian tried to mask his guilt with a disgust in his voice he didn’t feel. "Well, it must be, I hear about it everyday."

Maria shook her head at Anne and Suz, who had returned. "Impossible," she said, "they just don’t even listen."

"Tell me something I don’t know," said Anne. She started talking about something else and the girls ignored him completely. Anne drew Suz into their conversation, so Brian sat and finished his lunch in silence. The compass remained on the he table between him and the girls. When he finished he gathered his books and trash and got up with saying anything.

"Good-bye Brian," Maria said deliberately as he passed by the table again on his way out. He waved without turning around.

Two days later while in the English class they all had together Brian realized the whole pep really fight had apparently blown over without him noticing. When he walked into class Anne and Richard were bent over a copy of the school newspaper, a picture of them that was taken during the pep rally had been published.

Their English class was set up in tables of two instead of single desks. Anne and Richard sat in front of Brian and Maria. Anne and Richard had only glanced up when he said hi. They were talking about the picture, trying to figure out when it had been taken. Brian opened his paper and looked at it.

Anne was up on Richard’s shoulders, shaking the pom-poms someone had thrown up to her over Richard’s head. Richard held up his index finger, his mouth looking like he had been in the process of yelling "Sophomores number one!" Neither of them were looking at the camera, but up at the stands. The caption underneath read: "Sophomores Anne Crindle and Richard Cudaghy celebrate the sophomores’ win in the class spirit contest."

"You know it was probably right after we won the pep rally," Brian said to them. "I remember, because Suz didn’t have her pom-poms until the end."

"Hmm, maybe." Richard threw the comment over his back. Anne didn’t seem to have heard him.

Brian gave up on talking to them and took out his Geometry. He shook his head at Anne and Richard reliving the pep rally as if it hadn’t been the very source of their recent two day argument. Up until today Anne had been talking across to only Maria and Richard to Brian.

Maria came in the room and went over to put her books next to Brian. He pointed at Anne and Richard, about to comment on their sudden reconciliation, thinking he and Maria were going to share a smile like they often did over Anne and Richard. But Maria only have him a short ‘hey’ and went around to stand in front of Richard and Anne, holding an envelope behind her back.

"Guess what I have for you guys," she said. She smiled broadly, even at Richard, whom she wasn’t even speaking to at lunch the previous day.

Anne bounced in her chair. "What?" she said, clutching at the sleeve of the boy she compared to a rapist forty-eight hours ago.

Maria brought the envelope from behind her back and slid out what looked like two pieces of paper. She held them out in front of Anne and Richard for a minute, then flipped them over to reveal two print copies of Anne and Richard’s picture.

"Cool!" Richard said, taking it. Anne squealed thank you and got up to hug Maria.

"Let me see," Brian said, but nobody turned. Annoyed, he went back to Geometry, trying concentrate on his homework instead of why his friends had all made up with each other, but not him. He told himself it wasn’t worth bothering with--he wasn’t even in the original fight, it was stupid that they got mad at him at all. Richard had just gotten away with pissing them off again, while he, Brian, had to twice as much crap.

He was still looking down at his homework when Maria sat down.

"Hey Brian, did you see the picture?" Maria asked him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Anne hold out the print Maria had given them.

"The whole school did," Brian answered without looking up, "it’s in the paper."

"Yeah, but this is from the yearbook stuff, Maria got that guy Ronnie to give her some copies," Anne said.

"You mean make her some copies," Richard added significantly.

"Hmm-mmm," Brian said, glancing up at the picture.

"He likes her..." Anne teased.

Brian looked up at her. "Who? Ronnie on yearbook? I heard he has his own dark room." He looked over at Richard, who moved his eyebrows up and down. At least that was normal.

Maria dismissed them. "It’s not like that, I helped him get names and stuff when the yearbook was doing team pictures because he was going to miss his deadline. He told me he would make copies sometime." She turned to Brian, "he looked, but there weren’t any of you and Suz."

Richard suddenly laughed. "I bet you looked real hard too." Maria shot him a look and Anne covered her mouth as she were concealing a laugh. Maria hit her in the arm.

Something else Brian was out of. "Well, I guess Suz and I just didn’t attract that much attention," he said, watching with malicious satisfaction as they all exchanged uncomfortable glances. He knew he was being totally immature, but at that moment he didn’t care.

"Well, anyway..." Maria said after a minute. She nodded as his homework. "Interesting circles you got there Brian." Her voice sounded like she was trying to keep from laughing. Anne and Richard bent their heads to look.

"It doesn’t matter what it looks like, we’re not turning it in," Brian snapped. He slammed his notebook shut, startling Richard and Anne.

"Yeah, but if the circles aren’t right it screws up the problem," Anne said.

Richard snickered. "What circles?"

"What is it with you and a compass Brian? They’re like two bucks at the drug store, buy one already." Anne said, shaking her head at Richard, who shrugged.

"Brian, you can still borrow mine," Maria said with the air of someone making a great sacrifice, "But I just..."

Brian cut her off. "No thanks. Besides, I’m not on yearbook staff," he snapped. Where did that come from? he wondered to himself.

"God, who peed in your Cheerios lately?" Anne said.

"Excuse me? I’m the only one who hasn’t been in a two day fight over the pep rally."

Anne looked around, then held up her hands. "The only one who’s mad here is you."

"No," said Brian, "I’m now the only one people are mad at. Once again, I’m dragged in the middle of your alls crap, then when it’s over, for some reason I’m made to look like the big jerk."

"Nobody has to make you look like a jerk; you can do that yourself." Maria sat down with a huff.

Brian ignored her.

"Nobody is...was mad at you," Richard said, eying Maria.

"Oh right, that’s why everyone’s been ignoring me since I came in."

"What?" said Richard.

"Oh Brian, I’m so sorry we didn’t drop everything when you walked through the door. Newsflash, the world doesn’t revolve around you," Anne said.

"Just because it does in basketball doesn’t mean that’s true everywhere else," Maria said.

"Oh please! The world does not revolve around me in basketball!"

"Yeah right," Richard said under his breath.

"Oh good," Brian said, "being blamed for something that I have no control over and is also not true."

"Poor baby," Maria said.

"Screw this." Brian opened his book again and studied until their teacher started class.