Emma put a consoling hand on Devon’s shoulder. “Put it behind you,” she said soothingly. “Just have fun. Everyone else is. And we could say it’s because of you, Devon. You were the one who thought of the DG.” She smiled. “And it worked.”
Devon’s stressed expression relaxed a little. “Yeah, it did, didn’t it?”
Emma nodded eagerly. “All thanks to you.”
Devon actually smiled now.
“Let’s go have fun,” Emma said cheerfully.
“Yes!” Devon said with enthusiasm. “Let’s!”
For the rest of the evening, Devon was back to her usual happy-go-lucky self. She seemed as if she’d completely forgotten her lousy dinner date, and Emma felt like having Devon and Jason around made it more fun and lively for everyone. As the evening was coming to an end, Jason and Devon announced that they were getting ready to leave.
“Last ones to arrive and first ones to leave,” Bryn observed.
“You guys think you’re too good for us?” Abby teased.
“Maybe we just need some alone time,” Jason told them with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I’ll catch up with you girls at Bryn’s house,” Devon told them. “Don’t wait up for me.” She laughed.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Emma asked no one in particular.
“Who knows?” Cassidy just shook her head.
Emma tried not to obsess over Devon, but she couldn’t help but feel concerned. What if Devon was in over her head with Jason? What if what Bryn had overheard Amanda saying in the restroom was true? Emma had seen that gleam in his eye. He seemed awfully eager to get Devon alone. And he’d already boasted to everyone that he didn’t take the Worthington speech seriously.
What if Jason didn’t behave like a gentleman tonight? Still, Emma assured herself, if anyone could handle a boy like that, it would be Devon. Good grief. Devon had gone to one of the roughest public high schools in the city. She’d been around all sorts of boys—and liked to brag about it to Emma sometimes. Really, with the dance about to end, it was a waste of time for Emma to fret and worry about Devon. Devon could take care of herself!
20
After the dance, the guys insisted on taking the girls out for ice cream. Naturally their formal attire garnered plenty of looks from the other customers. “Are you movie stars?” a young girl with wide eyes asked Abby as they were leaving.
Abby laughed. “I guess it’s kind of like we’re starring in our own movie,” she told the girl. “But we’re not really famous.”
They made it to Bryn’s house just before midnight—the curfew that Abby’s dad had embarrassingly insisted upon with all parents present. Abby knew her dad loved her. She just sometimes wished he could tone it down a little.
The guys, still acting in a gentlemanly fashion, got out of the limo and escorted their dates onto the front porch to say good night. Suddenly Abby felt nervous—what if Kent wanted to kiss her? She just wasn’t ready for that. She tried not to spy on her friends, scattered about in the shadows of the porch, although she was curious as to how they were handling it.
“Thanks for a great evening,” Kent said politely as he reached for her hand.
“Thank you,” she told him, relieved that he was simply shaking her hand. “I really had fun.”
“It’s been great getting to know you better,” he said a bit shyly. “Maybe dating’s not so bad, huh?”
She fiddled with her wilting wrist corsage. “Yeah, maybe not.”
Then, just like that, the good-nights were finished and the guys returned to the limo. The girls went into the house, where they immediately burst into nervous giggles.
“Well, that was awkward,” Bryn said as they tromped down to the family room in the basement. “Four couples on the same porch saying good night at the same time.”
“I happened to like it,” Abby told her as she kicked off her shoes. “It felt like there was safety in numbers.”
“Yeah, I guess so . . . if you want to be safe.” Bryn had a sly expression.
“Ooh,” Emma teased. “Sounds like someone wanted to be kissed.”
Bryn shrugged as she began peeling off her gown. “Maybe . . .”
As the girls got out of their dresses and into more comfortable clothes, they continued talking about the evening and what they’d liked or not liked about their first date.
“Maybe we should be putting this in the DG notebook,” Cassidy said suddenly.
“Yeah,” Emma agreed. “Especially since Devon is missing out.”
“Who knows,” Bryn added. “We might want it for future reference.”
Emma went over to Devon’s things and dug around until she found the DG notebook, then handed it to Cassidy. “Here, since you’re secretary.”
“I have an idea.” Cassidy opened the book. “How about if we rate our dates?”
“Rate our dates?” Abby made herself comfortable in a corner of the big sectional. “Interesting.”
“We’ll have categories,” Cassidy continued as she wrote. “Like for things like promptness and politeness.”
“Appearance too.” Bryn opened a bag of chips and set it on the coffee table. “There’s soda in the fridge.”
“How about a category for treating us with respect,” Emma added.
“And one for just plain fun,” Abby suggested.
“Okay, here’s what I have so far.” Cassidy read from the notebook:
Promptness
Politeness
Respectfulness
Appearance
Fun
“I think that’s plenty,” Abby said. “We don’t want to overcomplicate it.”
“How about if we give them stars?” Bryn suggested. “Five stars is tops—as good as it gets. One star is so-so.” Using the guys’ code names, they started to rank their dates. For the most part the guys were receiving four to five stars.
“But we have to give Kent and Lane just two stars on promptness since they were late for dinner,” Abby said.
“That’s because they took extra time getting ready,” Bryn interjected, “and for that they should both get five stars for appearance—because they looked hot.” On and on they went, arguing sometimes and changing the stars occasionally, until they’d rated all four boys.
“Not bad.” Cassidy held up the book. “On average, it looks like we had pretty good dates. Impressive for our first dates.”
“Yeah, but there’s still room for improvement,” Abby said.
“We haven’t gotten Devon’s report yet,” Cassidy pointed out.
“I wonder what’s keeping her.” Emma looked worried. “It’s almost 1:00 now.”
The room got quiet, and then Bryn wrinkled her nose. “Jason probably took her up to Arden Butte to ‘look at the stars.’” She laughed. Of course, they all knew why couples really went to Arden Butte.
“I hope she’s okay,” Emma said quietly.
“Of course she’s okay,” Bryn assured her. “Devon’s one tough cookie. If anyone could keep Jason in line, it’s her.”
Abby wondered if Devon would even want to keep Jason in line. So often Devon gave the impression that she wanted to have a wild time. Well, maybe she was having one tonight.
“You guys ready for the movie?” Bryn asked as she held up a DVD. “I got 50 First Dates. I thought it sounded apropos.”
The others laughed. Just as she slid it into the player, someone’s cell phone rang. “Who’s calling this late?” Cassidy asked.
“Maybe the guys are missing us already,” Bryn joked.
“I think it’s me.” Emma scrambled for her bag. Fumbling, she answered. Everyone got quiet, and it was obvious she was talking to Devon. “Where are you?” Emma said urgently. “Are you okay?” She listened. “Wait a second, let me ask.” She held the phone down and looked at the others. “Does anyone have a car? So we can go get her?”
“Go get her?” Bryn frowned. “Why doesn’t Jason just bring her here?”
“Because Jason de
serted her over by Henson Reservoir,” Emma whispered.
“Henson Reservoir?” Abby was shocked. “What were they doing over there?”
“What do you think?” Bryn said in a slightly snarky tone.
“She sounds hysterical,” Emma hissed. “We’ve got to help her.”
“I’ve got my car here,” Cassidy said quickly. “I can go get her. Find out where she is exactly. I’m guessing it’ll take us about fifteen or twenty minutes.”
Emma asked and then promised they were on their way. “But stay on the phone,” she insisted. “We’ll keep talking to you until we get there.”
“Just like 911,” Bryn said in a teasing tone.
“Be nice,” Abby told her. “It sounds like Devon really needs us.”
Bryn nodded. “Sorry.”
“Let’s go,” Cassidy said. “I mean, whoever wants to—not everyone has to come.” They all insisted on coming anyway.
“Do you need to tell your parents?” Abby asked Bryn.
Bryn just shrugged. “Wake them up?”
Abby knew that if this was her house, her dad would expect to be informed. However, it was not. She would leave it up to Bryn.
“Let’s be quiet,” Bryn said as she led the way up the stairs. “No sense in waking everyone.”
Soon they were in Cassidy’s car and on their way to the lake. Emma continued to keep Devon on the line, but it sounded like Emma was doing all the talking, rambling on and on about their dates and the dance and even about how they’d made a rating system for the guys.
Finally, Cassidy turned into a picnicking area, and there waving her arms at them was Devon. In the headlights, they could see that Devon’s hair was messed up. Her gown looked rumpled and dirty, and one of the straps was torn.
“Looks like she’s had a rough time,” Bryn said quietly as Emma leaped out of the car and ran to her. The others got out too and huddled protectively around Devon. She burst into loud sobbing.
“It’s going to be okay,” Emma said soothingly as they guided her back to the car. Emma, Devon, and Abby got into the backseat, with Devon in the middle.
Abby handed Devon her bottle of water. “Here, maybe this will help.”
“What happened?” Bryn asked from the front. “Should we take you to the police station?”
“The police station?” Abby was shocked and then scared—what would her dad say about this? “What for?”
Bryn turned around, giving Abby a serious look. “Haven’t you ever heard of date rape?”
Abby cringed. “Is that what happened, Devon?”
Devon made a growling sound. “No,” she said sharply. “He did not rape me.”
Emma sighed. “Oh, that’s a relief.”
“But you look so messed up,” Abby said. “Like you were in a fight or an accident or something.”
“It was a fight,” Devon conceded.
“With Jason?” Emma asked.
“Yes.” Devon took a drink of the water.
“Why did you come way out here?” Cassidy asked as she drove toward town.
“Jason wanted to come out here to see the moon on the lake. I’ll admit that sounded romantic and exciting and fun—at first. But then all he wanted to do was make out, and, well, you know how that can go.” She sniffed, using the back of her hand to wipe her nose. “Anyway, he started getting pretty pushy. Naturally, I pushed back. He acted like it was a game then. And he acted like I owed him something.”
“Just like what I overheard from Amanda,” Bryn said.
“I guess.” Devon took in a deep breath. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer. Finally I just let him have it.”
“Let him have it?” Abby asked.
“I kicked him,” Devon told her. “Right where it hurts. You know?”
Abby nodded slowly. “Oh . . . yeah.”
“Well, I got him good,” Devon said. “He was so mad he started swinging at me, but he was in so much pain, it was pretty pointless. Then he walked off and I thought he was just going to cool off, but he got in the car and drove away.” She started crying again. “He just dumped me out here in the middle of nowhere. Can you believe it?”
“Hey, that’s better than what might’ve happened,” Bryn said.
“At least you had your phone,” Abby pointed out.
“And your friends,” Emma added.
Devon was crying hard again, so Abby and Emma wrapped their arms around her, both of them promising that she’d feel better when they got home. “Bryn has a fun movie for us to watch,” Emma said softly. “And junk food.”
Devon took in a jagged breath. “You guys are really the best,” she said in a choked voice. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you tonight.”
“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” Abby said gently. Although she felt bad for Devon’s sake since she’d had such a lousy evening, part of Abby was grateful. Somehow coming out here like this in the middle of the night and rescuing Devon had brought them all closer. This whole night had been kind of a bonding experience for them. She realized that if they hadn’t created the DG, none of this would’ve happened.
21
Bryn was the one who called a meeting of the DG on Monday. “Five o’clock at Costello’s,” she informed her friends. Cassidy suspected the reason for the meeting was because some of the girls seemed ready to disband their little club. Perhaps that was a good thing. After all, hadn’t Cassidy been opposed to this idea in the beginning? Of the five girls, she’d been the heel-dragger. But for some reason, she felt differently now.
As usual, thanks to jazz choir practice, she was the last one to join them at Costello’s. Bryn had already ordered her a coffee. “Thanks,” she said as she took the empty chair. “Sorry to be late again. The concert is this week, so no more after-school practices after Wednesday.”
“Well, as you know, I wanted us to meet,” Bryn began. “Now that we’ve all had our first dates, and now that the guys have been freed from Worthington’s spell.”
“It’s not a spell,” Emma said defensively. “According to Isaac, it’s just a commitment to be honorable toward girls. If you ask me, that’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Bryn nodded. “I know—I know. Anyway, my point is, now that we’ve sort of broken the ice, you know, in the whole dating arena . . . well, I just wonder how necessary it is to keep our little club going.”
“Meaning you don’t need anyone’s help getting dates from now on?” Abby said to her.
Bryn shrugged. “I’m not saying that. I just wonder if the DG has outgrown its usefulness.”
“You’re saying the only purpose of the DG was to get us dates?” Emma asked pointedly.
“Well, wasn’t it?” Bryn frowned.
“Maybe . . .” Emma looked hurt now. “I guess I thought we were friends too.”
“Well, of course we’re friends,” Bryn told her. “That hasn’t changed.”
“To be fair,” Abby jumped in, “Devon started this club as a way to get the guys to start dating. Right, Devon?”
Devon, who had been very quiet all day, just nodded. Her expression was somber.
“So what do you think about it?” Bryn asked Devon. “Do you want the club to end?”
Devon’s expression was hard to read, but Cassidy thought she was upset. Maybe she was still stewing over her bad date with Jason. “The club belongs to all of us,” Cassidy said quietly. “If we’re considering ending it, I think it should be put to a vote.”
“Fine,” Bryn said. “Let’s vote.”
“Not yet,” Cassidy told her. “First, I’d like to open it up for discussion.”
“Isn’t that what we were doing?” Bryn demanded.
“Well, we’ve heard your opinion,” Cassidy told her. “But not everyone has spoken up.”
Bryn nodded. “Okay, does anyone else have anything to say?”
“I do.” Abby held up her hand, then, looking sheepishly around the table, she put it down. “I want to say that I kind of like t
he DG. I feel like I learned a lot about dating and boys and stuff. But the best part of it was getting to know you guys better. I’m not sure I want that to end. To be honest, I feel like I’m still figuring out this whole dating thing too. I had fun on my date with Kent, but I honestly don’t think I’m ready to go out on a date with just me and a guy. That makes me really nervous. It would make my dad nervous too. So I’m not so sure I want to part with the DG. Not just yet, anyway.”
“Oh.” Bryn looked surprised. “I didn’t know that.”
“You never asked me,” Abby told her.
“I understand how Abby feels,” Emma added. “I’m not very secure around boys either. Not like some of you—like Bryn and Devon—”
“Don’t include me on that list,” Devon said hotly.
“Well, you always act like you know all about boys,” Emma told her. “Like you’re the expert.”
“Well, I’m not. Okay?” Devon glared at her. “I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. I would think that after seeing what happened to me on Saturday you would get that, Emma.”
Emma blinked. “Fine. I get it. Sorry.”
Devon softened now. “Sorry . . . I didn’t mean to go ballistic on you. I guess I’m feeling a little sensitive. Especially when it comes to boys. I am not the expert. Okay?”
Emma held her hands up. “Okay, okay. I get that.”
“Good.” Devon pointed at Bryn. “I guess you’re the expert now.”
“Moi?” Bryn shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Come on,” Cassidy jumped in. “Let’s agree that none of us is an expert when it comes to boys or dating. Okay?”
They all nodded and agreed.
“Like we said early on, maybe there is safety in numbers,” she continued.
“You can say that again,” Devon concurred.
“And the Dating Games are like other games,” Cassidy reminded them. “We learn as we play and go along. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“We’ve got a good set of rules,” Emma pointed out.
“So maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to give up on this,” Abby said.
“Are we ready to put it to a vote?” Bryn asked.
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