Suzie’s House 245: Mr. Popular

“Who does she think she is, a rock star?” The bubble headed bleach blonde’s voice whined in a most excrete-iating manner.

Tracy fought down the urge to step on the fake-bonde’s heels, maybe wreck those Converse high-tops. Just because Stephanie kept getting in the way, always lumbering down the hall between Tracy and Gene when Mr. Gordon held her back, that was no reason to wish the girl would fall into a bottomless pit.

Though, maybe the way Stephanie kept kicking the back of Tracy’s desk in class, and left a bag of doggie dew in Tracy’s locker might be a reason. Like she thought Tracy couldn’t tell who was behind it. Nope, none of that was a good enough reason to hate someone. Still, she made Tracy’s back teeth hurt.

“I know!” said Stephanie’s yes-man buddy, Tiffany. “Does she think she looked good in a pink, stretch-knit mini dress? Who wears those anymore? So out of style.”

Tracy glanced down at the pink, stretch knit dress. She’d never really thought about whether or not it was fashionable. It simply went well with the black, box and crossbones tights and pink temp-dye hair.

“But the flirty red miniskirt she had on yesterday was cute. You know, the one with the tiers and ruffles?”

“How can you say that?!” Stephanie stopped so fast Tracy almost ran right into her.

Tracy was wondering the same thing. When had Tiffany grown a spine? Maybe it wasn’t much of one, because even from behind the sleek blond head, Tracy could see Tiffany’s embarrassment.

If it weren’t for her self-defacing ways, Tracy might like Tiffany. At least she had her own sense of style, and wasn’t mean like Stephanie.

“What?” Tiffany drew the word out all disbelieving.

“There isn’t anything good about her. Right?” When Tiffany didn’t answer, Stephanie leaned in and glared. “Right?”

“You only say that because you love Gene, but Gene only loves Tracy.”

Tracy’s jaw dropped. Not because this was such a surprise, since everyone knew it, but because Tiffany actually said it.

“You… you…” Stephanie stuttered and sputtered, her face going all red. The two of them stopped right in front of the door to the class room Gene had gone into, the same one Tracy needed to go into, but not the one they were supposed to be in. “You’re wrong! It’s because she’s so trashy. Besides, he doesn’t really love her, right? If he saw me out here, he’d come to me, not her. He’d walk right past her. It’s because she’s always hanging on him that everyone thinks they’re together.”

“But you haven’t even talked to him.”

“Well, all right, he wouldn’t come to me, but he won’t go to her, either. Mark my words.”

“Tracy?” Gene came out of the class room. “What’s taking so long? We’re going to be late.” He pushed between Stephanie and Tiffany to get at Tracy. He took her by the hand and drew her between the girls. “So we’re still on for tonight, right?”

“You’re room, seven o’clock. See, I remember. Can I come early and have dinner?”

“Don’t you always?” He gave her that bad-boy smile she loved, like everything in the world was one big joke.

She tried to ignore Stephanie completely as he whisked her past, but Tracy couldn’t stop grinning.

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