“How come?” the boy burst out, still trying to sound tough. “You didn't stop us last year.”
“Last year,” Faye said, “we were only juniors. This year we're seniors-and we're wicked. As wicked as we wanna be.”
Deborah and Suzan smiled.
Frustrated, Cassie shifted her weight. So far there had never been a moment when all three of the girls were looking away. Come on, turn around, she thought pleadingly.
The group of guys and girls went on standing there for a minute or two, exchanging angry glances. But finally they turned and walked back toward the school building-all except one.
“Uh, Faye? Did you mean I had to go too?” she said. She was a pretty, flushed girl, and young. Probably a sophomore, Cassie guessed. Cassie expected her to get packed off like the others, but to her surprise Faye raised her eyebrows and then patted the landing invitingly.
“Why, Kori,” she said, “of course you can stay. We just imagined you'd be eating in the cafeteria with the Princess of Purity and the rest of the goody-goodies.”
Kori sat down. “Too much goodness can get boring,” she said.
Faye tilted her head and smiled. “And there I thought you were a namby-pamby little Puritan. Silly me,” she said. “Well, you know you're always welcome here. You're almost one of us, aren't you?”
Kori ducked her head. “I'll be fifteen in two weeks.”
“There, you see,” Faye said to the others. “She's almost eligible. Now what were we talking about? That new slasher movie, wasn't it?”
“That's right,” Deborah said, showing her teeth. “The one where the guy chops people up and makes them into condiments at his salad bar.”
Suzan was unwrapping a Twinkie. “Oh, Deborah, don't. You're making me sick.”
“Well, you make me sick with those things,” Deborah said. “You never stop eating them. That's what those are, you know,” she told Kori, pointing at Suzan's chest. “Two giant Twinkies. If Hostess went out of business, she'd be wearing a double A.”
Faye laughed her sleepy, throaty laugh, and even Suzan giggled. Kori was smiling too, but looking uncomfortable.
“Kori! We're not embarrassing you, are we?” Faye exclaimed, opening her golden eyes wide.
“Don't be silly. I don't embarrass easily,” Kori said.
“Well, with brothers like yours, I should think not. Still,” Faye went on, “you seem so young, you know; almost… virginal. But that's probably just a false impression, right?”
Kori was blushing now. All three senior girls were looking at her with insinuating smiles.
“Well, sure-I mean, it is a false impression-I'm not all that young-“ Kori swallowed, looking confused. “I went out with Jimmy Clark all last summer,” she ended defensively.
“Why don't you tell us all about it?” Faye murmured. Kori looked more confused.
“I-well-I think I'd better get going. I've got gym next period, and I have to get all the way over to E-wing. I'll see you guys.” She got up quickly and disappeared.
“Strange, she left her lunch,” Faye mused, frowning gently. “Oh, well.” She extracted a package of cupcakes from Kori's lunch sack and tossed them to Suzan, who giggled.
Deborah, though, was frowning. “That was stupid, Faye. We're going to need her later-like in two weeks. One empty space, one candidate, you know?”
“True,” Faye said. “Oh, well, I'll make it up to her. Don't worry; when the time comes, she'll be on our side.”
“I suppose we'd better get moving too,” Suzan said, and behind her rock, Cassie shut her eyes in relief. “I've got to climb all the way to the third floor for algebra.”
“Which could take hours,” Deborah said maliciously. “But don't strain yourself just yet. There's more company coming.”
Faye sighed in exasperation, without turning. “Who now?. What do we have to do to get a little peace around here?”
“It's Madame Class President herself. Sally. And there's steam coming out of her ears.”
Faye's expression of annoyance vanished, dissolving into something more beautiful and infinitely more dangerous. Still sitting with her back to the school, she smiled and worked her long, red-tipped fingers like a cat exercising its claws. “And I thought today was going to be boring,” she murmured, clucking her tongue. “It just shows you can never tell. Well, hetto, Sally,” she said aloud, standing and turning in one smooth motion. “What a lovely surprise. How was your summer?”
“Save it, Faye,” said the girl who'd just marched down the steps. She was a good head shorter than Faye, and slighter of build, but her arms and legs had a wiry look and her fists were clenched as if she were prepared to do physical battle. “I didn't come out here to chat.”
“But we haven't had a good talk in so long… Did you do something to your hair? It's so-interesting.”
Cassie looked at Sally's hair. It had a rusty cast to it, and looked frizzled and overpermed.
As the girl raised a defensive hand to her head Cassie could almost have giggled-if it all hadn't been so horrible.
“I didn't come to talk about my hair, either!” snapped Sally. She had a strident voice that was climbing higher with every sentence. “I came to talk about Jeffrey. You leave him alone!”
Faye smiled, very slowly. “Why?” she murmured, and in contrast to Sally's voice hers seemed even lower and more sensual. “Afraid of what he'll do if you're not there to hold his hand?”
“He's not interested in you!”