Kathy’s stomach was knotted with dread. What if Liza had spent the whole day with Ty? What if he’d kissed her and she’d found herself melting at his touch. Kathy had meant to convey her utter trustworthiness, but she’d forgotten about the bath powder and Liza’s thanking her for the gift had thrown her off. Next thing she knew, all her pain had poured out. She sensed how pathetic she was, but she longed for the familiar Liza, instead of this alien person who’d been locked in the arms of a “Boy from the Wrong Side of the Tracks!” Liza hadn’t even seemed contrite. She said she was sorry, but it didn’t sound that way. Kathy had been so relieved when she realized the problem was Liza’s mother. Sick and contagious? Well, no wonder. What did the woman expect at the rate she smoked cigarettes and drank? Kathy comforted her friend as best she could, but there wasn’t any way to steer the subject around to you-know-what. Even so, by the time they hung up, everything seemed fine. She’d still have to find a way to worm the truth out of Liza, but at least things were back to normal. The problem was, she didn’t feel happy and she couldn’t figure out why.

That’s what had driven her to the can of Chef Boyardee, not hunger so much as confusion and despair. Her mother called her for supper and she was finally able to sit down at the table. She ignored her parents’ little spat and focused on her plate. She’d been looking forward to the Welch Rabbit, which was every bit as good as she’d hoped. Soft, warm cheese oozing across the golden brown raft of Wonder Bread. She’d put oleo on the toast and the taste of melted margarine under the puddle of rich cheese was enough to make her weep. Her pain was receding and she was almost feeling safe when her father made an offhand remark about Liza. Kathy could hardly pay attention. She was starving. She hadn’t finished the can of ravioli and she knew if her parents noticed how eagerly she was plowing through her food, they’d snatch it away from her and leave her desolate. She’d suffered losses enough.

At first, the notion of Liza having lunch with Violet was absurd. Where’d he get that? She knew he said it to be mean, but he didn’t usually make things up. Then she caught his mistake. “Very funny. Ha ha. And where’s Daisy all this time? Did you forget about her?”

“She was sitting right there with a big bowl of buttered noodles she was slurping through her lips.”