I mean, I’m all: He should be feeling guilty, right? And wanting to make it up to her?

Okay, so I call him and he acts like it’s no big deal—like I call all the time, and we’re still, you know, together or whatever.

So all tough-like, I go, “There’s a protest tomorrow.”

And he goes, like, “My man Rob told me.”

So I go, “You better be boycotting.”

And he goes, “Are you?”

And I’m all, “Du-uh.”

And he laughs and asks me, like, where I’m gonna spend the boycott day, and I’m all, like, “What’s it got to do with you?”

And he laughs, ha, ha, ha, funny. And says maybe he’ll stop by my house tomorrow.

And I say, “Maybe I won’t be here.” And I, like, hang up.

Well, now I’m all: Who knows? I mean, it’s not like Ryan, that bass player, has exactly called me or anything. At least, not yet.

But I’ll see what Bren and Ashley wanna do tomorrow.

And Danny? I’ll think about that later, or, like, not.

Sarah

.......................

Phone to phone........................

ear to ear...................................

the plan weaves.........................

a spreading sticky net................

over our town.........................

...........................

Who would have believed that quiet little Katie could create such a stir? She got the phone lines burning up with her plots and schemes. And she was cackling like a lunatic on the phone with Rob—the two of them hatching their protest plan. Giggling and scheming like little spies.

And I admit, I was amazed—and touched, both by what she was doing and by the kind of reaction she was getting.

That Katie Tomatie,
Peach of my eye.
Most other potaties
Would not even try!
What a gal! What a pal!
So true and so blue!
That Katie, ma’ lady,
Oh thanka, thank you.

I wasn’t tweeked enough to think anyone (besides Katie) was helping because they like me so much. I knew that most of the kids were only interested because it breaks up the school-week boredom. But that’s okay. My grandma told me that she was mostly involved in the Peace Movement because that’s where all the cute guys were.

But still, who would have guessed that any kids at school could get riled up about this? Who’d have believed they’d even care?

It was embarrassing, but nice.

Very nice.

Jake

Well, that sure was a prime example of what can happen if you’re popular and beautiful: The entire student body makes your problems their problems. You become their cause, their damsel in distress, and they become chivalrous and noble just by defending you. Needless to say, whatever you did to get in trouble in the first place is forgiven and forgotten.