“I suspect,” Anna said, “it sucks to be Magnolia. It doesn’t excuse any of it, but I think she’s insecure and lonely. I’m not her BFF or anything, but I went to her big, pretty house plenty of times over the years growing up, and her parents…” She shook her head. “Not warm and loving, I don’t think.”

“They give her money and material things instead of love,” Maeve said. “Which is sad but no excuse for being the way she is. Does she think she’s going to buy my friendship?” She held her wrist up and inspected the bracelet.

“That’s always been her way,” Emerson said. “The birthday parties growing up? The high school parties when her parents were out of town?”

None of which I’d been to, of course, but I didn’t say anything. It was embarrassing, even if Magnolia seemed to have bigger problems than I had.

“She didn’t need to say what she said to you.” Olivia directed this to me.

“That was mild,” I said with an uneasy attempt at a smile. “We have a history, I guess you could say.”

Emerson tilted her head. “Did she bully you?”

I suddenly felt hot, as if they’d cranked the heat by ten degrees. Did I want to answer honestly or blow off the question? I was trying to fit in for the first time in my life, and opening up about this past pain was so personal. I looked around the table and saw nothing but concern and support. If I wanted to get rid of the baggage, maybe I needed to air it out. “You know, I never thought of it as bullying, but I guess it was. I don’t know what I did to make her hate me, but it started in grade school.”

“I don’t think you did anything,” Presley said. “I didn’t know you then, but what’s to hate about this girl?” She gestured to me and turned the question to the others with a broad grin. “Chloe isn’t mean.”

“She’s not,” Emerson said. “I don’t know you well, but I’ve never known you to be mean.”

“Thanks. I’ve never been very social,” I admitted.