3:45 PM
December 2nd
Massie ran up the stairs two at a time and darted into her bedroom. She slammed the door behind her and went straight to her bay window to see if Claire was in her room. She was desperate to tell someone about her brutal experience at the mall. But Claire’s blinds were closed, just like they had been all week.
Massie tried calling again. “Hi, Judi, is Claire home yet?” She used her most polite voice.
“No, she’s still out with Layne,” Judi said. “I told you I’ll give her the message as soon as she gets home.”
Something was definitely going on and Massie hung up, wondering if Judi was lying to her. For the last few days it seemed like Claire was never home. Her blinds were always shut and she never replied to IMs. She even flaked on their homework plans and showed no interest in coat shopping. Maybe she was still mourning Cam. Massie understood that. After all, she missed him too.
Massie checked her inbox. No messages. Same with her voice mail. She had never felt so lonely in her entire life. Even her parents were out with friends.
“Bean,” Massie shouted. “Be-ean?” She felt her heart starting to race. Did Bean leave too? “BEANNNNN!”
Massie called a few more times before she heard her dog’s familiar bark coming from the front hallway. She hurried down the steps. Bean whimpered and jumped into Massie’s open arms.
Massie squeezed her dog and kissed the top of her tiny black head. “Ehmagawd, what are you wearing?” A red satin cape had been tied around her neck.
“Where are you, Red Riding Hood?” Massie heard a squeaky boy’s voice call. Bean squirmed in Massie’s arms.
“Hullo? Who’s there?” she called, holding Bean close to her chest and reaching for her cell phone holster. She gripped the top of the Motorola and slowly pulled it out, ready to dial 911.
“Goldberg, is that you?” someone said. Massie recognized the voice and tucked her phone away. “Todd?”
“Uh, yeah, hi,” he said. He walked into the front hall dressed in a pair of women’s black tights. His chest was completely bare.
“What are you doing?” Massie untied Bean’s cape and threw it on the ground. “And what did you do to Bean?”
“Nathan and I are wrestling,” he said, as if it were obvious. “I’m Goldberg and he’s Eddie Guerrero. AND IF HE DOESN’T COME OUT OF HIDING SOON, I’M GOING TO GIVE HIM THE JACKHAMMER.”
“Oh yeah?” a mousy voice called from the living room. “WELL, I’M GOING BUST OUT MY LASSO FROM EL PASO AND ROPE YOUR NECK.”
Just then Tiny Nathan ran out from behind the curtains, wearing the same outfit as Todd. They chased each other around the room until Todd threw himself on top of Tiny Nathan.
“Stop it!” Massie yelled. “STOP! ENOUGH!”
Todd was squeezing Nathan’s head between his kneecaps. “Say Goldberg is the world champ,” he insisted. “SAY IT!”
“What is going on?” Massie insisted. She pulled Todd off Tiny Nathan. “Why are you in my house?”
“There’s more room to wrestle here,” Todd said. “It’s like ten times bigger than the guesthouse.”
“Why are you wrestling?” Massie was getting impatient.
“Because Alicia got us box seats for the WWE Smackdown and we’re going tonight,” Nathan chirped.
“Oh,” Massie said sarcastically. Then all of a sudden something strange occurred to her.
“Alicia got you tickets?” Massie asked.
“Yeah,” Todd said, puffing out his chest. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together lately. Way more than you and I ever did. Wayyy more.”
Massie put her hands on her hips. “Is that supposed to make me jealous, Todd?”
“Yeah,” Todd said. “Is it working?”
In a tiny way it was. He was another person who’d left Massie for Alicia.
“It is working, isn’t it?” Todd said. “Look at you—your face is getting red. You’re jealous.”
Massie rolled her eyes. There had to be some kind of explanation for all of this. … And in a flash everything became clear. Alicia was walking around with top secret info and Todd, the infamous eavesdropper, had box seats. It all made perfect sense.
“Okay, well, have fun at the show,” Massie said, turning toward the stairs. “Oh, one question,” she called down to Todd. “Do you know the name of the fat camp in upstate New York? I have a friend who’s interested and I spaced on the name.”
“St. Barf’s,” Todd called back.
“Thanks.” Massie smiled to herself. Case closed.
She ran back down the stairs and pushed Todd into the living room. “Take that, Goldberg,” she said as she slammed him against the leopard print wallpaper. “You better start talking or I’m going to show you my version of the Smackdown. And there won’t be anything fake about it.”