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myself, I was getting interested in her story.
    â€œNo, I didn’t. But I wasn’t there very long before I realized that’s exactly what my date had done. He wasn’t the least bit interested in being there with me, which was clear by the way he left me standing by myself while he made a fool of himself over another girl.”
    I felt my face getting hot and wondered if I was blushing. Was it possible that Mom had seen through me? Could she have figured out that I’d secretly been hoping that once I was at the dance, in my elegant gown, Nick might notice me?
    â€œYou must have felt pretty bad,” I said, drawing myself back to her story.
    â€œSure I did. I went home that night and cried myself to sleep. And it wasn’t just because of the way he’d treated me, it was because his actions proved he was completely indifferent to how I felt. I just didn’t matter.”
    That really got to me. I realized that I hadn’t stopped, not even for a second, to think about Greg’s feelings. He was a means to an end, a convenience. It wasn’t a proud moment for me.
    â€œDo you think I should call off the date with Greg?”
    â€œI don’t think that will make things a whole lot better, do you?”
    â€œI guess not. What should I do then?”
    â€œI’m sure you’ll figure out the best thing to do.” She smiled and patted my knee.
    Letting me figure things out when I’ve made a mess of some sort is probably Mom’s favourite form of torture. She points things out and makes me think until I’m all in a tangle inside, feeling guilty and confused, and then leaves me to decide how to get out of it.
    Lots of times when I have to think something through I find it helps to take a long walk. I hauled my jacket back on and headed out, hoping that the whole thing would sort itself out in my head.
    The sun was shining, making the early December snowfalls glisten so sharply that it could take your breath away. That kind of beauty usually cheered me, but it really didn’t seem to help much that day. I knew the worstpart of what I’d done was that Greg was going to get the wrong impression. For sure he’d assume I liked him; what else could he think? Undoing that would mean hurting his feelings, there was no way around it.
    I wished I wasn’t even going to the dance. At that moment I’d have gladly given up the beautiful dress Mom had made me if I could just take back the foolish invitation. But, like most mistakes, it was done and couldn’t be undone. It’s so much easier to get into a mess than out of it!
    There was no easy answer, and it soon became clear to me that the only course of action for the time being was to go and be really nice to Greg. I hoped that he wouldn’t expect it to lead to other dates, but I knew different.
    I was on my way back home when I saw Betts’s familiar face coming along the street. It looked as though she was heading towards The Scream Machine, but when she spied me she waved and hurried over.
    â€œHey Shelb, where you going? I just called your place, but you’re not there.”
    That sounded funny, as if I didn’t know I wasn’t home. It made me smile in spite of my misery.
    â€œNowhere, really. Just walking.”
    â€œI was going to get an order of fries.” She smiled as if she was really looking forward to that. I knew different. Half the time, Betts has to fend for herself at sup-pertime because her mom works two jobs. Her dad hasa good job too, but they have a really fancy house and two new cars, and I guess they need a lot of money coming in to pay for everything.
    I’m glad that my mom doesn’t have to work, although sometimes she sells pictures to the local paper. My mom took up photography a few years back, and she’s actually pretty good at it. She can capture a scene in a way that makes it really stand out. We have a darkroom downstairs now and