Then Mom took me to the doctor, and that’s another thing. I don’t know why she has to take me, I’m a big girl now, but she does, anyway. So, Dr. Santori examined my hand and said sure enough, it’s an ugh, wart. He said it’s caused by a virus and medical science still doesn’t know of a foolproof method of removing them. But he said not to do anything with it, it might go away by itself. And they’d only want to do something if it started to grow really big. Mom asked him if he’d cut it away or burn it off or something, but he said, no, wait. Because sometimes when that’s done, it may only grow back again.
All I want to know is, if Mom loves me so much like she always says, how come she’s so eager to have him cut me or burn me? But then I can see her side, she doesn’t like this lump on my hand. And neither do I.
Right in front of me - it was kind of embarrassing, Mom said to Dr. Santori: “Jennifer hasn’t got her period yet, Dr. Santori. Is it too early yet, do you think, or what?” Crap! Does she really have to do stuff like that?
Anyway, Dr. Santori is so nice, I can’t really feel bad in front of him. He said to Mom that there’s no hurry, I’ll mature when I’m ready to. He really is nice, that’s just what I would have said. I’m surprised at Mom, after all, she’s told me before that there’s no hurry, so what’s the hurry? She really bugs me big time, sometimes.
Jennifer came over Friday night, and we played Monopoly and let Brian play, too. I don’t know why we were so kind to him. He was a little ingrate, and got all the good properties and cleaned us right out. Jennifer didn’t seem to mind, but I sure did. I can’t stand it when the little brat gets all excited about how good he is, and laughs when we have to lose a property.
Later, me and Jennifer went upstairs to my bedroom and I showed her how I play flute, a bit. It was kind of fun and she thinks she’d like to learn how to play, herself.
“Do you think we’re not going to get a call from Sally about her party?” I asked her.
“Since the party’s tomorrow evening, I think we’d better forget about it”, she said. And she didn’t even seem to care, now.
“Don’t you care? Like, don’t you feel bad or anything like that?”
“No. What for? What difference would it make? You don’t really like her, and neither do I. Why would I care about a party some kid I don’t like all that much is having? Especially some kid who doesn’t like me, all that much.”
“I guess you’re right, Jennifer. That sounds really sensible. But, like, she was at my party, right? And when you had that barbecue in your backyard that we all went to, she was there too, wasn’t she, huh?”
“Oh sure. Well, that’s because we didn’t want to hurt her feelings, and not invite her because we were inviting all our friends and she hangs around with our other friends.”
“Sure. I get your point. I think it’s kind of stupid to want to go to someone’s party who you don’t like all that much. But still, I can’t help feeling like I want to go. Crap! Most of our friends will be there. How will it look if we’re not there?”
“Well, remember, she said she was going to invite boys?”
“Oh yeah. I forgot that. What boys, anyway, d'you think?”
“I guess some of the guys at school, maybe. Maybe some of her brother’s friends.”
“I don’t think her brother’s friends would want to go to her party. They’re kind of older. Anyway, do you really think some of the guys at school would want to go to her party?”
“Sure, why not? Free food. Her other new friends will probably be invited too, some of them. Haven’t you noticed how she’s been spending almost as much time with them as she does with us? And they don’t seem to mind all that much? Just let one of us try to shove into their group, then see what’d happen!”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. but some of them aren’t bad, if you get them alone. Like, they’ll talk to you and all that, and be kind of nice.”
“Sure, I know. It’s just that we’re not like them, kind of. They’re mostly a bit older than us and their parents let them do things we’re not supposed to do, like makeup, smoking, hanging around after school, like that.”
“Jennifer, do you ever wish you could do stuff like that?”
“Oh, sometimes. Don’t you? Like, some stuff. But not everything.”
“Sure, me too, sometimes. I wouldn’t want to wear gobs of makeup like they do, and sometimes I can’t understand why they act like they do, and I don’t think I’d like to smoke and stuff, but sometimes I kind of think it would be nice to have them for friends, too. Some of them aren’t all that bad.”
“Well, we’re just too different from them, and that’s that. Anyway, I don’t think they have to be so stuck-up all the time and keep everyone else out.”
“Yeah, sure. But about Sally. I think I’m really going to be disappointed if she doesn’t call. Do you think she’s forgotten? Like she’s so busy getting everything organized, and just forgot? Or maybe she just expects us to come. Like, she’s been talking about the party and everything for so long maybe she thinks she’s already asked us, or something.”
“Well, I don’t think so. And I don’t know why it bugs you so much, either.”
“It’s like I said, Jennifer, most of our friends will be there, and we won’t be, maybe. And if Laura and Donna and Diane go and then some of the other kids, it’s kind of like we’re being left out, like we’re not good enough or something, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know about that, Jen. It just means that Sally doesn’t like us all that much. Not that we’re not good enough.”
“Anyway, if Laura goes and she knows we haven’t been invited I’ll really be disappointed in her. I still consider her a good friend, don’t you?”
“Oh sure, she’s a friend. How’s she supposed to know before the party if we’ve been invited?”
“We told her! We told her Friday we weren’t invited yet. She seemed surprised, but she didn’t say anything. And Donna and Diane hadn’t been invited either, but they thought Sally would talk to them before school was out. Maybe she did. Maybe she looked for us too, but we were gone. Do you think so?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Jen. Why don’t you just forget it for now?”
“I wish I could. I don’t know why I should care so much. And just think of Diane and Donna, how excited they were. You know they bought gifts for Sally, don’t you?”
“Sure, I know. Donna bought a bottle of perfume and Diane a silk scarf. Maybe they should have waited until they got an invitation.”
“Maybe they got one, but didn’t want to tell us. Did you think of that?”
“No, I sure didn’t. But what difference does it make, anyway? Hey, did you get something for Sally?”
“Well, no. I thought I’d wait. I would’ve got something. But now I’m glad I didn’t get anything because what would I do with it if she doesn’t call, anyway?”
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