“I’m in love with her.  Aiden’s in love with her.  That creepy little freshman is in love with her.  The world’s in love with her after her dad’s MTV special.  How the hell am I supposed to compete?”

            “Easy,” Chelsea said, taking a bite of her sandwich, sprouts falling onto her plate.  “You make sure you’re the one who stands out.  The one who makes the extra effort.”

            Spencer pushed her salad around her plate, finding it as unappetizing as most food had been in the days following prom and the funeral.  Her dad kept making her favorites for dinner; she always felt bad for excusing herself after a few bites.  Chelsea had sprung for lunch to both get her out of the house and to satisfy her own pregnancy cravings for the biggest, thickest turkey sandwich with the works.  Spencer could barely watch her wolf down her food as they talked.

            “How am I supposed to do that when she won’t return my phone calls?  She’s ditching school and when I go to her house, she’s not there.  Even if I sneak over at 2 a.m., she won’t answer a knock on the patio door, or her phone, and I know she’s home.  She’s just totally blown me off since prom.”

            “Well, you have to remember she was standing right next–.”

            “I know, Chels.  I know.”  Ashley had been splattered with blood, rushed to the hospital with EMTs thinking she had also been hit.  She had screamed at first but once they told her she was OK, she was silent.  She hadn’t spoken a word to anyone – not the doctors, not her mom, and certainly not Spencer.  The silence and shock was understandable, but it was finally getting to Spencer.

            “Spence,” Chelsea said, taking a sip of her iced tea and swallowing another bite of turkey.  “I told you before that she just needed space, but I agree – she can’t avoid you or school or any of us forever.  And you need to be the person who steps up and says ‘You need to deal and I’m the one you need to deal with.’”

            “Chels!  I have!  I’ve tried–.”  A finger silenced her.  Spencer rolled her eyes but shut her mouth.