Meg Cabot - Avalon High

Publisher:HarperCollins, 2007

ISBN:0060755881, 9780060755881

She knows not what the curse may be,

And so she weaveth steadily,

And little other care hath she,

The Lady of Shalott.

I made Stacy and Liz come with me. No way was I going to a party by myself, not knowing anyone but the host, whod doubtless be too busy hosting to talk to me.

Besides, Id asked Will, when Id e-mailed him back the other night, if it was okay if I brought a couple of friends, and hed replied that it was fine.

Stacy had been nonchalant at the invitation, but Liz was excited by the idea of going. She had never, she confessed to me, been to a party at a popular persons houselet alone president of the senior classand she was dying to see what it was like.

She found out soon enough. What it was like could be described in one word: crowded. Will lived in one of the really nice houses by the Severn Bridgeon a hill overlooking the bay, in factand we had to park way down the hill, because there were already so many cars in front of the house that it made getting close to the driveway impossible.

Holy was what Liz started to say, when we finally made it up the hill and into the Wagners foyer. Because Wills house was really nice, all marble floors and giant mirrors in gilt frames. You had to wonder how his dad afforded it all, on a naval salary.

Liz had apparently been thinking the same thing, since she whispered to Stacy and me, Family money, in a knowing voice.

I met Admiral Wagner almost as soon as we walked through the door. He was standing in the living room greeting people as they arrived, a drink in one hand, and an attractive blonde in the other. This, I assumed, was the dead friends widow, and Wills new stepmom.

Great game, wasnt it? Wills dad was saying to anyone who would listen. Help yourself to a drink. Great game, didnt you think?

Wills dad certainly didnt look like an ogre who would purposefully get his own best friend killed, then marry his widow and, oh yeah, force his son into a career he didnt want. He was tall, like Will, with salt-and-pepper gray hair. He wasnt wearing his uniform, or anything, although the creases in his khakis looked kind of sharp for civilian clothes. But that might just be because Im not used to seeing a man in ironed pants. My dads never worn anything ironed in his life.

I went straight up to him and introduced myself and Liz and Stacy, because it seemed like the polite thing to do. Ill admit that I was also curious to see what Admiral Wagner would be like, after everything Id heard about him.

But he was totally charming, shaking my hand with energy, seemingly thrilled to pieces that his son had so many friends. He went, Glad to meet you, girls. Go and get yourselves a drink. Sodas are out by the pool, in a happy, booming voice.

I looked closely at the admirals new wife, to try to gauge how much she had to do with what Will called things being weird lately.

But she didnt look mean or anything. She was very beautiful, petite, and blondsort of like Jennifer Gold, actually.

But she also looked kind of sad. Like maybe she missed her dead husband, or something.

Or maybe she just didnt want to be at some dumb high school party. It was hard to tell.

Stacy and Liz and I did as the admiral told us to, and made our way out to the pool. We had had a little trouble finding the house, so Will and Lance and the rest of their teammatesnot to mention the Avalon High cheerleading squadwere already there, high-fiving one another and jumping into the heated pool in the glow of about a million paper lanterns.

Stacy and Liz and I went and got ourselves sodas and then stood by the guacamolewhich is where tall girls always end up standing at partieswatching everyone. No one paid us the slightest bit of attention. No one, that is, except a Border collie who came over and thrust her nose into my hand.

Hey, there, I said to the dog. She was gorgeous, her long, silky coat white with just a few black patches. She was well-behaved, too. She didnt jump up and only licked me once.

This, I knew, could only be Wills dog, Cavalier. I found out I was right when Will managed to break away from the adoring throng around him and hurried over, exclaiming, You came!

While Liz and Stacy both looked behind them, trying to figure out who he was talking to, I felt myself starting to flush.

Because I knew he was talking to me.

Yes, I said, as he stopped in front of me. Hed changed into baggy swim trunks and a Hawaiian shirt that was open to the waist. It was hard not to look at his abs, which were extremely six-packlike. I tried to ignore them as I said, Thanks for inviting me. These are my friends Stacy and Liz.

While the two girls looked on in total astonishment, Will said hi. Then he said to me, I see Cavalier found you. She must like you.

It was true. The dog had kind of been leaning on me as I stroked her soft ears. At least until Will came over. Then all of her attention shifted to him.

She has nice manners, I said lamely, because it was the only thing I could think of to say. Other than, I love you! I love you!

Which wouldnt, you know, have been too socially acceptable.

Will just smiled, then asked us if we were going to swim.

We didnt bring suits, Liz lied, with a quick glance at Jennifer Gold, who was wandering around, looking perfectly angelic in a snow-white tankini.

Oh, we have plenty of spares, Will said. Over in the pool house. Help yourselves.

Stacy and Liz just stared at him, guacamole-laden chips forgotten in their hands. There was about as much chance of the three of us strutting around in our swimsuits in front of the cheerleading squad as there was of a giant meteorite plummeting from the sky and incinerating them.

Not that I was wishing this would happen. Much.

Have fun, Will said to me, with a grin, completely oblivious to our discomfort, as any guy would be. I have to go do, you know. The host thing.

Sure, I said, and watched as heCavalier padding close at his sidewent to go talk to a tall, good-looking boy who Id never seen before. Dark-haired, like Will, he seemed vaguely familiar. But I knew he didnt go to Avalon. Liz was only too happy to clear up the mystery of his identity.

Thats Marco, she said, her mouth full of guacamole. Wills stepbrother.

I stared. Marco was chatting amiably with Will and some of the other team members. He didnt look like he was too upset with the way things had turned outyou know, living in the home of the man whod sent his father to his death, then married his mother. I mean, that kind of thing could mess a person up.

He also didnt look like the monster Id been led to believe he was. He certainly didnt look like someone whod try to kill a teacher. It was true he had a hoop through both ears. And one of those tribal tattoos around one bicep.

But thats pretty much normal, you know, these days.

I watched Marco make his way around the pool, greeting people the way a politician does, with a handshake and a slap on the shoulder if they were guys, and a kiss on the cheek if they were girls. I wondered how I would feel, living under the same roof as the man who was responsiblehowever indirectlyfor my dads death.

Things were much more interesting in Annapolis than Id ever suspected they would be, back when my parents had announced that that was where we were moving for the year.

It didnt take Liz long to figure out that she hadnt been missing much, not having been invited to popular kids parties before. Stacy soon grew bored as well. When they finally announced that they wanted to gowed managed to polish off all the guacamole, and it didnt look like more was forthcomingI nodded, because by then, I wanted to go, too. Id seen what Id wanted to seeWills dad, who, in spite of what Id been led to believe, seemed very nice; his stepmom, who seemed lovely; and the way Will interacted with Jennifer, which was exactly the way youd expect a boyfriend and girlfriend to interactnot too lovey-dovey, or anything, but they held hands a lot, and I saw him lean down to kiss her once.