be really hard for them. She’s always been such an excellent student.’
‘Well, I’ll tell you this. I’ll bet we won’t be seeing them at the spring parent-teacher conference,’ said Mr Schmidt.
Tony and Lynn still had two more teachers to see, English and history, but without saying a word to each other, they just walked out of the school, got into their car, and drove home in utter silence.
‘Should we?’ asked Lynn, chain-smoking in the middle of the Sunset Court kitchen.
Tony was making himself and Lynn a drink. ‘No, absolutely not. She’ll think we’re ganging up on her. Let’s leave her alone for a while, okay?’
Two hours later, Lynn said, ‘She hasn’t come down to see us.’
‘She’s probably on the phone or listening to music. Let’s leave her alone, okay?’
At midnight, when Lynn and Tony walked past Jennifer’s bedroom on the way to bed, their daughter’s light was off and there was no music. Lynn couldn’t help herself. She knocked and quickly opened the door.
‘Mom,’ said Jennifer’s voice from the bed. ‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing, babe, nothing,’ said Lynn. ‘Sleep tight.’
The following night at dinner, Lynn said carefully, ‘Jennifer, the teachers seem to think you are not doing too well in school.’
Jennifer looked up and stared at her mother. ‘Mom,’ she said. ‘Didn’t you see my report card a week ago?’
‘Yes, honey, of course we did,’ said Tony. ‘But the teachers said you were actually doing even worse than what the grades showed. They said you really haven’t passed anything at all this quarter.’
‘That’s true, Dad. I haven’t.’
‘Honey, is anything the matter?’
‘No, Daddy, why should anything be the matter? I just didn’t have a good quarter, that’s all.’ She added, ‘I’ll do much better next report card, you’ll see.’
Lynn and Tony smiled tensely. ‘Oh, we’re glad to hear that, honey,’ said Lynn. ‘We’re so glad! We want you to do so well!’
‘I know you do, Mom. I’m sorry if I disappointed you.’
Lynn reached out her hand to Jennifer. ‘Jenny, you cannot disappoint Daddy and me,’ she said seriously. ‘We’re just concerned. We want you to be happy, that’s all.’
‘Mom, it’s my senior year. I’m having such a good time,’ replied Jennifer.
After finishing her dinner, Jennifer went to the upstairs bathroom. Locking the door, she stood there for a moment looking around, and then stepped on the scales, with her sneakers and pocket change. This was the first time Jennifer got on the scales in about three weeks, but she had eaten particularly well the last few days and felt she deserved it. She stood on them and stared at the wall for about a minute (Please please, please) before looking down to see the three-digit number on the black line. She let out a small, yelplike scream. But there it was. 102. One-oh-two. 102! Pretty soon, it won’t even be a three-digit number, she thought frantically.
Jennifer got off the scale and went into her bedroom, where she undressed, got into bed, turned off the light, and let out another scream, another stifled dark groan, and another and another. She had to turn the stereo on to drown out her crying. When her mother opened the door to say good night, Lynn said happily, ‘Jenny! Music! You’re playing music!’
Yeah, thought Jennifer. Music and the maiden. She lay there a long time before sleep came. Tully taught her to think of nothing but sheep when sleep or peace wouldn’t come, and tonight and every night Jennifer tried to do just that. But tonight Jennifer’s sheep were not going to sleep. Over and over and over, her sheep were running through a meadow and going to Stanford and becoming adults and doctors and parents. The rest of their lives seemed so close to the sheep.
Late February, Tully, Jennifer, and Julie sat in the Sunset Court kitchen.
‘Okay, what are we putting in our yearbooks, guys?’ said Julie. ‘We need to write out a will and a dream.’
‘We need a will to dream,’ said Tully.
‘Or a dream to will,’ said Jennifer.
‘Makker, Mandolini,’ said Julie. ‘Shape up. Let’s have it. The yearbook committee is not going to be waiting around for you. The deadline is March second. That’s this Friday, for your information.’
‘Oh, yeah? And who died and made you president?’ said Tully.
‘Secretary, actually,’ said Julie.
‘Well, inspire us. Let’s hear your will, Martinez,’ said Tully, doodling on her sheet of paper. ‘What are you going to leave Tom? Are you going to leave him your virginity? Or is it too late?’
Julie punched her in the arm. ‘Stop talking nonsense. Stop drawing nonsense, too. Work, work, work. How are you guys going to go to college if you can’t concentrate?’
‘My, she is bossy,’ said Jennifer.
‘I learned from the best,’ answered Julie, smiling and pointing at Jennifer, who didn’t smile back.
Tully changed the subject. ‘Where did you say your loved one was going?’ she asked Julie.
‘Brown.’
Tully smiled. ‘Yes. And you are going where? Northwestern? How many miles apart is that? A thousand? Knowing how intimate you guys are, I’m sure you’ll really miss that physical closeness you two share.’
‘Tully!’ said Julie.
Tully went to get a bag of pretzel sticks. Julie grabbed a handful. Jennifer said she wasn’t hungry.
A little later, Tully said, turning to Julie, ‘Robin asked me again if I’d consider moving in with him.’
‘He did?’ said Julie. ‘Again? That’s great.’ She saw Tully’s face, and Jennifer’s face, too. ‘Isn’t it? Isn’t it great? Isn’t it just what you want? To get out of your mother’s house?’
Jennifer and Tully stared at her, then exchanged looks. Tully nodded. ‘You know what it is, Jen,’ Tully said. ‘It’s all that great sex she’s been having with that Romeo of hers. She’s lost her mind.’
Jennifer smiled.
‘Why do you say that? It’s not fair,’ said Julie, banging the table.
‘Martinez,’ said Tully, banging the table herself in jest. ‘You haven’t listened to a word I’ve said the last two months. What are you paying attention to? Tom? The crisis in the Middle East, God help you?’
‘Tell me already!’ said Julie.
‘Julie,’ said Tully, shaking her head. ‘You know Jen and I are going to California.’
‘So don’t go,’ said Julie. ‘So stay. Robin is worth it.’
‘Worth it, huh?’ said Tully.
‘Sure,’ drawled Julie. ‘You stay, you get married, you have a couple of babies. He’ll buy you a house.’
‘Hell, why stop at a house?’ said Tully. ‘Why doesn’t he just buy me a whole life?’
‘Ask him, he’ll do it for sure.’
Tully smiled. ‘What’s wrong with you, Martinez? I don’t want to have babies, I don’t want to get married. I’ve been telling you that since I was about ten.’
‘Well,