"It’s just, you know, people expect their friends to share stuff…" she trails off. At the other end of the line, Shoshana is cold, silent

Mimi’s not the leader type.

She likes being part of things. One of the crowd. She’s not the one planning get-togethers or calling to coordinate things. That’s more Ella’s type, or Tzippy’s.

Today, though, she feels like if she doesn’t do something fast, their tight little circle is just going to splinter apart.

“Look, I’m not telling you what to do, but—” Mimi stops. She was telling Shoshana what to do. Very insistently. No studying, just chilling, she’d told Tzippy and Ella. We need to relax a little.

Relax. Right. Totally.

And when, exactly, was she going to study for Chumash makeup test? Or come up with some kind of essay for Miss Spiegel?

Mimi slides down until she’s lying on her back, feet dangling over the edge of the bed. Forget schoolwork, these are her friends.

“It’s just so… weird. Like, what do I even say?”

Mimi twists a ponytail holder around her finger. “Listen, they’re going to find out. Today, tomorrow, you know, things get around. And when they do, they’ll be… upset. That you didn’t say anything to them.”

“Seriously? That’s what they’ll care about?” Shoshana’s voice rises a pitch. “Not about how hard this is for Dina? Or for me?”

Mimi sighs, tosses the ponytail holder onto her desk. “Of course they’ll feel bad… it’s just, you know, people expect their friends to share stuff…” she trails off. At the other end of the line, Shoshana is cold, silent.

“Forget I said anything,” Mimi says, finally. “Come over if you want, no pressure. The others will be here at nine.”

Okay, maybe her plan had been a little unrealistic. Get her friends all in the same room, have Shoshana open up to the others, end up closer than ever before. Ha. Now she wonders if Shoshana will even show up.