"Why not? Go to the party," Julie insisted. "Have fun, hang out, eat cake, gossip."Roger stood up. "Julie, this might not be - "
"Celeste, do you want to go?"
"We can't consider that an option, can we?" She glanced at Flat Finn."It's OK." Roger waved Celeste up from her seat. "Why don't you come inside with me? I want to show you the results from that study I did on combating the spread of harmful algae."Celeste didn't look at Julie as she got up and handed over the invitation. "Please don't worry about this. I understand that it would not work."Fuming, Julie crossed her arms. Celeste's demeanor had changed, and she no longer looked relaxed. This was Matt and Roger's fault entirely.Matt put his hands in his pockets and looked down. "I know what you're going to say."
"Do you? Do you really? Goddamn it, Matt! How could you do this to her?"He looked up, surprised. "Do what?"She sighed. "Ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? You're setting her up for failure. She knew you hid that invitation from her, and that told her you don't believe in her."
"She knew it because you made a spectacle out of it. She can't go. You know that. That's why I didn't want her to see the invitation. It's just another reminder of something that she's not ready for."
"Maybe you're the one who isn't ready? Maybe your parents aren't ready? Huh? You mother had her wearing fricking pinafores, for God's sake, until I took the kid to the mall!"
"Shhh! Stop yelling!" Matt warned. "This is not your decision."
"It's not yours either. It's Celeste's. She should be able to go if she wants to," Julie insisted. "She's ready."
"She's not ready."
"She needs friends, Matt. When was the last time anybody asked her to do anything?"Matt was silent."She needs friends," Julie said again. "And so do you. You need her to expand her world so that you can have yours back."He nodded. "I know. But this Rachel's parents probably made her invite everyone. Including Celeste."
"Every girl in that entire huge class was invited to stay at their house? I don't think so. Celeste got asked because this Rachel girl wanted to invite her. It's just a party. If you don't make a big deal out it, she might not either. You're her brother. She looks up to you, and she needs to know that you believe in her." Julie waved the invitation at him. "That you trust her, and that you think she can succeed. Don't you get that?"Matt avoided her eyes. "She doesn't look up to me. She looks up to Finn. And you."
"And you. She loves you."He shuffled his feet. "You really think she can handle this?"
"Yes. I do. I know it."
"What about Flat Finn?"
"She'll fold him up and stick him in the bottom of her overnight bag. No one will know. She's gone shopping with me a bunch of times without him, and I don't even have to take him in the car when I pick her up from school anymore. Yes, he still has to stand by her bed or outside her door at night, and she still obsesses about him some of the time, but it's not like it was. She's getting busy with other parts of life. With life, for that matter." Julie looked pleadingly at Matt. "She can do this. She's dressing better, she's into normal music, she picks out cute boys on television. Shut up!" Julie cut off Matt before he said anything. "This stuff is normal. She's even talking less... less like someone who just graduated from an advanced articulation class. Well, sometimes. Let her grow up. She's got to take a risk."
"She doesn't even want to go, Julie." he said feebly. "Really."
"She does, too. You saw how she looked at that invitation."Matt let out a big sigh. "I'll talk to my parents."
"And call Dana. I gave you her number months ago."
"She had mono."
"So what? You could have brought her soup. Tended to her needs, if you know what I mean." Julie gave him an exaggerated wink."I did call her, and she said she felt awful and that she'd call me when she was less plague-like."
"I talked to her this morning, and she feels better. She's been holed up in her apartment for ages, and she's ready for some fun."
"If you wink at me again, I will never call her."
"Fine. Stop being so uptight."
"Did it ever occur to you that I might have to be? I have a lot to manage."Julie put her hands on her hips and took a breath. "Sorry."
"Anything else you want me to do? Should I start a list of all of your assigned tasks?"
"That's it. For now. But call Dana, and go on a date like a regular college boy. And don't wear a weird shirt."
"Define weird."
"Nice try."**********
Julie lay down on her stomach, her fingers poised over the keyboard. The only light in the bedroom came from the glow of the laptop, but she didn't need to see anything else right now except the online chat between her and Finn.
Julie Seagle
OK, so I told you about Celeste's upcoming sleepover and Matt's possible date. What else....?
Finn is God
I project that the sleepover will be a success, and the date will not. Matt tends to get gassy when he's nervous and, well, you know... That doesn't usually go over so well with the ladies.
Julie Seagle
I gather he did actually have a girlfriend for a while, so presumably he can maintain control of his bodily functions for short periods. You should wish him well!