"Oh, that one looks really good on you!" Abby said, from the end of her bed. "Turn around. Oh, yes, that's the one, for sure."
Abby and her mother both liked to sew and she had more dresses than you could shake a stick at. Tomorrow night was the Bank Street Boxing Christmas party, and we were all going. I did a turn in the dress. I didn't wear much red, but this was just the right shade that I felt like it went well with my skin and hair. It was a cotton number with a full skirt.
"I'd wear panty hose," I said. "And I have a black jacket that would go with it, if it's cold."
"I think it's the one," Abby said.
I gestured to the closet. "There's also the tan one, and the blue skirt and blouse."
She shrugged. "You can try them on if you want, but this one's amazing on you. And it's so Christmasy with the red. I don't know why we didn't try it on first."
I sat on the end of her bed with a sigh.
"What?" she asked, pulling back to regard me.
"Honestly, I wish James was coming. I was just thinking about going back to school, and it made me think about him."
"Ask him. Invite him," she urged, focusing on me like I was crazy for not inviting him already.
"I would, but he's got a grandpa back home who's not doing too well. He's said stuff about him not being around too much longer, and so I didn't even… I didn't invite him. He knows he's welcome, but I don't think he would come this year with his grandpa getting so old and everything. He's going back home to Florida to spend Christmas with them."
"I remember you saying something about that for Thanksgiving."
"Yeah, he was thinking about coming then, but something happened with that same grandpa. He fell."
"Well, why don't you go there, Laney?" she asked. "I feel like you like James."
"I do like James. So much. He's my bud, seriously. I don't know how I would have gone through all that with the Elliots without him."
"But what?" she asked. "Why can't you go there? You should surprise him. We'd miss you, but goodness, Laney, I can see how much you like him. I don't know why you don't just make the effort to go over there and see him."
"I don't like him, like him," I said. "He's my friend."
A few seconds of silence passed as Abby tilted her head at me, staring straight at me.
"What?" I said.
"I can't believe you keep telling yourself that. He's all you've talked about for the last few months."
I sputtered. "Uh, that's not true. I talk about all kinds of stuff."
"Okayyy," Abby said, as if we both knew I was lying.
"He's my friend," I said, staring at her. "I really do think of him as that."
She smiled a little and shook her head. "Then why are you turning all red?"
"When? What? Right now?" I fanned myself, feeling hot. "I'm red because we're talking about all this."
"Exactly," she said. "It's obviously affecting you."
"What? No. Every single person would blush when they get blamed for liking someone. I could blame you for having the hots for someone, and even though you would never do that to my brother, you'd just start blushing just because we're talking about it."
She thought about that for a minute. "Bull," she said.
"No, not bull. He's my friend, and I'm only blushing because it's embarrassing to say otherwise."
"Okay, Laney."
"What?" I asked, because of her tone.
"Just keep telling yourself that."
"I really don't need another boyfriend, and if I did… James… James lives in Georgia. I can't be with someone I can't see."
"Okay," she said, more understanding this time. "I just didn't know his grandpa was that bad. I thought he mentioned to Daniel the other day that he would have come in if you had asked him."
"What? What are you saying? I don’t understand."
"Oh my gosh, see? You get so worked up," she said, giggling and leaning back onto her bed.
"What are you saying? Are you lying just to see what I would say? Did he really say he would come here?"
Abby propped onto her elbows laughing and shaking her head at me. "No, I'm not lying. Yes, he really said that. Daniel said something about him coming in for Christmas, and he said he would have if you had mentioned it to him."
I turned, shifting to stare at Abby. "Why wouldn’t Daniel tell me that?"
"I don't know. I guess he thought you had it worked out. I mean, I can't say as I blame him. I don't know how to read you with this guy. You get standoffish when we mention him. I can't tell if you even like him as a friend or not."
"Huh? Of course I do! I love him as a friend. He's like my best friend."
"Well, I guess you guys have somehow misunderstood each other because he told Daniel he would have come in."
"Why are you just telling me this?" I asked. I instinctually looked at the clock on the table by their bed, as if that mattered.
"We thought you had it handled," she said. "You're the one who talks to him all the time. I figured if he wasn't coming, it was because you didn't want him to."
"He probably thinks I don't want him to. I just wasn't saying anything because I didn't want him to feel bad for going to spend Christmas with his grandpa."
"If you talk to him, tell him we'd be happy to have him stay here," she said. "We have two extra bedrooms upstairs. I have the front one all set up. Me and Daniel will be going to Louisiana on Christmas Eve, but James is always welcome to stay here if he wants to come. I'm sure Daniel told him that."
"I don't know what Daniel told him," I said. "James didn't mention talking to him about it."
"Just call him," Abby said. "If you want him to come, just call him. All he can say is no."
"I hope that's not all he can say," I said, smiling.
"I mean, the worst he can say is no."
"Yeah," I agreed. "Do you mind if I call him from here?"
"Not at all. Just use this phone," she said, gesturing to the receiver near the bedside. "You can do it now. I'll leave you alone. I don't see any reason to try on any more dresses. This one looks so good on you."
"Thank you," I said.
But I didn't care about trying on clothes. I didn't care what I wore to the Bank Street party. All I could think about was getting James here for Christmas. I instantly shifted to the other side of the bed where I could reach the telephone, and Abby walked out, smiling at me for being in such a hurry.
I stared down at the red dress as the phone rang.
"Hello?" he said.
My heart leapt. "Hey, you're home," I said.
"Yeah, I got to eat lunch at home today. You okay? You usually don't call till eight o'clock on Tuesdays."
"Is it Tuesday?" I said, smiling and flopping back on my brother's bed.
"I hardly remember what day it is. It all blurs together around Christmas. I'm over at Daniel's, trying on Abby's dresses."