The Crazy Things Girls Do for Love

Chapter Forty-Five Waneeda can’t remember that she ever had the teensiest crush on Cody Lightfoot

Waneeda and Joy Marie sit together in the shade of the T-shirt stall, which they are running while Clemens oversees the showing of environmental documentaries in the auditorium.

Waneeda makes a drain-like sound as she sucks up the last of her iced tea through the straw. “Look at him, grinning and shaking hands,” says Waneeda. “You’d think this whole thing was his idea the way he’s strutting around.”

The “him” Waneeda’s referring to is none other than Dr Firestone, and it is fair to say that, as he moves through the crowd in his summer suit and an eye-catching tie that features a picture of a gnarled oak very like the trees he was so eager to chop down, Dr Firestone is definitely enjoying the success of the day.

“At least he didn’t make us cancel the fair,” says Joy Marie.

Joy Marie is being far too generous. Dr Firestone had no choice but to let the Earth Day celebrations go on as planned. He’d already been presented in the press as less than honest, out-of-touch and unreasonable. After all the publicity and the governor muscling in like that, to cancel the fair would have been to add “vindictive” to the list of his faults.

“And now there’s no way he can shut us down. Especially not after today.” Joy Marie leans forward on her elbows. “I mean, can you believe how many people have shown up? I figured that all our parents would come and people like that, but it looks like most of the town’s here.”

“That’s thanks to Clemens, too,” says Waneeda. If Clemens hadn’t climbed into that tree – and if he hadn’t given such an eloquent interview about trees and their memories to the local paper (reprinted in every major newspaper on the Eastern Seaboard, including The New York Times) – there is little doubt that there would be far fewer people at the Earth Day celebration and that most of them would be relatives of club members, friends of relatives of club members and Mr Huddlesfield’s bowling team.

“I think that’s a little unfair…” Joy Marie gives her a sideways glance. “Cody had something to do with it, too, Waneeda. He was the one who got it all started, you know.”

Waneeda harrumphs. “You mean that he got everybody else to get it started.”

“I think he did a little more than that,” argues Joy Marie. “He won over Dr Firestone … and he got the electric company to sponsor Earth Day and—”

“Anything Cody did, he did because it made him look good,” cuts in Waneeda. “Cody Lightfoot’s like fireworks. All show and no substance.”

Joy Marie doesn’t quite manage to stifle a spasm of laughter.

Waneeda glares. “What’s so funny?”

“You are. You used to be a member of the Cody Lightfoot fan club. Remember?”

“No,” says Waneeda. “No, I don’t. I remember saying that I thought he was attractive, but you’d have to be blind and in Toledo not to notice that.”

“Really?” Joy Marie sips at her own iced tea. “I could’ve sworn you joined the club because of Cody.”

“I joined because you were pressuring me. That’s why I joined.” Waneeda straightens the stack of T-shirts in front of her. “And anyway, as soon as I got to know Clemens…” She shrugs. “Well, you know…”

“Well, you’ll be happy to hear that Cody’s not shedding any tears because you’ve found somebody else,” says Joy Marie.

Waneeda turns in the direction Joy Marie is looking. Cody Lightfoot is standing at the solar heating stall, surrounded by a giggle of girls.

For the life of her, Waneeda can’t remember what she ever saw in him.