My head raced with all the information from the evening — this was only our first official meeting and already so many of us were changing and so many secrets had been revealed.

I was sure that over time only more would come out.

Maybe even a few secrets of my own.

Chapter Sixteen

OUR FIRST OFFICIALS CLUB OUTING was the following Saturday, to go Homecoming dress shopping together. I was extra excited because Rita was home from Northwestern and was going to be the excursion's honorary member.

But first we had to survive dinner with my parents on Friday night.

"Oh, it's so good to have my babies home," Mom kept saying.

I tried to ignore her, surveying the menu at our family's favorite restaurant, the Wilderness. (I never understood what was so wild about a family restaurant attached to a shopping center.) The waiter came over to take our order, and I looked down so Rita could be the first one to order. She was always a lot braver with our parents than I was.

"Yes, I'll have the filet mignon with the garlic mashed potatoes!" she said, looking directly at Mom, daring her.

"Rita..." Mom said with deep disapproval.

Rita took her napkin off her plate and put it on her lap. "Mother, young girls need their protein. Penny, what are you having?"

The waiter looked over at me, obviously confused. I just smiled as I ordered a cheeseburger — medium rare.

Mom started in, her big brown eyes, exactly like mine, narrowing as she locked in on Rita. "Rita. Penny Lane…" Oh, great, I was in trouble, too. "You know how we respect your decision to eat what you like, but I would really like for you to just try to understand where your father and I are coming from."

"See, Mom, I know where you're coming from." Rita made a grand gesture as she held out her hands. "I know what Paul would do in a situation like this, but I am not Paul McCartney. I'm Rita Bloom, and I choose meat. Lots of meat."

While most people become vegetarian for health or ethical reasons, Mom and Dad had done it simply because Paul McCartney led them there.

Sensing the tension at the table, Dad turned to me. "So, Penny Lane, what plans do you have with your big sister this weekend?"

I was about ready to tell him about the shopping trip when Rita interrupted with "I'm so excited because I get to meet Penny's club."

Uh-oh.

"You've joined a club, honey! That's great," Mom said as she took a sip of her water.

"Yes, what kind of club, kiddo?" Dad leaned in, interested.

"Well, um, it's not really an official club." I threw daggers at Rita with my eyes. This was so humiliating. What was I supposed to say? See, Mom and Dad, I'm sick of boys because your best friend's son was an ass so I decided to have my friends join together and forget about boys entirely.

"Penny started it. It's called the Lonely Hearts Club," Rita chimed in.

"Oh, oh, Penny Lane, that's so, so wonderful!" Mom put her hand up to her chest, thrilled that I'd named something after the Beatles, although she had no idea what the Club stood for. I could've started a club called the Yellow Submariners that went out in the ocean and clubbed baby seals and they still would've been proud.

"Kiddo, it's so great you're taking an interest in your heritage. Goo goo g'joob.'" Dad beamed.

My heritage? My great-grandfather on my fathers side was from England, true, but nowhere near Liverpool. And Mom's family was from Germany.

"Do you even want to know what the club is about?" I said. "Some friends and I have decided to stop dating guys… at least until were out of McKinley."

Dads eyes lit up. "Penny Lane, that is the best idea for a club!"

Mom looked thoughtful for a minute before she said anything.

"Penny Lane, is there a reason why you are doing this?"

My heart started beating quickly. She knew. I shook my head.

"Not really. There were a lot of factors, I guess. But I'm just sick of my friends getting hurt.. "

"Well, again, Penny Lane, this is just super." Dad reached across the table and grabbed my hand. "I want you to know that I'm more than willing to move more tables into the basement when this really takes off. To think that our baby girl has started a Beatles Club!"

"It's not a Beatles Club!" I pulled my hand away. He winked at me.

"Well, a father can dream, cant he?" Mom sat silently at the table.

I wasn't sure what she was making of all of this. But she didn't say a word when the food came and Rita and I dove into our red meat and enjoyed every bite.


It was strange. I'd been to countless dances and semi-formal events since grade school. But this was the first time I'd been dress shopping with a group of friends. It really cemented the importance of the Club, and how much fun we could have without guys. I did think the salespeople were a little annoyed at having six teenage girls running around the dress section screaming at each other, but it didn't take long for Rita to take control.

"On a scale of hotness, you rate at scorching, baby!" she said to Amy as she walked out of the dressing room in a black dress.

As I watched, my sister grabbed her cell phone and started to mimic a cheesy game show host. "Next up, we have Amy Miller, wearing a black satin dress. Notice the beaded detail on the cap sleeve and the Empire waist to accentuate her ample bosom... "

Amy blushed, did a little twirl, and curtsied. The door opened to the dressing room next door. "Are you ready for me?" Tracy asked as she walked out for us to all admire her dress, whatever it was.

We all stared. Tracy was wearing what was best described as a smock — a hideous, floral smock that even my grandmother wouldn't have been caught dead wearing. Tracy strutted down the hallway to the three-way mirror. "Hey, Pen, I thought I would get the wardrobe ready for when were old maids." She smiled as she took the smock off to reveal a red silk fitted dress with a red sequined belt underneath. She looked amazing.

"Come on, Rita — what's my hotness rating?"

"Red hot all the way!"

Tracy did a little clap and jumped up and down. I noticed that she was behaving more and more like Diane every day.

She would've killed me if I'd told her that.

"Looks like you've all got your dresses," Rita said as we inspected one another's choices. Diane had found a pink flapper dress, Jen had a classic strapless black dress, and Morgan was wearing an Empire-waist red silk dress, while I'd chosen a black dress with a halter top and fitted lace skirt.

We lined up in front of the mirrors for a full view.

"You know, "said Jen. "I like that I found a dress for me. It always been about whether he'll like it enough — "

"Yeah, "said Amy. "Like it enough to take it off."

Jen smiled. "I really feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

Diane nervously bit her lip. "I know, especially since I can concentrate on other things. Actually, that's where I need your help, Jen. I've decided to quit cheerleading after Homecoming... and try out for the basketball team."

There were a couple of gasps. Rita started applauding.

"Holy crap!" Tracy exclaimed. "Diane! You're.."

Diane blushed and looked down.

"... going to completely kick ass!"

Diane lit up. "You think?"

"Hells, yeah! I can't wait until Principal Braddock hears the news. He'll die when he finds out one of his beloved cheerleaders is… um, switching teams, I guess."

Diane laughed. "I can only imagine the rumors that will be swirling around once I tell the girls."

"Do you mind me asking why you decided to join the team? It isn't as easy as it looks," Jen said.

"No, I don't think that at all I've always loved basketball, and I would practice out side with my dad sometimes, I guess because he didn't have a son to play with. But I want to be part of a team. I want to try something different. Maybe I'm being selfish, but I'm sick of cheering for other people. I want someone cheering for me."

"Do you want to come over this week and run drills?" Jen offered.

Diane smiled. "That would be amazing. Ryan is already going through plays with me, and we've been practicing on the weekends."

"You have?" Tracy asked.

"Yeah!" Diane's expression quickly changed. "Wait — there isn't anything going on between us. I hope that's not what you think."

Tracy shrugged.

"He's been encouraging me for a while to do it, and I needed some practice to see if I was hopeless. But he seems to think I'll do well. Probably not start or anything, but that doesn't really matter to me. I just want to be on the team."

Jen nodded. "That's the spirit! And I'm sure you're going to be great."

"I don't know…"

We all erupted with words of encouragement. I could see Diane's confidence growing as she got the support from everybody.

Tracy put her hand out and we all stared at it for a second. "Come on.." she said.

I put my hand on top of hers, and one by one everyone else followed. There, in our new dresses, in front of mirror after mirror.

Tracy looked at me to say something. "To our new members, our kick-ass Homecoming dresses, and Diane Monroe, basketball goddess!"

We cheered and hollered. The poor sales ladies nearly keeled over at their registers.

Once we'd bought our dresses, Tracy suggested we "pig out so much we don't fit into them anymore." We did our best.