Stevie Wonder sang:
Your precious sweetheart
She’s so faithful
She’s so true
Oh yeah
Her dreams are tumbling
Her world is crumbling
Because of you
Un huh
One day you’ll hurt her
Just
once too much
And when you finally loose your tender touch
Yeah! yeah!
Shoobie doobie doo da me!
Her feet may wander
Her feet may stray
Oh yeah!
Shoobie doobie doo da dee!
You’re gonna send your baby straight to me!
In the middle of something Swain was about to say, Mason lifted a finger and mouthed, “Be right back.”
He went looking for Bonnie Metzger and found her when he tapped on the bathroom nearest his room.
“I’m almost out.”
“You’ve been almost out for the last ten minutes,” he told her and then, without announcement, opened the door and came in to find her on the tub. She looked up in surprise.
“Yes,” Mason told her. “I am a surprise. What’s up?”
“I… uh... Addison’s having a good time. I just had to come in here for a moment.”
“Well, you’re being treated all right, right? Everybody likes you?”
“Yes,” Bonnie said. “Everybody’s nice. Mason,” she added. “I don’t know how you do it. This room... it ought to explode like a nuclear bomb. But... Seth and his Dad. Sully and his ex’s dad—who’s gay. Your crazy great grandma... Me and Seth. Seth and Add...”
“And then some,” Mason concluded. “Friendship’s nuts like that.”
“But... I’ve never had friends like that,” Bonnie said.
“Is that what it is?” Mason cocked her head.
“I see you and Addison and Addison with Tommy and all of you and he’s just having such a good time and that never happened to me. I don’t understand it. I... My whole life I haven’t had people I could depend on like that. It’s just.... a little much,” she sighed. “I feel like the odd man out.”
Mason sat down on the tub beside her.
“You know what?” he said, “Usually I feel like the odd man out.”
“You’re the center of this whole operation,” she said. “You and your dad I guess. These people should be at each other’s throats. I don’t know how you do it. And you do it everyday. And you feel like the odd man out?”
“It took me awhile,” Mason said. “But I think... everyone feels like the odd man out. I think the reason I get on with my friends so well is because none of us would get on with anyone else, and we hardly get on with each other. We all feel that way. Like you said.”
“I thought you didn’t like me,” she said honestly.
“Oh,” Mason said. “Well... no. I think you’re crazy, and a little scary. Kinda fucked up to tell you the truth. But no, I don’t dislike you.”
“I’m kind of a slut.”
“Tommy is kind of a Jesus freak, and Bailey’s a prince, or whatever you call a male princess. Sully’s a big homo and Addison’s a burnout who plays with drugs. Oh... and Seth is a sex freak, a bigot and a drug addict. I’m just totally weird.
“I think... you are kind of fucked up Bonnie. You really are. But, it’s sort of a requirement for attending my birthday party. In case you hadn’t noticed, no one’s on the other side of this bathroom door is that stable.”
There was a thump on the door and Mason got up, locked the door, and then sat down again ignoring it.
“Mason!” his aunt shouted. “I gotta get in! Tommy’s in the other bathroom.”
Mason stood up, offered his hand to Bonnie.
She stood up too and took it.
“Let’s go out,” he said, “And meet the other fuck ups.”