Connie's Best Friend

Connie is a carefree, fifteen-year-old girl who is obsessed with her looks. While she is a free spirit and often daydreams, she is also very naïve. Connie is described to be a beautiful young girl with equally beautiful dark blonde hair. She could not help but at every chance to admire herself. She was pretty and she knew it, owned it in fact. This infuriated her mother, who was once pretty as well. Her mother often reprimanded her about being obsessed with herself. Her mother’s rants made Connie angry to the point that she actually wished both she and her mother were dead. Her mother would repeatedly complain to her sisters about Connie but would always compliment Connie’s sister June. Unlike their mother, their father worked most of the time

It was odd that being young teenage girls they were never questioned about what they did while they were out. This fact made it easy for Connie to sneak off with a boy Eddie she met at a restaurant one night. She let her friend know she was leaving with Eddie but she’d meet up with her later that night. Connie felt bad and said “I just hate to leave her like that” but Eddie assured her that they would not be gone for long (Oates 590). Connie was happy to be with him. While they were leaving, Connie noticed a boy leaning against a gold convertible staring at her with a big smile on his face. Connie quickly turns away but while Eddie is clueless to what is taking place, she cannot help but turn back. The boy is still looking at her and informs her of his intentions by saying “Gonna get you, baby” (Oates 591). This does not phase her. Connie ends up spending a total of three hours with Eddie. Their activities included eating at another restaurant then finishing up the night in an alley. It is not clear what took place in the alley but Joyce Carol Oates wrote, she was “sleepy and pleased” in the car ride home so it definitely leaves a lot to the imagination

She insisted she had other things to do but he was not buying it. He then said “Connie you ain’t telling the truth. This is your day set aside for a ride with me and you know it” (Oates 594). Connie taken aback and instantly wants to know how he knows her name and demands he tells her. He ends up running down everything such as, how he found out her name, that her family was at a barbecue and how long they’d be gone, who she was with the prior night, and who her best friend was. Suddenly realizing some things about Arnold, she asks his age. He lied telling her he was a little older than her but she was far from believing him. Noticing her disbelief, he got the attention of his friend Ellie and that’s when Connie realized he was also a grown man so she suggested that they leave. Arnold starts to grow angry and starts threatening Connie saying he will hurt her family if she does not come with him. She tries to counter saying her father might catch him but he returns with “He ain’t coming. He’s at the barbecue” (Oates 596). She was feeling faint as he described the whole scene at the barbecue. Arnold begins to describe the things he would do to Connie from how he would hold her to how he would come inside her. Connie had enough and told him “People don’t talk like that, you’re crazy” (Oates 597). She threatens to call the police but he says if she lifts the phone up he’s coming in. She tries locking the door