SOLVED. YA -- maybe called "Just Friends" [s]

[Lorna]

I read this in paperback, in the early 1980s. I think it was new then; certainly no earlier than the 1970s. I think it was set on Long Island or maybe in NJ; not NYC, but the characters were able to get there easily.

It was first-person. I can't remember the guy's name, so I'll call him Main Character. MC is a junior or senior who has no deep friendships. Liked by most people, not disliked by anyone, but no social life to speak of. Liberal Teacher draws him into some kind of activity outside of school, where he meets Libby and Spencer. Libby is a free spirit; Spencer is an intellectual and a free spirit. MC's world opens up and all that, and the three of them have a lot of fun together for a few months. Then very abruptly, Spencer starts getting broody, with occasional outbursts of anger, mostly towards the faculty. MC has no clue why this is happening. Libby has at least some idea, but won't tell MC, so he drifts away from them and starts dating a mainstream girl.

Much later, MC goes to Libby's house. She's not home, but her mom is. She starts talking about what she thought MC already knew: Spencer's mother is about to leave her husband for Liberal Teacher, with whom she's been having an affair for a while...since about the time Spencer started being so angry. MC has a meltdown, but when the smoke clears, Spencer's mom does get divorced and marries Liberal Teacher. Spencer and Libby are also a couple, and MC and Mainstream Girl stay together, I think, but first MC and Libby have a discussion. He'd been interested in her at the start, but never acted on it, and she tells him, "I saw getting the three of us together as a way of getting you!"

As I said, I'm pretty sure it was called "Just Friends", or at least had "friends" in the title, but try doing an Amazon search for "Just Friends"! If I had the author's name, that would help.

[Kate]

Just Friends by Norma Klein? Doesn't really sound like what I remember about the book, but who knows.

[Lorna]

Definitely not Norma Klein. Thanks, though.

[Andria]

Just Friends by James Knudsen

Cover art at amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Friends-Av...

[Lorna]

That is it! Yayyyyyyyy, thank you!