you are not pregnant.”
“This is all really embarrassing, you know,” I say. Treyleaves and I call out after him, “How is it that everyone in my family thinks I’m out having sex? I don’t ever leave this place. There’s no time to get pregnant around here!” I look at Rowan.
She’s watching me, grinning.
“Go,” I say. I point to the door. “Don’t you have to work or something?”
“Somebody around here has to. Lazy butt.”
“Go!”
She leaves to change clothes, and I sit here again to stew over what to do. I look outside in the waning afternoon light on a cold, snowless day and again feel relieved that I’ve got a bit of time on my hands to work with.
I’m just not sure how to tackle the next thing on my list—convincing Sawyer that something bad is going to happen, and watching him look at me like I’m nuts, all while avoiding threats from his father that could make my father kill himself.
This is where the whole love-and-pain thing comes in, right here. But I’m newly determined, and I can’t let my heart stop me from totally alienating the boy I love . . . or soon all I’ll be loving will be the memory of him.
Before Rowan goes down to the restaurant, she peeks into the living room again, and hesitates. “Hey, Jules?” she says in an earnest voice.
“What’s up?” I say. I pat the arm of my chair, whichis the only place she can sit. She comes over and perches next to me, and I put my arm around her waist like when we were younger. “You okay?”
She nods. “I guess. I just . . .” She looks at me. “What do you think about long-distance relationships?”
I stare at her and skip over the formalities. “What? Why? With who?”
“I don’t know, just in general—”
“Who?” I demand.
“A guy.”
“How did you meet this guy who doesn’t live near us?” I know my voice is getting loud, but I have a weird feeling. “Not on the Internet or anything, right?”
She scowls at me. “Yeah, his online username is ChildPredator77. I sent him pictures of my naked budding bazooms and he wants to meet me behind the Dumpster at Pete’s Liquor to give me candy. Jeez, Jules! Of course not. I’m not stupid.”
I sigh in relief. “Okay. Wow. Sorry. Of course you’re not stupid. So how . . . ?”
“Soccer camp during fall break.”
“Oh.” I search my memory, trying to recall if she ever talked about a boy. “Have you been in contact with . . . wait, what’s his name?”
“Charlie. Yeah. We video chat during second hour almost every day.”
I blink.
“I have study hall in the library. He’s sort of homeschooled. I met his parents when they picked him up.”
My lips part but I can’t think of anything to say.
She turns to look at me. “They’ve invited me to come for spring break.”
Silence.
“They offered to pay for my ticket, but that felt weird so I’m saving up my tips to go. They live in New York.” She snaps her fingers in my face. “Hello? Any reaction at all would be appreciated.”
I shake my head, dumbfounded. “But . . . a week or two ago you said you didn’t have a boyfriend.”
“It wasn’t official yet then. We’ve been taking it slow.”
“New York? Really?”
She nods. “So? What do you think?”
I say the first thing that comes to mind. “You’re fifteen. There’s no way Mom and Dad will let you.”
Rowan rolls her eyes to the ceiling. “Besides that.”
“Have you two . . . did you . . . ,” I stammer. “Um . . .”
“We held hands and kissed once. That’s all.”
“That’s all,” I echo, lost in melancholy thoughts. And then I catch myself and shoot her the best smile I can fake. “I’m really happy for you, Ro.”
“And the long-distance thing?”
I shrug. “I think if anybody can make it work, it’s you.”
She grins and hops off the chair arm. “Thanks, Jules. I was hoping you’d say that. I really like him.” She reaches down and hugs me, then hurries to the
“This is all really embarrassing, you know,” I say. Treyleaves and I call out after him, “How is it that everyone in my family thinks I’m out having sex? I don’t ever leave this place. There’s no time to get pregnant around here!” I look at Rowan.
She’s watching me, grinning.
“Go,” I say. I point to the door. “Don’t you have to work or something?”
“Somebody around here has to. Lazy butt.”
“Go!”
She leaves to change clothes, and I sit here again to stew over what to do. I look outside in the waning afternoon light on a cold, snowless day and again feel relieved that I’ve got a bit of time on my hands to work with.
I’m just not sure how to tackle the next thing on my list—convincing Sawyer that something bad is going to happen, and watching him look at me like I’m nuts, all while avoiding threats from his father that could make my father kill himself.
This is where the whole love-and-pain thing comes in, right here. But I’m newly determined, and I can’t let my heart stop me from totally alienating the boy I love . . . or soon all I’ll be loving will be the memory of him.
Before Rowan goes down to the restaurant, she peeks into the living room again, and hesitates. “Hey, Jules?” she says in an earnest voice.
“What’s up?” I say. I pat the arm of my chair, whichis the only place she can sit. She comes over and perches next to me, and I put my arm around her waist like when we were younger. “You okay?”
She nods. “I guess. I just . . .” She looks at me. “What do you think about long-distance relationships?”
I stare at her and skip over the formalities. “What? Why? With who?”
“I don’t know, just in general—”
“Who?” I demand.
“A guy.”
“How did you meet this guy who doesn’t live near us?” I know my voice is getting loud, but I have a weird feeling. “Not on the Internet or anything, right?”
She scowls at me. “Yeah, his online username is ChildPredator77. I sent him pictures of my naked budding bazooms and he wants to meet me behind the Dumpster at Pete’s Liquor to give me candy. Jeez, Jules! Of course not. I’m not stupid.”
I sigh in relief. “Okay. Wow. Sorry. Of course you’re not stupid. So how . . . ?”
“Soccer camp during fall break.”
“Oh.” I search my memory, trying to recall if she ever talked about a boy. “Have you been in contact with . . . wait, what’s his name?”
“Charlie. Yeah. We video chat during second hour almost every day.”
I blink.
“I have study hall in the library. He’s sort of homeschooled. I met his parents when they picked him up.”
My lips part but I can’t think of anything to say.
She turns to look at me. “They’ve invited me to come for spring break.”
Silence.
“They offered to pay for my ticket, but that felt weird so I’m saving up my tips to go. They live in New York.” She snaps her fingers in my face. “Hello? Any reaction at all would be appreciated.”
I shake my head, dumbfounded. “But . . . a week or two ago you said you didn’t have a boyfriend.”
“It wasn’t official yet then. We’ve been taking it slow.”
“New York? Really?”
She nods. “So? What do you think?”
I say the first thing that comes to mind. “You’re fifteen. There’s no way Mom and Dad will let you.”
Rowan rolls her eyes to the ceiling. “Besides that.”
“Have you two . . . did you . . . ,” I stammer. “Um . . .”
“We held hands and kissed once. That’s all.”
“That’s all,” I echo, lost in melancholy thoughts. And then I catch myself and shoot her the best smile I can fake. “I’m really happy for you, Ro.”
“And the long-distance thing?”
I shrug. “I think if anybody can make it work, it’s you.”
She grins and hops off the chair arm. “Thanks, Jules. I was hoping you’d say that. I really like him.” She reaches down and hugs me, then hurries to the
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