Jude’s warning.
“I’m fine, I promise. But we should probably look into it more is all I’m saying.”
What is Kevin doing here? I crane my neck to look down the hallway and see Emma leave Benjamin’s room. I close my eyes again to collect my thoughts and rub my temples in a circular motion—
hoping for some kind of relief.
“Hey, you look like death.”
I crack open one of my eyes and half-heartedly wave in Emma’s direction. “Hey yourself. I had a long night—and, no I don’t want to talk about it. I just spent the past two hours writing at The Caffeine Drip. I’m on a severe crash from an espresso overdose and I have no emotions left over.”
Emma places her hands on her hips. “So...if I told you Jude has Benjamin tonight for one of their bonding rituals as menfolk, you wouldn’t be interested in going shopping with me?”
She has my attention now. If Jude has Benjamin, why did I just hear him talking with Kevin, and why was she coming out of Benjamin’s room? I look at her.
“Guys night? Is Kevin in on this?”
She snorts. “Kevin? What does Kevin have to do with guys’ night?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Am I crazy or did I hear him talking with Jude a minute ago?”
Emma turns toward the hallway and then turns to face me, red blotches crawling up her neck.
She’s nervous? She only turns red when she’s nervous. I chew the inside of my thumb, waiting for her to answer. She smiles.
“You did. Kevin called Jude earlier about some questions with his government and economics homework. He’s been talking with him for the last thirty minutes about due processes and stock markets.”
“Are they on speaker or something? Why did I hear Kevin’s voice if they’re on the phone?” I move to get off the couch and walk down the hallway and she plops beside me and sets her hand on my leg.
“I know. Tutoring via speaker phone. Whatever. Boring. But...that doesn’t matter. What does matter is this shopping trip. You coming?” She rests her head on the back of the couch and sighs.
I haven’t been shopping, even window shopping, in forever. I mean this literally. Most of my clothes are hand-me-downs from my mother and they don’t fit correctly. I’ve never been shopping just for fun. Fashion is one of my secret indulgences. I love looking at the magazines stashed in the check out lines of grocery stores, imagining what I would wear if I could just buy whatever I want.
I sit up, slowly, and rub my eyes. “Okay. Shopping. Let’s do this. Can we stop and get something to perk me up? Food perhaps? I haven’t eaten since Cloud Nine this morning.”
Emma laughs and jumps off the couch, grabbing her purse off the ledge by the door. “Come on.”
I walk past her and out the door, hearing her chuckle behind me. I hear the click on the Jeep and I open the door to get in from the cold. Emma isn’t too far behind. As soon as she climbs into her seat and starts the engine, she looks at me and asks. “So what’s this about USC?”
I stare at her. “Seriously? How do you know about this? Were you in on it?”
She smiles. “Mrs. Peabody isn’t as flighty as you think. She knows we’re close and so when she found out they were interested in you she immediately e-mailed me letting me know. It’s not that big of a deal, Steph —me knowing. But. You having an opportunity for USC is a big deal. Have you thought much about it today?”
“Yeah. For like a second. And then I remembered Pacey and Kevin and my dad and
well... money.” I tilt my head. “Is it an incredible opportunity? Absolutely. Is it realistic?” I shrug my shoulders, hiding my disappointment. “Probably not.”
Emma looks at me for a brief second before turning a corner into the local shopping center. “Just promise me one thing, Stephanie.”
“What’s that?”
“You won’t ever forget that ‘impossible’ is merely a dare.”
I stare at her for a brief second before bursting into laughter. “What are you,
“I’m fine, I promise. But we should probably look into it more is all I’m saying.”
What is Kevin doing here? I crane my neck to look down the hallway and see Emma leave Benjamin’s room. I close my eyes again to collect my thoughts and rub my temples in a circular motion—
hoping for some kind of relief.
“Hey, you look like death.”
I crack open one of my eyes and half-heartedly wave in Emma’s direction. “Hey yourself. I had a long night—and, no I don’t want to talk about it. I just spent the past two hours writing at The Caffeine Drip. I’m on a severe crash from an espresso overdose and I have no emotions left over.”
Emma places her hands on her hips. “So...if I told you Jude has Benjamin tonight for one of their bonding rituals as menfolk, you wouldn’t be interested in going shopping with me?”
She has my attention now. If Jude has Benjamin, why did I just hear him talking with Kevin, and why was she coming out of Benjamin’s room? I look at her.
“Guys night? Is Kevin in on this?”
She snorts. “Kevin? What does Kevin have to do with guys’ night?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Am I crazy or did I hear him talking with Jude a minute ago?”
Emma turns toward the hallway and then turns to face me, red blotches crawling up her neck.
She’s nervous? She only turns red when she’s nervous. I chew the inside of my thumb, waiting for her to answer. She smiles.
“You did. Kevin called Jude earlier about some questions with his government and economics homework. He’s been talking with him for the last thirty minutes about due processes and stock markets.”
“Are they on speaker or something? Why did I hear Kevin’s voice if they’re on the phone?” I move to get off the couch and walk down the hallway and she plops beside me and sets her hand on my leg.
“I know. Tutoring via speaker phone. Whatever. Boring. But...that doesn’t matter. What does matter is this shopping trip. You coming?” She rests her head on the back of the couch and sighs.
I haven’t been shopping, even window shopping, in forever. I mean this literally. Most of my clothes are hand-me-downs from my mother and they don’t fit correctly. I’ve never been shopping just for fun. Fashion is one of my secret indulgences. I love looking at the magazines stashed in the check out lines of grocery stores, imagining what I would wear if I could just buy whatever I want.
I sit up, slowly, and rub my eyes. “Okay. Shopping. Let’s do this. Can we stop and get something to perk me up? Food perhaps? I haven’t eaten since Cloud Nine this morning.”
Emma laughs and jumps off the couch, grabbing her purse off the ledge by the door. “Come on.”
I walk past her and out the door, hearing her chuckle behind me. I hear the click on the Jeep and I open the door to get in from the cold. Emma isn’t too far behind. As soon as she climbs into her seat and starts the engine, she looks at me and asks. “So what’s this about USC?”
I stare at her. “Seriously? How do you know about this? Were you in on it?”
She smiles. “Mrs. Peabody isn’t as flighty as you think. She knows we’re close and so when she found out they were interested in you she immediately e-mailed me letting me know. It’s not that big of a deal, Steph —me knowing. But. You having an opportunity for USC is a big deal. Have you thought much about it today?”
“Yeah. For like a second. And then I remembered Pacey and Kevin and my dad and
well... money.” I tilt my head. “Is it an incredible opportunity? Absolutely. Is it realistic?” I shrug my shoulders, hiding my disappointment. “Probably not.”
Emma looks at me for a brief second before turning a corner into the local shopping center. “Just promise me one thing, Stephanie.”
“What’s that?”
“You won’t ever forget that ‘impossible’ is merely a dare.”
I stare at her for a brief second before bursting into laughter. “What are you,
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