Taylor said.
We all still felt a little guilty that we made plans to study or live abroad for the next four months while Olivia would be left behind in Chicago.
It was our last year of college and we were all growing restless, ready to see the world. Taylor was going to spend a semester studying in London and getting to know her family better. Payton was less inclined to spend time with family and she was going to spend her semester in Rome, learning the language and eating gelato. She also claimed to be registered for some classes, but we were unconvinced. Of the twins, she was the most likely to drop out of school to explore Europe.
I had gotten an internship with a designer in Paris. My mother had some connections, and I wasn’t ashamed to use them. I had been designing and making my own clothes since we were just kids.
Scottie, quiet and smart Scottie, had already graduated. Ever the studious girl, she had taken summer classes all throughout college to graduate early. Her reward was a trip to Ireland to stay with her father. Her parents had divorced when we were kids and now her father was remarrying an Irish woman. They were happily in love, and Scottie had reluctantly agreed to spend a few months with her new family.
That left poor Olivia alone in Chicago. She was focused on getting into law school and didn’t want to be distracted with fancy trips abroad. At least, that’s what she had said when we were all making plans. Now, it was obvious that she was beginning to regret her decision.
“I bought us something,” Olivia announced, plopping her oversized purse on the table.
“Us?” I frowned. “I prefer solo gifts.”
“Still haven’t learned to share, Cam?” Payton teased, helping herself to some of her sister’s sangria. Her own glass had been empty less than a minute.
Olivia pulled a book from her bag and set it on the table. “I got us a journal.”
“Why?” Taylor asked, speaking before thinking like always.
“So we can write to each other!” Olivia smiled proudly. “We’ll take turns. You write an entry, then mail it to the next person. When you all get back in December, we’ll have a complete account of everyone’s trips.”
“Nobody writes in journals anymore,” I said, eyeing it suspiciously. “Can’t we just email?”
Olivia shook her head. “That’s so impersonal. This is much more meaningful.”
“I think it’s a nice idea,” Scottie said, reaching for it. She flipped through the blank pages. “Emails just get buried in inboxes, but this is more permanent.”
“Also known as blackmail,” I said. “Do I really need my sins recorded for posterity?”
“Yes!” they all said with a laugh.
I threw my hands in the air. “Fine. Have it your way. But I guarantee you that you are going to regret this.”
“If you die with no regrets, then you lived a really boring life,” Payton declared.
The waitress had returned with an extra-large pitcher of sangria and after our glasses were appropriately refilled, Scottie demanded a toast.
“What are we cheersing to?” I asked, already slightly tipsy.
“To regrets,” said Payton.
“To hot foreign men!” I chirped.
Scottie added shyly, “To friends.”
“To another lame semester,” Olivia lamented.
Taylor cleared her throat and spoke louder than the others. “To us!”
Three glasses of sangria later, the girls cut me off and put me in a cab. It was probably for the best since I was catching a flight the next day and I still needed to pack.
I managed to stumble up the stairs to my friend Xander’s apartment and after quite a bit of fumbling, I got the door unlocked. He had been out of town for the last two weeks so I’d pretty much taken over the one-bedroom. On my way to the kitchen, my foot got hooked on a wayward bra and I nearly fell down.
My phone started ringing in one of my pockets and I finally managed to track it down.
“Speak!”
My sister paused. “Camryn. Are you drunk?”
She knew me
We all still felt a little guilty that we made plans to study or live abroad for the next four months while Olivia would be left behind in Chicago.
It was our last year of college and we were all growing restless, ready to see the world. Taylor was going to spend a semester studying in London and getting to know her family better. Payton was less inclined to spend time with family and she was going to spend her semester in Rome, learning the language and eating gelato. She also claimed to be registered for some classes, but we were unconvinced. Of the twins, she was the most likely to drop out of school to explore Europe.
I had gotten an internship with a designer in Paris. My mother had some connections, and I wasn’t ashamed to use them. I had been designing and making my own clothes since we were just kids.
Scottie, quiet and smart Scottie, had already graduated. Ever the studious girl, she had taken summer classes all throughout college to graduate early. Her reward was a trip to Ireland to stay with her father. Her parents had divorced when we were kids and now her father was remarrying an Irish woman. They were happily in love, and Scottie had reluctantly agreed to spend a few months with her new family.
That left poor Olivia alone in Chicago. She was focused on getting into law school and didn’t want to be distracted with fancy trips abroad. At least, that’s what she had said when we were all making plans. Now, it was obvious that she was beginning to regret her decision.
“I bought us something,” Olivia announced, plopping her oversized purse on the table.
“Us?” I frowned. “I prefer solo gifts.”
“Still haven’t learned to share, Cam?” Payton teased, helping herself to some of her sister’s sangria. Her own glass had been empty less than a minute.
Olivia pulled a book from her bag and set it on the table. “I got us a journal.”
“Why?” Taylor asked, speaking before thinking like always.
“So we can write to each other!” Olivia smiled proudly. “We’ll take turns. You write an entry, then mail it to the next person. When you all get back in December, we’ll have a complete account of everyone’s trips.”
“Nobody writes in journals anymore,” I said, eyeing it suspiciously. “Can’t we just email?”
Olivia shook her head. “That’s so impersonal. This is much more meaningful.”
“I think it’s a nice idea,” Scottie said, reaching for it. She flipped through the blank pages. “Emails just get buried in inboxes, but this is more permanent.”
“Also known as blackmail,” I said. “Do I really need my sins recorded for posterity?”
“Yes!” they all said with a laugh.
I threw my hands in the air. “Fine. Have it your way. But I guarantee you that you are going to regret this.”
“If you die with no regrets, then you lived a really boring life,” Payton declared.
The waitress had returned with an extra-large pitcher of sangria and after our glasses were appropriately refilled, Scottie demanded a toast.
“What are we cheersing to?” I asked, already slightly tipsy.
“To regrets,” said Payton.
“To hot foreign men!” I chirped.
Scottie added shyly, “To friends.”
“To another lame semester,” Olivia lamented.
Taylor cleared her throat and spoke louder than the others. “To us!”
Three glasses of sangria later, the girls cut me off and put me in a cab. It was probably for the best since I was catching a flight the next day and I still needed to pack.
I managed to stumble up the stairs to my friend Xander’s apartment and after quite a bit of fumbling, I got the door unlocked. He had been out of town for the last two weeks so I’d pretty much taken over the one-bedroom. On my way to the kitchen, my foot got hooked on a wayward bra and I nearly fell down.
My phone started ringing in one of my pockets and I finally managed to track it down.
“Speak!”
My sister paused. “Camryn. Are you drunk?”
She knew me
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