sent her first text to Will.
Friend to friend. Ready to talk.
She checked between every class for a reply. The more time that passed without one, the more she questioned herself.
Really? You’re just going to start playing again as if it’s not that big a deal to your family?
And questioned her questions:
Stop thinking about them. Only you. And music. Or maybe it’s the attention you miss, like Reyna wondered.
At lunch Reyna was telling Carson about coming to Lucy’s for Thanksgiving when Lucy finally got a text. She grabbed for her phone and smiled to see it was Will’s reply:
I’ll be at the house tomorrow. Can you wait till then?
Lucy texted a quick
yes
and put down her phone.
“Pretty quick on the draw, there, cowgirl,” Carson said.
“Yeah,” Reyna said, “who was that? All your friends are right here.”
She looked at them, considering if and what to share. “Will.”
In unison they asked, “Who?”
“My brother’s new teacher.”
“The cute-not-cute guy?” Carson asked.
“Who you might meet on Thursday,” she told Reyna. “Gus is inviting him. And his wife.”
“Soooo,” Carson said, rubbing his chin, “silly question – why are you guys texting?”
Lucy shrugged. “Just setting up a time to talk.”
“About what?” Reyna asked.
“I…” He was going to listen to her. That’s all she was certain of so far. After that, who knew what she’d decide about piano? She wasn’t ready to attempt an explanation of what she wasn’t sure of. “A surprise for Gus.”
Reyna dropped it, but when they drove to CC’s after school for coffee to go, she brought it up again. “So the cute, young piano teacher is texting you. Tell me more about that.”
She made it sound…creepy. “You said yourself he’s not that cute or young.”
“Young by
your
standards. So he’s married?”
“Reyna, I’m not—”
“Crap. There’s no parking. You run in; I’ll drive around the block a few times.”
Lucy got their coffee and stood on the street waiting for Reyna to come back. It was colder out than she’d expected. Thanksgiving this week. Christmas after that. Then the long stretch of January and February. She wondered what her life would look like by then.
Reyna’s car pulled up, and as soon as Lucy got in, Reyna said, “I’m just saying remember that teacher at Parker Day who got fired for texting with students?”
“He’s sent me
one
text.”
“…And you should see the records of my dad’s texts that my mom’s lawyer got.”
“Okay, stop. Seriously. One, he’s not my teacher. Two: gross. Three…can we talk about something else?”
“Yes. If you promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Reyna!”
“I mean with your heart, okay?” She glanced at Lucy. “I know you. Now talk about whatever you want.”
Lucy tried to think of a new subject. She wished she hadn’t mentioned Will, not yet. She wound up telling Reyna that even though she was looking forward to her mom and grandpa being gone for the holiday, she also wished she could be there for her grandmother’s memorial in Germany, and the spreading of the ashes.
“
Hm
,” Reyna said, handing her coffee to Lucy while she made a left turn. “Do you think your grandpa would, like, notice if there were a few ashes missing? Like, I don’t know, half a cup?”
Lucy, catching up, turned to Reyna. “I don’t know…do you think?”
“
I
wouldn’t notice, if I were him.” She took her coffee back. “Or you could just ask him. Maybe he’d give you some.”
“No. He’d be offended and appalled and make me feel like a sociopath for even thinking it.” It might hurt him, too, to think about dividing up Grandma’s body that way, even though it had already been reduced to so little. “Plus it would require actually talking about Grandma’s death. It’s not our family’s favourite subject.”
“Right. You have to steal them.” When they got to the house, she asked, “You’re totally sure about
Friend to friend. Ready to talk.
She checked between every class for a reply. The more time that passed without one, the more she questioned herself.
Really? You’re just going to start playing again as if it’s not that big a deal to your family?
And questioned her questions:
Stop thinking about them. Only you. And music. Or maybe it’s the attention you miss, like Reyna wondered.
At lunch Reyna was telling Carson about coming to Lucy’s for Thanksgiving when Lucy finally got a text. She grabbed for her phone and smiled to see it was Will’s reply:
I’ll be at the house tomorrow. Can you wait till then?
Lucy texted a quick
yes
and put down her phone.
“Pretty quick on the draw, there, cowgirl,” Carson said.
“Yeah,” Reyna said, “who was that? All your friends are right here.”
She looked at them, considering if and what to share. “Will.”
In unison they asked, “Who?”
“My brother’s new teacher.”
“The cute-not-cute guy?” Carson asked.
“Who you might meet on Thursday,” she told Reyna. “Gus is inviting him. And his wife.”
“Soooo,” Carson said, rubbing his chin, “silly question – why are you guys texting?”
Lucy shrugged. “Just setting up a time to talk.”
“About what?” Reyna asked.
“I…” He was going to listen to her. That’s all she was certain of so far. After that, who knew what she’d decide about piano? She wasn’t ready to attempt an explanation of what she wasn’t sure of. “A surprise for Gus.”
Reyna dropped it, but when they drove to CC’s after school for coffee to go, she brought it up again. “So the cute, young piano teacher is texting you. Tell me more about that.”
She made it sound…creepy. “You said yourself he’s not that cute or young.”
“Young by
your
standards. So he’s married?”
“Reyna, I’m not—”
“Crap. There’s no parking. You run in; I’ll drive around the block a few times.”
Lucy got their coffee and stood on the street waiting for Reyna to come back. It was colder out than she’d expected. Thanksgiving this week. Christmas after that. Then the long stretch of January and February. She wondered what her life would look like by then.
Reyna’s car pulled up, and as soon as Lucy got in, Reyna said, “I’m just saying remember that teacher at Parker Day who got fired for texting with students?”
“He’s sent me
one
text.”
“…And you should see the records of my dad’s texts that my mom’s lawyer got.”
“Okay, stop. Seriously. One, he’s not my teacher. Two: gross. Three…can we talk about something else?”
“Yes. If you promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Reyna!”
“I mean with your heart, okay?” She glanced at Lucy. “I know you. Now talk about whatever you want.”
Lucy tried to think of a new subject. She wished she hadn’t mentioned Will, not yet. She wound up telling Reyna that even though she was looking forward to her mom and grandpa being gone for the holiday, she also wished she could be there for her grandmother’s memorial in Germany, and the spreading of the ashes.
“
Hm
,” Reyna said, handing her coffee to Lucy while she made a left turn. “Do you think your grandpa would, like, notice if there were a few ashes missing? Like, I don’t know, half a cup?”
Lucy, catching up, turned to Reyna. “I don’t know…do you think?”
“
I
wouldn’t notice, if I were him.” She took her coffee back. “Or you could just ask him. Maybe he’d give you some.”
“No. He’d be offended and appalled and make me feel like a sociopath for even thinking it.” It might hurt him, too, to think about dividing up Grandma’s body that way, even though it had already been reduced to so little. “Plus it would require actually talking about Grandma’s death. It’s not our family’s favourite subject.”
“Right. You have to steal them.” When they got to the house, she asked, “You’re totally sure about
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