are a million ways to have fun here.” She turns to Vivian. “I know it’s hard when everyone’s drunk and stoned all the time, but the three of you—Vivian, have you even met Aiden? Why aren’t you all hanging out together?”
“I’m fine, thanks,” Vivian says.
Charlotte is not convinced. “I’ll see you both on The Ice, and then we’ll eat a few gallons of chocolate, okay?” She hugs the top of my head with her hand. “Okay?”
I smile up at her. “Yes.”
“Good! Viv, you’re done. Stop working, please…and make sure the lights are out, will you? I’m going to shower and change into clothes that make me look female. I’m sick of walking around here looking like an Antarctica five.”
“Antarctica five?”
“An Antarctica ten is a Mainland five. Men are pigs. See you at sunset. Do not be late. Do. Not.” And she’s out the door.
Vivian sits on her lab stool for a moment, her hand absently on a microscope.
“Hey, Vivian.”
She looks up.
“What’s T3?”
Vivian shakes her head, puts her earbuds back in, locks the microscope away, and hefts her backpack onto her shoulder.
“What are you listening to?”
She pushes the door open. “Lock up, will you?”
“Hey!” I call. “Are you going? The sunset?”
But she’s gone.
I would never have gone to the rookery if I’d known it was going to cause this ridiculous Sharks and Jets rumble—no, not a rumble; it’s just cold indifference. I wish Charlotte would tell her to knock it off.
I wish I still had Kate.
I turn out the lights and run to a take a shower, pull on my warmest layers, and lie down on top of the blankets to take a mini power nap before the sun does its thing. I’m drifting in the kitten bed…until a knock wakes me.
“Hellew…,” the Irish cadence sings. “Harper Scott?”
I heave myself up. “It’s open!”
His smile peers around the door. “Perfect! You’re dressed. Let’s go!”
“It’s not for hours. I’m sleeping!”
“Oh, but the show beforehand is
not
to be missed. Come along.” Aiden sits on my chair and waits while I pull my socks and boots over my shower-warm feet. He looks around my empty room.
“Nice holiday lights.”
“Thanks. Someone left them.”
“Radio working well?”
“I’m your biggest fan.”
He picks up the books on my desk. “Using the library? Good!”
I nod. The library
is
awesome. Worn-out ski-lodge carpeting, shabby sofa. Lots of coffee table books about the explorers and, of course, a million science texts. Dog-eared fiction paperbacks people bring from the mainland and leave behind.
“Kübler-Ross.
Tao Te Ching.
Light reading for the darkest, coldest, most isolated place on the planet.”
I shrug.
“Don’t you like lady books? I always see they’ve got plenty of those.”
“Lady books?”
“The ones about ladies going shopping and eating sweets when their fella drops them.”
“Uh…am I the first female human you’ve met? Where are you getting your lady info?”
“Hey, nothing wrong with lady books! They’re better than the…What is this?” He picks up the top of the stack.
“On Grief and Grieving.”
What in the world are you grieving?”
“Let’s go.”
“You’ve got everything on? It’s nearly twenty below.”
“Got it.”
He sits and looks me over. “How’re you feeling?”
“You know what? I’m feeling T-three-licious. Let’s
go
!”
At the door, he hesitates. Looks real cagey. “If I show you something, will you not say anything to anyone about it?”
“Not if you’re committing a felony.”
He opens his red parka, not an easy feat once it’s on and zipped.
“Ohhh!” I squeal.
“Shhhh! See, that’s what I’m talking about! Shut up or I’ll get in trouble!”
“Whose is it?”
“My guy,” he whispers. “The ‘supervisor’ who doesn’t even know my name. I’ll put it right back, but today’s supposed to be perfect. We’re not missing this chance. This is the smallest telescope with any
“I’m fine, thanks,” Vivian says.
Charlotte is not convinced. “I’ll see you both on The Ice, and then we’ll eat a few gallons of chocolate, okay?” She hugs the top of my head with her hand. “Okay?”
I smile up at her. “Yes.”
“Good! Viv, you’re done. Stop working, please…and make sure the lights are out, will you? I’m going to shower and change into clothes that make me look female. I’m sick of walking around here looking like an Antarctica five.”
“Antarctica five?”
“An Antarctica ten is a Mainland five. Men are pigs. See you at sunset. Do not be late. Do. Not.” And she’s out the door.
Vivian sits on her lab stool for a moment, her hand absently on a microscope.
“Hey, Vivian.”
She looks up.
“What’s T3?”
Vivian shakes her head, puts her earbuds back in, locks the microscope away, and hefts her backpack onto her shoulder.
“What are you listening to?”
She pushes the door open. “Lock up, will you?”
“Hey!” I call. “Are you going? The sunset?”
But she’s gone.
I would never have gone to the rookery if I’d known it was going to cause this ridiculous Sharks and Jets rumble—no, not a rumble; it’s just cold indifference. I wish Charlotte would tell her to knock it off.
I wish I still had Kate.
I turn out the lights and run to a take a shower, pull on my warmest layers, and lie down on top of the blankets to take a mini power nap before the sun does its thing. I’m drifting in the kitten bed…until a knock wakes me.
“Hellew…,” the Irish cadence sings. “Harper Scott?”
I heave myself up. “It’s open!”
His smile peers around the door. “Perfect! You’re dressed. Let’s go!”
“It’s not for hours. I’m sleeping!”
“Oh, but the show beforehand is
not
to be missed. Come along.” Aiden sits on my chair and waits while I pull my socks and boots over my shower-warm feet. He looks around my empty room.
“Nice holiday lights.”
“Thanks. Someone left them.”
“Radio working well?”
“I’m your biggest fan.”
He picks up the books on my desk. “Using the library? Good!”
I nod. The library
is
awesome. Worn-out ski-lodge carpeting, shabby sofa. Lots of coffee table books about the explorers and, of course, a million science texts. Dog-eared fiction paperbacks people bring from the mainland and leave behind.
“Kübler-Ross.
Tao Te Ching.
Light reading for the darkest, coldest, most isolated place on the planet.”
I shrug.
“Don’t you like lady books? I always see they’ve got plenty of those.”
“Lady books?”
“The ones about ladies going shopping and eating sweets when their fella drops them.”
“Uh…am I the first female human you’ve met? Where are you getting your lady info?”
“Hey, nothing wrong with lady books! They’re better than the…What is this?” He picks up the top of the stack.
“On Grief and Grieving.”
What in the world are you grieving?”
“Let’s go.”
“You’ve got everything on? It’s nearly twenty below.”
“Got it.”
He sits and looks me over. “How’re you feeling?”
“You know what? I’m feeling T-three-licious. Let’s
go
!”
At the door, he hesitates. Looks real cagey. “If I show you something, will you not say anything to anyone about it?”
“Not if you’re committing a felony.”
He opens his red parka, not an easy feat once it’s on and zipped.
“Ohhh!” I squeal.
“Shhhh! See, that’s what I’m talking about! Shut up or I’ll get in trouble!”
“Whose is it?”
“My guy,” he whispers. “The ‘supervisor’ who doesn’t even know my name. I’ll put it right back, but today’s supposed to be perfect. We’re not missing this chance. This is the smallest telescope with any
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