did she have to be so obstinate?
Where could she go that might be more acceptable to her parents? She had read about Innsbruck, the heart of the Alps, white with fresh snow. Picturesque gardens, musical chambers, Roman marvels, Bavarian creams. Her clothes, down coat and all, always on, even in bed.
Ugh.
Sheâd spent her entire life living in snowed-in valleys surrounded by mountains. She skied, snowboarded, sledded. She skated right on her lake. She played wild, nearly violent games of ice hockey with her friends. Every four years she and Mason pretended they were Olympic skaters, spinning and salchowing over the thick ice. But Chloe and Blake were actual speed skaters and every winter when they werenât ice fishing, they spent from sunup to sundown in racing abandon. Chloe owned more parkas than jean jackets. She knew what to do for frostbite. She had read Jack Londonâs terrifying âTo Build a Fire.â More than once.
Why would she go anywhere else but Barcelona? Why would she ever want to?
8
Empty Wells and Vernal Pools
C HLOE ASKED TO BORROW HER MOTHERâS CAR TO DRIVE Hannah to Bangor. She made up some story about dorms and housing applications.
Lang only half listened. âAre you ever going to tell her?â she asked.
Hannah was headed to Bangor to break up with the grandpa who loved her. He might not make it out of the afternoon alive. Did she really need Chloe adding to her woes? âNot right now.â
âTell her on the way. Itâs the perfect time. âUm, Hannah, guess what? Our trip to Bangor reminds me of something.â That sort of thing. You know sheâll find out eventually.â
âOf course sheâll find out eventually, Mom.â Duh.
âPerhaps when she moves into a UMaine dorm and instead of you her roommate is a tall black chick?â
âYes, like then. And donât say âchick,â Mom. Ew.â If Chloe ground her teeth any more, sheâd have no teeth left. Why couldnât her mother be like Hannahâs mother? Terri never asked questions, never hounded, never scolded. Chloe wasnât one hundred percent sure Terri knew where her daughter was accepted to college. She was so chill and lax about things.
âWhy wonât you tell her? What are you afraid of?â
Why did everybody keep asking her this! What wasnât she afraid of? That Hannah would not forgive her. That she couldnât explain it. When Chloe tried to explain it to herself, she couldnât,so how was she going to explain it to her best friend, and to Mason?
âHave you told Mason at least?â
Chloe didnât reply.
âOh dear Lord. Chloe!â
âMom! Can you please not stress me out more than I already am? I tell you what, sign my passport application, and Iâll tell everybody everything in Barcelona.â
âChloe, you havenât told your boyfriend youâre leaving?â
âMom, heâll find out soon enough! Heâs got his last varsity game coming up. Heâs been in training for three weeks. I didnât want to bother him. And I only just decided.â
âA month ago.â
âA few weeks ago.â She stuck out her hand, trying not to shake. âPlease can I have the keys?â
âIâm telling you right now, Iâm not doing it,â Lang said, opening her purse. âYouâre not hopping on a plane and leaving me behind to mop up your mess with Mason and Hannah and Blake.â
âWhatâs Blake got to do with it? Let me go to Barcelona and Iâll tell them myself.â
âDonât threaten me, young lady, I wonât stand for it.â
âThe keys. Mom. Please. â
In the car, while Hannah was angsting away about Martyn, Chloe wasnât listening, her focus elsewhere. Had there been silence in the car, she might have attempted a confession. A pretend-casual tone. No big deal, Hannah. I know youâre thinking weâre going
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