had on was one of my favorites—skinny jeans and a flowing top—but it didn’t make me feel as confident as I’d hoped. On the other hand, I didn’t like the top I had just picked up, either. I was not in a pink mood.
I tossed the pink top on the floor and was debating changing into a dress when I was interrupted by a knock on the attic hatch. I lowered the stairs with the help of the person below me, and a moment later Kaye’s white-blonde head popped up. “Hi! Can I come in?”
I smiled. “Of course. What’s up?”
“I thought you might like a lemon drop shot before the party starts. They kind of remind me of freshman year of college,” Kaye said apologetically, sitting down on my futon, “but our friends always ask for them. We’ve stopped trying to make them drink something classy. Ready?”
“Sure.” I joined her on the futon, and we downed the shots. I tried not to make a face. It was way too sweet for me, but I appreciated the thought. “I’m excited for the party tonight,” I said. “It’ll be nice to meet your friends.”
“You’ve probably seen most of them around town, or at the bar. But now you’ll have a chance to talk to them when you aren’t working. Or you can ignore them and just hang out with me and Andy.”
“That sounds nice.” I adjusted one of my carnelian dream-catcher earrings. “Have you and Andy always been such good friends?”
“Oh, you know how it is, we hung around with all the same people in high school. Not much choice with such a small school. After high school, I left for college, and we only saw each other once or twice, when I came home for…New Year’s, or whatever.”
Kaye did not quite look at me when she said this, and I repressed the urge to ask her for the uncensored version of this story.
She pulled on a thread on the hem of her shirt. “Then, when I moved back here after college, I got a place with my friend Violet—you’ll meet her, she’s coming up for the party tonight—but eventually Vi bought a place of her own, so I moved in with Andy, Scott, and Rusty.”
“Just you and the guys.”
“God, it was disgusting.” Kaye grinned. “I love having you here! Have I told you that? You clean up after yourself, and you smell nice.”
I laughed. “I try.”
“I’m sorry I’ll be leaving you alone with them next year.”
“You’re moving out?” I asked, dismayed.
“I’m going to move to Boston. I want to be a photojournalist. I’ve been doing it up here, part-time, for the last few years—boring local paper stuff, you know—but it’s time to try for something bigger. So I’m going to save some money and, even if I can’t get a job by then, I’ll just move there next year when our lease is up.”
“Wow.” It was hard to imagine Fall Island without Kaye, but at the same time I could totally see her as a kick-ass photojournalist. “You would be amazing at that.” I tapped her shoulder. “You should definitely go for it.”
“Thanks.” Her fair cheeks turned pink. “How about you? Do you really think you’ll stay?”
“I really do.”
She shrugged. “Well, you know, for you, it’s all new. I like it here, too, but I’m sick of… I don’t know. I could use a change. And I have to at least try to accomplish my goals.”
“I’m not sure I have those.”
“What? Goals?”
“Yeah.”
Stay away from Rhys. Stop dating douchebags. Those were my goals.But what about the rest of my life, besides relationships? I couldn’t remember the last time I’d given it serious thought.
“I think I might…” I stopped. I’d never said this to another soul. Not even to my mom’s grave.
“You might what?”
“I want to teach art,” I said, in a rush, “but I never went to college, so it’s a stupid idea.”
“It’s not stupid!” she said. “It’s not too late to go to college. You’re younger than me, aren’t you?”
“I’m twenty-four. I’d be in school with a bunch of nineteen-year-olds.” And
I tossed the pink top on the floor and was debating changing into a dress when I was interrupted by a knock on the attic hatch. I lowered the stairs with the help of the person below me, and a moment later Kaye’s white-blonde head popped up. “Hi! Can I come in?”
I smiled. “Of course. What’s up?”
“I thought you might like a lemon drop shot before the party starts. They kind of remind me of freshman year of college,” Kaye said apologetically, sitting down on my futon, “but our friends always ask for them. We’ve stopped trying to make them drink something classy. Ready?”
“Sure.” I joined her on the futon, and we downed the shots. I tried not to make a face. It was way too sweet for me, but I appreciated the thought. “I’m excited for the party tonight,” I said. “It’ll be nice to meet your friends.”
“You’ve probably seen most of them around town, or at the bar. But now you’ll have a chance to talk to them when you aren’t working. Or you can ignore them and just hang out with me and Andy.”
“That sounds nice.” I adjusted one of my carnelian dream-catcher earrings. “Have you and Andy always been such good friends?”
“Oh, you know how it is, we hung around with all the same people in high school. Not much choice with such a small school. After high school, I left for college, and we only saw each other once or twice, when I came home for…New Year’s, or whatever.”
Kaye did not quite look at me when she said this, and I repressed the urge to ask her for the uncensored version of this story.
She pulled on a thread on the hem of her shirt. “Then, when I moved back here after college, I got a place with my friend Violet—you’ll meet her, she’s coming up for the party tonight—but eventually Vi bought a place of her own, so I moved in with Andy, Scott, and Rusty.”
“Just you and the guys.”
“God, it was disgusting.” Kaye grinned. “I love having you here! Have I told you that? You clean up after yourself, and you smell nice.”
I laughed. “I try.”
“I’m sorry I’ll be leaving you alone with them next year.”
“You’re moving out?” I asked, dismayed.
“I’m going to move to Boston. I want to be a photojournalist. I’ve been doing it up here, part-time, for the last few years—boring local paper stuff, you know—but it’s time to try for something bigger. So I’m going to save some money and, even if I can’t get a job by then, I’ll just move there next year when our lease is up.”
“Wow.” It was hard to imagine Fall Island without Kaye, but at the same time I could totally see her as a kick-ass photojournalist. “You would be amazing at that.” I tapped her shoulder. “You should definitely go for it.”
“Thanks.” Her fair cheeks turned pink. “How about you? Do you really think you’ll stay?”
“I really do.”
She shrugged. “Well, you know, for you, it’s all new. I like it here, too, but I’m sick of… I don’t know. I could use a change. And I have to at least try to accomplish my goals.”
“I’m not sure I have those.”
“What? Goals?”
“Yeah.”
Stay away from Rhys. Stop dating douchebags. Those were my goals.But what about the rest of my life, besides relationships? I couldn’t remember the last time I’d given it serious thought.
“I think I might…” I stopped. I’d never said this to another soul. Not even to my mom’s grave.
“You might what?”
“I want to teach art,” I said, in a rush, “but I never went to college, so it’s a stupid idea.”
“It’s not stupid!” she said. “It’s not too late to go to college. You’re younger than me, aren’t you?”
“I’m twenty-four. I’d be in school with a bunch of nineteen-year-olds.” And
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