It’s late when I finish settling into my new home. The last thing I do is place two picture frames side-by-side on the desk near my bed. Before I turn off the light, I look to the framed photos. “Night night, Gracie. Good night, Gus. Love you both.”
Saturday, August 27
(Kate)
I wake to my cell phone buzzing on my desk and it’s way too demanding for this early in the morning. I squint my eyes and through the sleep my clock reads 6:47am. My first thought is Gus. It’s always Gus. But it’s not even 5:00am in California. It can’t be him … unless he’s been out all night, which is entirely possible. I strip the covers back and shuffle over to see what’s so important.
It’s a text from Maddie: U left stuff here. B here b4 12 2day.
“And good morning to you,” I yawn at the phone. It’s way too early for that many abbreviations.
I stretch and decide now’s as good a time as any to check out the showers down the hall. I wear my beach flip-flops in the shower because Gus told me I could pick up some nasty foot fungus if I don’t.
By 7:10 I’m out the door and headed for Maddie’s. If she’s going to summon me at the butt crack of dawn she’d better be prepared to receive me.
She answers after my third round of knocking wrapped in a fluffy white robe and one of those sleeping eye cover things pushed up on her forehead. “Kate? It’s 7:25 in the morning.”
“Um, yeah?” Duh. “Were you sleeping?”
“Yes.” She’s pissed.
“Sorry. I thought your courtesy wake-up text was permission to come over.” I’m in a great mood and trying to joke my way through this. It’s the only way to deal with her shit this early in the morning.
“I woke up early because Princess needed to go outside and I texted you before I went back to bed.” She barks a condescending laugh. “Really, Kate, don’t you know anything about dorm life?” I can see that she enjoys the hell out of talking down to me, but to be honest it’s pretty damn entertaining, funny even. “It’s common courtesy to silence your cell phone at night or your roommate is going to grow to hate you. It’s one of the first rules in dorm life. If it was silenced, like it should have been, my text wouldn’t have woken you.”
And because Maddie’s one of those people who thinks everyone hangs on her every word, I indulge her. “Thanks Maddie I’ll keep that in mind.” For crying out loud, I slept in the same room with Grace for nineteen years, so I probably know a thing or two about common courtesy and space sharing, I want to add. But I bite my lip.
And because Maddie’s also one of those people who clearly can’t see when they’re being a jackoff, she grins. “You’re welcome.” And then shakes her head and gives me a pitiful look. “What am I going to do with you?”
You could throw my shit out the front door so I can leave because you still haven’t had the common courtesy to invite me in, runs through my head. But then I remember to put myself in Maddie’s shoes. What would I think of me? She doesn’t really know me, just what’s happened to me. Maybe she thinks I need to be looked after, and this is her version of good intention. Whatever.
“So, I’ll just grab my stuff and get out of your hair.” I’m kind of done screwing with her. She’s not funny anymore.
“Oh, right.” She steps aside and gestures to a pile of clothes on the sofa.
“Awesome,” I say as I scoop them up. “Thanks for not throwing them out on the curb or, you know, setting them on fire.”
She screws up her face in confusion. “I wouldn’t do that.”
She doesn’t know my sense of humor yet. “Kidding. I’m kidding Maddie. Lighten up.”
Her face smoothes out, but she still looks hurt. I feel kinda bad. “Since you’re already awake, you wanna grab something to eat?” Guilt’s prodding me. I feel it like a sharp poke in the ribs.
She’s super eager and that surprises me. “Sure, just give me a few minutes to get ready.”
“No problem, take your time.”
If I’d known she’d take the take your time comment so literally I would’ve said, no problem, you have fifteen minutes. An hour and thirteen minutes later she sashays her ass out of the bathroom dressed like she’s ready for a night out on the town. That’s another thing about Maddie; she doesn’t know how to dress down. I’m in sweats, a Sleigh Bells T-shirt, and running shoes and she’s in a strapless minidress and strappy, platform sandals.
“Wow, nice dress. But dude, it’s just breakfast.”
“Oh Kate.” She shakes her head as if to say, Oh silly, silly immature Kate. “You never know when you’re going to meet Prince Charming. You always have to look your best.” She takes in my ensemble. “This is something you’ll learn in time.”
Pretty sure I won’t. I guess everyone has different definitions of prince charming. My definition might be based a little more on substance and character—call me crazy.
The dress she’s wearing shows a lot of skin and it’s the first time I notice how startling thin she is. Like bone thin. I can’t help but blink my eyes away. It’s like some sort of internal coping mechanism’s been triggered to protect me from scary shit.
Suddenly Maddie is bubbly and happy. She talks nonstop all the way to the café about her visit to the gym yesterday and the hot, rich guy that got her number.