Tonight … as in the night I have “plans” with Harper.
“Shit.” I climb out of the car and go to the payphone, dialing numbers and realizing the cigarettes are still in my hand.
I talk the moment he picks up. “It’s me. What are you doing in an hour?”
“Hello to you, too.” There’s music in the background, and Grace asking who he’s talking to. “The lady and I are on our way to the movies. You know, like all the cool kids do.”
“Do you want to meet us at the diner instead?”
“Us?”
“Me and Harper.”
The music turns off and he asks. “Hold on, you and Harper? Is this a thing now, are you guys a thing?”
I sigh. “No, she just wants to hang out. It was either this or go to Conner’s stupid party.”
“Ew,” he says, “Yeah, we can meet you there. Six?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool.”
Once I put the phone back, I already feel better. It won’t be just the two of us, and Miles doesn’t believe in awkward situations. Oddly enough, I’m looking forward to it.
I stash the unsmoked cigarettes in the glove compartment, replacing the money I used to pay for them. Instead of smoking, I’m gonna go see about a girl.
14.
Harper
Kale takes us to this diner about fifteen minutes away on the corner of two roads that have barely any traffic. The sign saying they’re open 24/7 flickers, warning anyone who cares enough that it’s about to die. But inside, it’s clean and bright. The booths are blue with silver specks, and the wooden tabletops are worn down with use. There’s a couple eating at the bar, but there’s nobody else but the waitress in the back talking to the cook.
“They’ll probably be here soon,” Kale says. “Come on.”
He picks the booth in the corner and slides toward the back, his eyes glancing at the front door.
“You could’ve said no, you know,” I say. He looks at me, questioning. “To hanging out with me. I just thought—”
“I would never say no. Why do you say that?”
I shrug and pull a menu from the middle of the table for something to do. “I don’t know … everything just seems weird right now.”
So weird.
Kale sits for a couple moments, and I wish I knew what he was thinking. Then he says, “It’s been six years, Harp. Of course it’s gonna feel weird, but it won’t forever. I promise.”
I take my eyes off the menu to look at him. “You always keep your promises.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Has it really been six years?”
He laughs and leans back, looking tired. “It really has. The last time I saw you, we were twelve, I think.”
But then his smile goes away, thinking about that day and how we ended things with each other. Rather, how I ended things. The day before I left, we were sitting on Uncle Jasper’s porch, none of us in a really good mood because it was the end of summer. I told them I would come over in the morning to say goodbye. But I hated goodbyes and I didn’t want to think about not knowing when I would see them again—Mom barely let me go that year with Aunt Holly getting sicker.
So I never said goodbye. The last time I saw Kale was when he and Libby walked toward the woods to head home. He turned and waved, like he knew he wouldn’t see me again—
“Heeeeey!” I look up to see Miles coming toward us with his arms stretched wide, a grin on his face. “Fancy seeing you guys here.”
He and Grace join us in the booth, and the waitress comes over, side-eying Miles. “You aren’t gonna order everything on the menu again, are you?” she asks him, pointing a pen at him. “We don’t have the staff tonight.”
Miles gives her a smile. “I’ll spare you tonight.”
“Good, what’ll it be?” She looks at me and I glance down at the menu, not sure.
Grace leans over the table and says, “The waffles are really good.”
I nod and tell the waitress. “I’ll take a waffle, maybe one with strawberries on it?”
She nods, looking at Kale next, who says, “Oh, I’m good, thanks.”
Miles tells her, “He’ll have what I’m having, and it’s on me.” Kale tries to argue with him but it’s no good.
The waitress continues like it’s normal. “The usual?”
“You know it.”
“The same for you, Grace?” the waitress asks, already putting her pen away.
“Yes, please.”
After she leaves, Kale gives Miles a look—and Miles pretends not to notice. Instead he asks me, “So you didn’t want to go to Conner’s party tonight?”
I make a face. “Not particularly. Parties aren’t really my thing.”
Miles leans forward. “So what is your thing?’
“Mostly staying indoors and avoiding parties.” That gets a laugh from Miles and Grace.
“Yeah, us too. We hang out with those people enough at school as it is.” Miles takes hold of the conversation, telling me about the few things to do around here, and the waitress brings us all water, and then our food comes shortly after that. Grace and I have waffles while the boys have burgers and fries. I sneak peeks at Kale when he laughs at something Miles says or when he does an impression of one his old teachers. Grace starts telling me about the volleyball team at school, and she actually makes it sound like fun.
I’ve never really been into sports, but it’s always worth a shot, right? I can’t let my limbs go to waste playing video games for the rest of my life.
Soon our plates are empty and the diner is more filled with people looking for dinner.
“So me and Kale went to Adventureland over spring break last year,” Miles says and Kale just starts laughing. He continues. “The lines were horrible, as always, and we weren’t about to pay extra money for those express passes. Because screw that.”
Grace interrupts, “And because your family are the cheapest people I know.”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being frugal.” Then he nods and says to me, “But they really are.”
Kale says, “I don’t know if frugal is the right word. They save and reuse plastic wrap.”
“You don’t see me complaining when we go on awesome vacations.” Kale shrugs at that and Miles goes on, “So anyway, there was this really popular ride we wanted to go on, but the line was a two-hour wait.”
“One hour of that being in the sun,” Kale adds.
“So we decided to check out the gift shop first since it had AC, which was inside the building where the ride was and where everyone came out after. Then Kale noticed something. When the line went into the building, people had a chance to put their bags in lockers, which was also connected to the gift shop so they could pick them up after the ride. There wasn’t good lighting in there and it was so crowded. Then Kale says, ‘Let’s do it.’”
“I’m pretty sure it was your idea.”