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“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Maybe.”
Qui
“Or maybe not. I mean, he’s Graham Larkin,” she said, but even as she did, she was thinking the opposite. That he hadn’t seemed like Graham Larkin today. He’d seemed like that random kid on the other side of the country.
Behind them, the screen door opened, and Mom stuck her head out, using her foot to keep Bagel—who was constantly attempting a jailbreak—inside the house. “I thought I heard someone,” she said. “What’re you guys up to?”
“Ellie was just telling me about—” Qui
“I was just seeing if she wanted to stay for di
Mom shrugged. “I’ve got book club tonight, but you two are welcome to whatever’s in the fridge.”
“Thanks,” Ellie said. “What time are you leaving? You probably have to go pretty soon, huh?”
Mom glanced at her watch. “In a little bit,” she said, then ducked back through the door along with the dog.
When she was gone, Qui
“Sorry, it’s just that Graham’s actually coming over soon, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to her about it, and she wouldn’t be happy that—”
“So you’re lying to your mom now too?” Qui
“This is different,” Ellie told her. “It’s complicated.”
“How?”
She lowered her eyes. “I can’t tell you.”
“Let me guess,” Qui
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Really. There’s more to it than…” She stopped and shook her head. “I wish I could explain.”
“Don’t bother,” Qui
“Really?”
Qui
“Of course not,” Ellie said quickly. “What are you up to?”
“I’m hanging out with Devon.”
“You are?” she said before she could think better of it. But it was too late. Qui
Ellie couldn’t help it. For the last four years, all she’d heard about was how ridiculous Devon was. He was too tall and too ski
But clearly something had changed last night, and Devon was no longer a punch line. Just like that, Ellie felt like some sort of invisible boundary had shifted, and she found herself on the opposite side from Qui
“Yes, really.”
“I’m sorry,” Ellie said. “Really. I guess I’m just still getting used to the idea of you and Devon.”
Qui
“Qui
She’d been in enough fights with Qui
Tomorrow, she’d call. Tomorrow, she’d start her apology campaign. But for now, there was no time to worry about it. Graham would be here in less than an hour, and she still hadn’t been inside to survey the damage.
When she pushed open the screen door, Bagel came barreling down the front hallway, pinballing off the walls and scattering the collection of rain boots and umbrellas that lined them. Ellie stood on the ratty welcome mat and watched the dog kick up a dust bu
Mom was eating a cup of yogurt at the sink, absently watching the news on the ancient TV beside the toaster. One whole counter was covered in newspapers, the dates ranging from yesterday to two weeks ago, and the sink was brimming with dishes.
“What time is book club?” Ellie asked, eyeing Mom’s outfit, which consisted of sweatpants and a plaid button-down with slippers.
Her eyes drifted over to the microwave clock. “Oh,” she said, looking genuinely surprised. “It’s right now.”
“You better go then,” Ellie said, hustling her out of the kitchen and then lingering in the hallway to make sure she made it all the way up the stairs. Then she turned to the sink, grabbed a sponge, and began to attack the dishes.
“I thought Qui
“She had to run some errands in town first,” Ellie said, ducking her head so Mom wouldn’t notice how red her face was; she’d never been much of a liar. “We’ll be fine, though. Take your time.”
“Okay,” Mom said, grabbing her keys from on top of a pile of coupons. “Will you be sure to feed Bagel too?”
Ellie nodded and waved a soapy hand, letting out a breath when she heard the door slam shut again. She leaned against the sink with a sigh, daunted by the state of the house. When she turned her head, Bagel was sitting by her foot, tail wagging furiously.
“This is going to be a disaster,” she told the dog, who only smiled a big doggie smile and continued to wave his white-tipped tail.
By the time she finished the dishes, cleared some of the debris from the counters, tossed the ball for Bagel, and fed him a meal only marginally less appetizing than the di
Upstairs, Ellie was about to throw on her usual jeans, but instead chose a green sundress her mom had recently bought for her, ripping off the tags with her teeth. She usually hated to wear green; with her red hair, she worried it made her look like a Christmas ornament, but as she stood in front of the mirror, she realized it looked better than she would have thought. Not exactly up to Hollywood standards, but it would have to do.
With two minutes to spare, she headed back downstairs, ru
But as she walked back into the kitchen, her heart fell.
There were no more newspapers on the counters, no more silly magnets on the fridge; she’d hidden Bagel’s squeaky toys in a cabinet and the dishes were all put away. The house looked nice, maybe as nice as it ever would. But standing there, seeing it as if through Graham’s eyes, Ellie understood that it would never look nice enough.