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I won’t cry over something that isn’t. This is all my fault, but it will be a hell of a lot worse if I don’t stop it. I’ll get attached and heartbroken, and it will take away from my studies.

“Ms. Makenzie. Why aren’t you out with someone young and hot?” The Slippery Seniors are home from the pub. It’s just the trouble trio, Dottie’s probably with Scott.

“Julia, she looks terrible,” Chelle says. Chelle’s vibrant red hair is bouncing around her ample breasts as she jiggles on over to me. I know it’s a wig, but I love that she’s always ‘show ready’ in her mind. She’s in a caftan covered in faux jewels. Julia’s cream blouse offsets a flowy aqua skirt covered with bright red hibiscus flowers, as if she’s headed to the beach. Lana is in a sparkly coral jumpsuit that flows from her slight body. I’m not sure how her slight body holds that many jewels at once, but she’s covered.

They sit down next to me and put their arms around me. I’ll never get the grease out of this uniform, but it does feel nice to have them here.

“Michelle, Julia, Lana, thank you. I’m fine.” Julia has short, cropped hair and her brown eyes dance against the silver strands.

Lana smiles and yells, “Bullshit, Babycakes!” And Lana with her long, thick, flowing white curls always has her lips done in a perfect hot-pink shade. She’s tall, thin, and floats in and out of places like she’s liquid filling all the forgotten spaces.

Julia says, “We know that face, don’t we?”

Chelle interjects, “Tell us. We see you studying so freaking hard and working your tail off. Even your mom is starting to come around to getting out there. You’re the reason any of us have fun. But you have no life.”

Lana slaps my arm while crossing her sequin-clad legs. “Hot thing like you. If I had your body and youth, I’d never stop fucking. Why aren’t you fucking everything that moves?”

“Seriously, get your freak on,” Chelle exclaims.

I laugh and stand up. Michelle takes four paper cups from the cupboard and a flask from her very deep and low-set cleavage. She pours four shots.

She raises her cup and says, “To Makenzie’s vagina, may it not grow old like ours before she gets laid again.” They all cackle, and I’m touched by them.

My phone pops off for the billionth time, but I refuse to read any of his texts. I glance and then back to the women. I’d turn it off, but ever since France, I always keep it on in case my parents need me.

Julia says, “What was that? That was a something.” She gestures between my face and the phone.

I concede to tell them something, so they’ll move along. “Maybe at some point in an alternate universe on someone else’s timeline it might have been something. But here and now, it has to be nothing.” It’s better it ends now.

Lana swipes my phone and quickly holds it up to my face. Before I can register what’s happening, Chelle pours more shots, and Lana reads aloud.

T: I get it. You’re not talking to me about this. And they call me immature. Mak. Even if you and I don’t end up being what I want. I know. I’ll always know. But my heart and my dick want what they want. We still need to talk about whatever shit you think went down tonight. And fuck it, I need closure from twelve years ago, and you, young lady, are going to have to face me. If there’s a shot we come through this together, we’re taking it whether you run away or not. I’ll be at your door in six hours.

T: You can try to dodge me, but you know I’ll just sit at your door if I can find it until you talk to me.

What the hell? I stand up and jump around. No. This is terrible.

Julia claps. “That’s not nothing! I’m going to need to see the whole chain. Who is this?”

“I used to be kind of his, but it’s nothing. And now I’m so screwed.”

Lana says, “Not by a long shot. But you will be when he gets here!” They all giggle.

“Oh God, you’re misunderstanding.” I plead, and their faces drop.

“Why? When he gets here, we’ll get to the bottom of this. And how’s his bottom?” Chelle says, and elbows Julia, leaving an oily circle on her blouse. They must spend a fortune on dry cleaning. But seriously, who greases their elbows.

“You don’t get it. And yes, he has a fabulous bottom. A fabulous everything. We were together a while ago. But that’s not the point.”

“That is the damn point. He’s crossing the country to clear up whatever went down today. Why won’t you hear him out?” Julia looks up from my phone. I’m freaking out. What do I do? How do I unravel this?

“This can never work. He’s rich. Like major rich and I—”

“I don’t think he cares if you’re poor,” Chelle offers up.

“No. He won’t, but that’s not the real issue. I care. But shit. Fuck. I don’t… shit.”

“Stop speaking in expletives,” Julia chides.