Page 43 of Neo

“Just reading and stuff.”

“Of course,” she laughs. “That’s all you ever do. Have you talked to your man at all?”

“Elijah?” I say, almost forgetting about him.

“Is there another one?”

“Right,” I chuckle nervously. “Yeah, of course, I’ve talked to him. I miss him so much,” I lie.

“Aww, that’s cute.”

“Are you staying home through the whole winter break?” I ask her.

“Hell, no. It’s a shit show here,” she sighs. “My goal is to fly back the day before New Year’s Eve. There’s a party I want us to go to and I want us to get new dresses for it.”

“A dress?”

“Yeah, like a total fuck ‘em dress. We need to look super hot. I’m going hunting.”

“Hunting for what?”

“Dick hunting, girl.”

“Uh, okay,” I chuckle. “Is that Ray kid going to be at this party?”

“That’s the word on the street,” she replies. “Hey, are you going to go over your Dad’s on Christmas?”

“Probably not.”

“Aww, I know he’s not your favorite person, but I don’t want you to be alone on Christmas. That sucks.”

“It’s fine. It’s just another day of the year.”

“Now we know that’s not exactly true. It’s only been a year and I know you must miss your mom something fierce.”

“Yeah, I do,” I admit. “But that’s why I’m going to stay in bed and read a novel I’ve been wanting to get to. I just want to get through the day and move on.”

“That sounds super sad.”

“I’m fine, Kennedy,” I huff, annoyed with her commentary on how I’m choosing to spend my holiday.

“Okay, girl, if you like it, then I love it.”

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Is Shane from our neighborhood in Philly?”

There’s a loaded silence between us which sort of reminds me whenever I bring up Shane’s name in front of Neo. Neither he nor Kennedy ever want to talk about this guy. What is he, a serial killer or something?

“He’s definitely not a Philly boy. He’s from New Jersey.”

“South Jersey?”

“Yep.”

So near Philadelphia.

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