Page 35 of One Last Step

She rolls her eyes.“Ha ha ha.You’re so funny.Not.”

“I laughed,” I reply archly.

The two of us are walking home from middle school.It’s our second year in Boston, and we’ve gotten used to the noise and the cars and no longer feel frightened walking to and from the campus.

She rolls her eyes again.“You’redefinitelynot getting married with that attitude.No one’s going to want to marry someone as not funny as you.”

“Maybe I’ll marry you,” I suggest.“Then I can annoy you all the time, just like a good wife.”

Annie scoffs.“Who saysyouwould be the wife?”

“Well, I’m the practical, sensible one, and you’re the one with your head in the clouds all the time.You’d be the husband with all of his crazy ideas, and I’d be the longsuffering wife who has to try to bring you back down to Earth.”

She gives me a fishy look.“What makes you think that’s how married people act?”

I blink.“Well… I mean, that’s how they act in the movies.Like that one where the little boy wants a BB gun for Christmas.The dad is always crazy and doing silly things like buying a lamp that looks like a leg, and the mom had to be the one to get rid of it because it looks hideous.And she had to tell the little boy that he couldn’t have the BB gun because he’d shoot his eye out.”

Annie scoffs again, but there’s more bitterness than sadness this time.“That’s just movies, Mary.”

I don’t reply for a while.I know that she’s thinking about Mom and Dad.They definitely don’t act like the couple from the movie.

Lately, Mom's been getting worse.Sometimes, she'll go an entire day without speaking to anyone.I've gotten used to making food for us and getting our clothes laid out for school, but I'm worried that Mom might have another episode.I've been thinking about asking Annie if she wants to sleep in my room.

I turn to her and open my mouth to ask her that very question, but she interrupts me.“I want to marry a tall, hot blonde guy with big muscles.He can kiss me whenever he wants, and if he wants me to be naked with him, then I’ll—”

“Annie!Stop!Oh my goodness!”My cheeks are flaming right now.“Why are you talking about that?Where did you hear about all of that stuff?”

She laughs.“Where didyouhear about all of that stuff?It’s just natural.It’s what all creatures do.”

“Well, stop talking about it.We’re still too young to think about… Why did you even bring that up?”

She shrugs.“I don’t know.I just… I want to be married one day.I want to have a good relationship with a good man.”Her eyes widen.“Actually, I want to have relationships with alotof men.I want boys to fight over me!”

I throw my head back and laugh at that.“What?”she protests.“I’m being serious!I’ll be one of those ice queens that a lot of people love but who loves no one back.I’ll give them kisses and ‘kisses’ sometimes, but I’ll be my own person.I’ll go wherever I want and be whatever I please, and all around the world, there will be men sighing wistfully at their kitchen tables wishing they could see me just one more time.”

“What a wonderful life,” I reply drily.

She shrugs again.“Whatever.What about you?Who do you want to marry?”

“I’m still determined to be the woman who changes your mind and makes you settle down.”

She giggles.“You’re silly, Mary.”Then she takes my hand.“I love you.Even when I’m married, you’ll still be my best friend.”

I squeeze her hand and smile at her.“Good.In that case, you can marry whoever you want.”

***

I wake with a gasp.My heart pounds in my chest, and cold sweat beads on my forehead.I lay in bed for a while, trying to figure out why I'm so disturbed.For goodness' sake, I didn't have a nightmare.I was dreaming of a good memory.

I finally give up on figuring out a logical reason for my behavior and roll out of bed.It’s six-fifteen, slightly earlier than my normal wake-up time, but I was up late yesterday morning, so I don’t mind the early start today.I dress and head downstairs to the kitchen to make myself some coffee.

As I’m about to start the pot, however, my phone buzzes.I look at the number, expecting it to be Sean calling me, but it’s not him.I let the number go to voicemail and start the coffee.A text interrupts me.

It’s Claudia.I’m downstairs.Talk for a few minutes?

I frown.What could she possibly want this early?

Then I remember Annie.I remember how she told me that we would always be friends, even when she was married.That never happened for us.We had a falling out, and she left, never to be seen again.

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