Page 16 of June

Jodie laughed at Viv’s joke, which was interesting.

“They are supposed to have, like, a hundred booths or something, and a bunch of companies are going to be there. The one in the fall is bigger, obviously, but I think I’m going to go to this oneandthe one in the fall,” Jodie said. “I would like to get a good job right out of school, if possible. My sister had a hard time after she graduated. She had to take this internship where she worked for free for a full year, and they still didn’t hire her after that.”

“Your sister also didn’t start applying for jobs untilaftershe graduated,” Caroline noted.

“Yes, she’s a procrastinator, but she’s smart and did a good job there,” Jodie replied.

When their tacos arrived, they ate and continued to talk about Jodie’s older sister, who now worked at a local casino as a dealer while she figured out her next step. After that, they switched gears and talked about Viv’s TA classes, which she was working hard to keep up with this summer. Caroline was of the opinion that she had taken on way too much, but Viv wanted to be an English professor one day, and she wanted as many letters of recommendation for her master’s program as she could get. While Viv talked a little more about how she was planning to get her Ph.D and wanted to make connections now, all Caroline could think about was that she didn’t comprehend what this shy, accomplished, and pretty woman would want withher. Caroline had no idea what she wanted to do with her life yet. Yes, she studied and got good grades, mainly due to her parents giving her a push and reminders every so often, but she also went out and partied some nights while Viv stayed up and read books for fun. She wouldn’t ask Viv why she liked her, though, because that would make this about her, and she already felt bad enough about turning Viv down twice for that date.

“Do you want to meet up before the fair tomorrow?” Jodie asked her later when they got back to the room.

“No, I have a class right before,” she replied. “I’ll just find you there.”

“Okay. I’m heading out. See you tomorrow, then. Bye, Viv.”

“Oh. Um… Bye.”

Viv was already lying on her bottom bunk with a book in her hand.

Jodie closed the door behind herself, and Caroline sat down in her desk chair, looking over at her roommate.

“What are you reading?”

“To Kill a Mockingbird,” Viv replied.

“Didn’t you read that in high school?”

“Yes. The freshman comp class I’m the TA for is reading it now, though, so I wanted to reread it.”

“You reallyarededicated, huh?” Caroline asked.

“I guess. It’s important. I want to do this for a living.”

“I don’t know what that’s like,” she replied.

“You will,” Viv said and smiled at her.

“Wait.” Caroline squinted. “That’s not what the cover says.”

Viv turned the cover toward herself and said, “Oh, it’s in German.”

“What?” Caroline said, laughing.

“I’ve read it in English already. My grandma was born in Austria, so when she went back home last year, she bought this for me.”

“You speak German?”

“We spoke German at home until I was about five. I knew German before I knew English, technically.”

“No way. I didn’t know that about you,” Caroline said.

“My grandma lived with us and didn’t speak English.”

“That’s cool,” Caroline replied with a smile.

“I guess.” Viv shrugged.

“I’m going to get some studying done now.”

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