Page 20 of June

“There are certifications you can get, but I don’t mean being an actual accountant. I meant working in a company as an accountant or someone in finance.”

“You like that stuff?” Caroline asked.

“I take it, you don’t?”

“No, but I’m weirdly good at it,” Caroline said. “I got an A in my statistics class last semester. I get the stuff. I just don’t enjoy it.”

“Whatdoyou enjoy?” Enid asked.

“Not school.” Caroline laughed.

“It’s not for everyone,” Enid replied.

“My parents wanted me to go, so I’m here. I’d like to get a good job when I’m done, too. I just don’t know what that is. I think it’s a little ridiculous to know what you want to do with the rest of your life by the time you’re eighteen.”

“I can agree with that. I’m still mad that I’m back here when I’m twenty-four and should be working my way up already and not in school, but I’m glad that I’ve pretty much always known what I wanted to do, which has its own advantages.”

“Somanyadvantages. You’ve probably known exactly what classes to take the entire time in school.”

“For the most part,” Enid replied.

“I envy you. I have taken everything from geology and sociology to statistics and even a chemistry class to see if I wanted to be in the sciences. I tried a human anatomy class my second semester, but I dropped it before the add-drop deadline because I hated it. I also took an art history class, which I had thought I would like because I sometimes draw in my sketchbook, but it was harder than I’d thought it would be, so I dropped that one, too.”

“You like to draw? What about the arts?”

“I draw for fun. Ididtake an actual composition class last semester, but there was just so much pressure, and if you didn’t follow the exact instructions of the professor, you got a bad grade. I didn’t like that. Art is art, you know? I get that we’re learning the foundations, but I don’t want to get a grade for my art. I just draw it.”

“What kinds of things do you draw?” Enid asked as she took a drink of her coffee, which was still too hot.

“Mostly, whatever I see around me. I’ve drawn my desk about ten times because it’s right there, and I’ve drawn the campus or the classroom. When I took that semester off, I did a road trip thing, and I drew what I saw along the way.”

“Yeah?” Enid said with a smile. “Can I see any of it?”

“You want to see my lame sketches?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Um… Okay,” Caroline said, appearing a little nervous now. “My trip sketchbook is back at home. I only have my new one with me, and that’s mainly the stuff around here.”

“Do you maybe want to…” Enid took a drink to stall because she didn’t know how to ask if Caroline wanted to go to her place without it sounding like she was asking for something else.

“My place?” Caroline guessed.

“Or not,” Enid said. “That sounded weird. I shouldn’t have asked that.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s a ten-minute walk from here.”

“You live in the dorms?” Enid asked.

“Yeah. I might be getting an apartment for the fall semester, but I haven’t decided yet. My parents pay for school and the dorm, so I need to check with them.”

Enid nodded, realizing only now just how young this woman really was. It wasn’t a big deal, but there were probably several years between them.

“Hey.”

Enid looked up and saw Caroline’s friend from the bar standing at their table.

“Oh, hey. Jodie, this is Enid. Enid, this is myfriend, Jodie,” Caroline emphasized the word ‘friend,’ causing Enid to smile.

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