Page 117 of Love in Riverbend
I move my gaze to my parents. They’re both smiling, making me feel less like a failure for returning to my childhood bedroom. “I am for now. I want to see how the first year of teaching goes. Then maybe I can get an apartment.”
“No rush,” my mom says.
My parents were both enthusiastic about me taking the seventh-grade teaching position in Riverbend. They didn’t blink an eye about me moving home. It was Ricky who let me in on the secret that they’re considering selling our farm. He swore me to secrecy. It’s the reason I’m laying the groundwork for moving out. I don’t want my parents to feel trapped because I’m back in their house.
Later that night, Marilyn and I are back in our apartment for what will be our last night. We both sent a carload of things home with our families. Tomorrow, Dad, Art—Marilyn’s dad—and Ricky are coming back with a moving truck.
“I’m going to miss living with you,” I say.
“Me too. You can always move with me to Bloomington and commute.”
I laugh. “I could live ten minutes from the school for free or live an hour away and pay rent.”
“Yeah, but you get me.”
“It would be worth it.”
I go to the refrigerator and pull out a bottle of champagne that Joan left for us to toast our last night. Taking off the wire cage, I push up on the plastic cork. “Oh,” I scream, jumping when the loud pop fills the air.
“We did it,” I say as I lift a plastic cup with bubbly champagne and tap Marilyn’s cup.
“We did.”
We both take a drink. The bubbles tickle my nose and throat.
“Too bad all of our glassware is packed,” she says, looking at the cup.
Peering around the mostly bare apartment, I think about all the things we’ve accumulated. “I’m glad you can use most of our stuff in your new apartment,” I say. “I’d hate for it to be stuck in storage for a year.”
“I appreciate it. I wasn’t looking forward to buying new.”
I pour more champagne into my friend’s cup and, lifting one eyebrow, ask, “How come you never told me you kissed Ricky?”
She shakes her head. “Because it was a long time ago, and it only happened on a dare.” She scrunches her nose. “No offense to your brother, but it wasn’t the best kiss of my life.”
A cold chill scurries over my skin. “Oh my God, you did kiss him.”
“It was four years ago at your high school graduation party. And there were no fireworks. No butterflies. I mean, he’s cute in a Riverbend type of way, but nope.”
“Four years ago.”
She nods.
“Does Jill know?”
Marilyn nods again.
“It’s official. I need new best friends.”
“What would you have said if you knew?”
“Eww. That would have been my first response.” I recalled something. “Is that why you two don’t get along?”
She shakes her head. “We get along when he isn’t a dick.”
“Is that why you weren’t happy for me that night with Justin.”
“I’m happy for you. I just know that it made things uncomfortable for me and Ricky. I don’t want that for you and Justin.”
