Page 45 of Two Kinds of Us

In hindsight, running away probably wasn’t the smartest move, but confronting Harry with Grace there was not an option.

As soon as we got out to the car, though, I shot back a quick text.I missed Crushed Beanz right back.

I waited all night, but Harry didn’t text again, so no questions about my look-alike at Crushed Beanz.

A part of me wondered if that was my moment to come clean and I just missed my window.

“I can’t believe we’re already into the last week of February,” Margot muttered after she put her car into park, the auto-locks popping. She’d parked in the closest spot possible to the door. “Which means the next stupid country club event is coming up. Who do you think will host it this time? My money’s on Mr. Harvey.”

I reached for the door handle but didn’t tug it open yet, looking out at the church building looming before us. On Sunday, Mom had come home from church telling me about the volunteer opportunity for Monday after school. Apparently, Pastor Liam decided to do some spring cleaning a bit early this year and needed helpers. Mom thought we needed the good karma, and apparently so did Margot’s mom.

They didn’t even let us come home and change out of our school uniform first. The tights and pleated skirts weresonot suited for cleaning.

“On the bright side,” I said, “we only have so many of these left before we go off to college.”

“Speaking of…” Margot turned toward me. “You decide on where you’re going?”

Everything in me tensed. I’ve never really talked to Margot about my college plans, not really in-depth. For the longest time, an online college was a wish I didn’t want to speak aloud in fear of it going up in smoke. But talking about it with Harry felt different—like it might actually be a possibility.

Still, I didn’t know how to answer. “Acceptance letters don’t go out untilat leastthe end of March.”

“Yeah, but do you have a place you’re hoping on?”

I thought of all the colleges Mom had me apply to, all the big names, ones that would impress her friends. I thought of all the college brochures and printouts underneath my bed. At this point, I should’ve thrown them out. “Not really.”

Margot drummed her thin fingers along the leather of the steering wheel. “Our parents put so much pressure on college, but it seems silly, doesn’t it? There’s not one road to happiness.”

“What, you don’t want to major in political science like your parents?” I asked teasingly, to which she rolled her eyes. “Could be a mayor of your own town.”

“Just likeyoudesperately want to be a lawyer, right?”

I almost smiled. “At least you know what you want to do,” I said, smoothing my palms over my tights. “You know you’re going to a fashion institute. With designs like yours, you’ll get in anywhere you want. I don’t know what I want to do.”

Margot was quiet for a moment, clearly struggling to figure out what to say. So, instead, she tried to lighten the mood. “I know what you want to do.” Margot turned back to look out the windshield, gesturing at the building. “Clean a stuffy old church.”

“At least it’ll go by quicker since we’re together,” I said, finally popping my car door open. “Besides, there’s a few other cars in the lot. I’m sure he’s got other people here.”

“He’d better,” she grumbled, but climbed out of the car.

When we got inside, I could immediately hear Pastor Liam’s voice, the booming quality almost startling. “The vacuum is in the storage closet, Joan. Peter, can you show her?”

Margot let out a sigh before we turned the corner into the basement, as if she were getting it out now before she faced the pastor.

He saw us immediately, looking up from the clipboard he held in one hand. “Ladies! Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you so much for volunteering to help.”

“Wedidn’t necessarily volunteer,” Margot muttered.

I elbowed her as discreetly as possible. “We’re happy to help, Pastor Liam. Where do you need us?”

“Destelle, if you could help with the painting, and then Margot, if you could go upstairs and wipe the sanctuary windows, that’d be amazing.”

Margot relaxed beside me, no doubt appreciating the fact that she got stuck with the lesser of two evils. “Sounds great to me.”

Pastor Liam clapped his hands once, creating a loud echo in the space. “Perfect. Destelle, the room is down at the end of the hall to the left. There should be a volunteer in there, so the paint should all be opened. I’ll grab you a smock or something you can put over your clothes. Margot, I’ll go find some window cleaner.”

“Not fair,” I told her once he was out of earshot, heading down the hall. “Why can’t I wipe things down?”

“You’ll be too busy getting paint in your hair,” she said, almost sounding cheerful. “Hey, hopefully the room is small. If it’s you and someone else working on it, it should go fast.”

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