Then she spoke again. “You will call me. And text me often.”
“Of course,” I promised.
“Then I’ll go talk to that Sarah woman too.”
Her getting help would make me really happy. “Thank you.”
She was still sniffling as she left, but at least she was gone. I didn’t mind being alone so much since it let me text Raine. Can I crash at your place for a bit?
Of course you can. Love you.
I smiled down at her text. Love you too. It was good to have a plan and a starting place.
Chapter Eighteen
Mel
WAITING WAS the hardest part for me. The last period of the school day was the only one I had that I didn’t share with either Raine, Amelia, or both. Sometimes it made the day so much longer. Fridays were the worst. Our sleepovers had become a weekly event. Last week was at my house. Dad had ordered Chinese. It was something Amelia said she hadn’t had in a long time. She hadn’t eaten much of it, but she had eaten some of the vegetarian pho thai noodles. The bowl was finished off the next morning, so Raine and I both suspected she’d somehow sneaked out of bed in the middle of the night and finished off the rest of them. We’d never say anything, though. She didn’t need us monitoring her food intake like her mother used to do.
I was kind of jealous that Amelia and Raine were living together, but I never really felt excluded either, and I felt a lot better about Amelia having Raine around to make sure she was eating and taking care of herself. I didn’t worry about her as much since Raine would be there to look after her when I couldn’t be.
Over the past two weeks, Amelia had made great strides. She went to counseling in the afternoons, right after cheerleading practice. A couple times each week, her mom went with her, so they could both get the help they needed as a family. We’d had a talk with Raine’s mom, and she’d said that for cases like Amelia’s to be successful, everyone needed to work together. Part of that was Raine and me not mentioning Amelia’s weight, but we could tell her how good she looked, and we did so at least once a day, often in chorus. That always made Amelia smile. She did that a lot lately, and when she did, it made me happy.
The bell chimed, and I slammed my history book closed, shoved it in my bag, and made for the door. I didn’t even care how the rest of the class seemed to press in on me as I hurried to leave. The week was over, and once we made it past Amelia’s practice and counseling session, we’d have it all to ourselves. Amelia told us we weren’t even going to have to go spend time with her mom in her never-ending quest for creepy dolls.
After dropping off my history book in my locker and scooping out the books I was going to need for the bit of homework I had over the weekend, I wove my way in and out of the throngs of rabid students trying to say their goodbyes, or finalize plans for the weekend. Next week was spirit week, and Amelia’s schedule was going to be tight with all the activities going on. It was going to mess with the time we’d be able to spend together. I wanted to make the most of my time with my girls.
Just off the front steps, Raine stood under one of the trees leaning against the trunk. She grinned as I approached.
“What took you so long?” She pulled me into a hug.
“How’d you get out so fast? Isn’t your last class clear across the building?” I gave her a quick kiss. So far none of the students seemed to notice or mind the fast, little expressions of affection we gave each other, but then girls kissing didn’t cause the same fuss boys kissing did.
“I’ve still got to show you the shortcuts.” Raine chuckled. “Ames and I know all the fast routes. It’s one of the advantages of having gone to school here for a couple of years.”
“Us locals have all the advantages.” Amelia joined us and wrapped an arm around each of us, pulling us into a three-way hug. She sighed. “I thought school was never going to be over today.”
Raine nodded. “Me too. What is it about Friday that makes it drag out so slowly?”
“I was wondering the same thing. So are you two going to come watch me practice?” Ames gave us both a quick kiss before stepping out of our hug.
Like always I wished it could linger. “I need to run by my place and get my things for tonight. If we’re fast enough, maybe we can be back for the last few minutes.”
“But we will go with you to counseling tonight,” Raine said. “We promised we’d go with you. Didn’t Sarah say something about all of us coming in from time to time? Mom thought it was a good idea. Recovery isn’t something a person does by themselves.”
It sounded like she was going to say something else, but Amelia hugged us again. “You two are awesome. I couldn’t do this with just me and Mom.”
I hugged the two of them hard. “We’re here for you, always.” It felt great that I wasn’t going to lose Ames. I couldn’t handle losing anyone again. I knew I would eventually, but not in that moment, and not Ames.
She blew kisses at us both. “See you at practice, then.”
“As fast as we can get back here.” Raine kissed us both too.
I had to do the same to keep up with them. We were doing great making sure none of us felt like any of the others were holding back or playing favorites. “Go to practice, and we’ll see you soon.”
Amelia glanced at her phone. “I’m going to be late, and you know what, I don’t really care. See you both in a few.” She broke our hug and hurried off.
Raine and I watched her go, then turned toward the parking lot and Raine’s car. Like normal, we’d managed to miss the initial rush out to the street and wouldn’t take too long to get to my house.
“I think she’s doing great,” Raine said as she pulled her keys out of her purse.
“I do too.” I loved the improvements I saw in Amelia. It was totally awesome. “It’s going to take a little while before she’s totally come around.”
“Like eating more than just vegetarian food and salads?” Raine pushed the button on her key fob and the Prius beeped.
“Little steps.” I walked over to the passenger side and got in.
Raine started the car. “That’s what Mom keeps saying. We all need to be supportive and just give it all the time she needs. Any of us start pushing and she might relapse, and this time it could be a lot worse.”
“I’ve dealt with the worse, and don’t want to do that again.” I clicked my seat belt closed as Raine backed out of the spot.
“I guess having a mom who’s a nurse helps understand things when the need pops up.” Raine pulled down the parking lot and into the street.
“Definitely.” Raine’s mom was great. She was determined to step in and be a substitute for my mom. That was cool, even if I didn’t feel like I needed it. My dad was supportive enough for both a mom and a dad. But she’d been cool when Raine explained we were dating. All she wanted was for Raine to be happy, and in my book, that put her up for Mom of the Year.
WHEN WE got to my house, my dad was pulling up. I thought about racing him to the front door, but I waited for Raine to get out and come up the walk with me, so he had the door open before we reached it.
“You two have a good day at school? Where’s Amelia?” He held the door open for us.
“She’s got cheerleading practice. We’re only here to grab my stuff for the night, and then we’re heading over to watch her finish up.” I gave him a quick hug. Somehow on the nights when I stayed over at Raine’s, I felt like I was deserting him, but he promised me it was okay. It gave him time to do dad stuff… whatever that meant, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“You girls have fun. That’s what you’re supposed to be doing at this age.” He ruffled my hair. I still hated when he did that, but I stopped complaining as it seemed to make him happy.
“We do have fun,” Raine said.
He stepped over and gave her a side hug. “I know. I also appreciate how much you two make my little girl happy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Dad, enough with the mushy stuff. We’re going up for my thi
ngs. We need to hurry or we’ll be late.”
“Don’t let me make you late.” He let go of Raine and shooed us up the stairs.
“Your dad’s awesome,” Raine said as we reached my room.
“Yeah, he is.” I wouldn’t trade him for anything. I grabbed my overnight bag, which was still partially packed from the previous weekend. It didn’t take me long to get the few things I needed jammed into it. My school backpack was still in the Prius.
ON OUR way out the door, Dad stepped out of the kitchen with several envelopes in his hand. “I don’t know if this is good news or not.”
“What?” I still looked at the mail with suspicion. For so long we’d received mail about my mother’s death—insurance statements, medical bills, letters from attorneys. The lawsuit was still active even after all this time. But things had slowed down. So I was a little apprehensive when he said what he did. I was confused when he held an envelope out to me.
“College,” he said as I took the letter from him. “It’s been forwarded from Texas. Isn’t it a bit early to get anything from them unless it’s bad news?”
“College?” Raine stepped close and leaned over my shoulder. “Which one? I applied for several, all over the country.”
I nodded. “Me too.” I looked at the envelope. “MIT.”
“MIT?” Raine’s breath was warm on my neck.
“I bet it’s a rejection.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to open the letter.
“Won’t know until you open it,” Dad urged. “But if they pass you up, they’re passing up the best candidate they’ve got.”
My hands shook a little as I worked a nail under the edge of the flap and eased it open. The official letterhead looked a little imposing as I pulled it free of the envelope. I scanned it over and my heart skipped a beat.
“You got in!” Raine shouted before I could. She hugged me from behind, and Dad wrapped his arms around us.
“That’s my girl.” He kissed my cheek.
I didn’t know what to say. I had hoped I’d get into MIT. It had been tops on my list, but since I’d found Raine and Amelia, I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave them. MIT was a long way from Denver. I didn’t want to think of what would happen to Amelia if I wasn’t around to watch out for her.
Dad didn’t seem to notice my hesitation. “How long do you have to reply?” He took the paper out of my hand. He nodded slowly. “This gives us time to see if you get other offers, but this one sounds solid. It comes with a scholarship for the first year, and if you keep your grades up, following years too.”
Raine hugged me so hard, I thought she was going to break me. “A scholarship too? I knew you were smart, but wow.”
“You’re smart too.” I leaned into her and patted her arm.
“Ames is going to be thrilled about this.” Raine let me go. “I can’t wait to tell her.”
“Let’s tell her tonight, after counseling.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to make up my mind yet about going to MIT. Yeah, it was a fantastic opportunity, but I had a lot to think about.
“If you say so.” Raine picked up my bag. “We’d better be running, otherwise she’s going to be on the curb tapping her foot or worrying that we’re not going with her.”
“You don’t need that.” Dad took the envelope from me and folded the letter up. “I’ll go put this on your desk. You girls have a good night. See you tomorrow.”
I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Definitely.”
AMELIA’S COUNSELOR wanted the three of us in there for sessions from time to time. She said how great it was that Amelia had such a wonderful support network to help her through the changes she was making in her life. Having that thrown out there made it even harder to think about accepting the MIT offer. I didn’t want to yank my support away from her. Sure it was nearly a year away, but things like bulimia weren’t things that ever completely went away. I’d never forgive myself if I left and Amelia relapsed.
After the session we headed over to Raine’s house. When we got there, her mom had left a note on the bar saying they’d gone to a scout dinner thing for the boys and she’d left some money for us to order pizza. There was also a letter addressed to Raine under the note and the money.
“What’s your letter about?” Amelia asked as she leaned up against the counter.
Raine picked it up and sighed. “It must be the day for these things.” She turned the envelope around, and it was from Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Massachusetts. My heart pounded hard. If she got in, she’d be close by. If we could get Amelia in a school nearby, we could still be together. It was the best news I’d gotten since I’d gotten my letter. “Open it. You’re so awesome, it has to be an acceptance.”
She wasn’t as delicate as I’d been when I opened mine. She ripped it across the top and drew out the letter. She scanned it quickly and grinned. “I got in. I didn’t get the scholarship offer you did, but I got in.”
Amelia looked at me. “You got in somewhere? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was going to tonight.” I suddenly felt bad about not sharing my good news sooner. “We had the counseling session, and I didn’t want to interrupt that. I got into MIT.”
Amelia’s eyes grew wide. “MIT. Wow. You’re smarter than I thought.”
“Now, we’ve got to get you in a school in Massachusetts,” Raine said. “Where have you applied?”
“I don’t know.” Amelia shrugged. “Mom is handling all of that. She’s expecting me to get a cheerleading scholarship somewhere. I don’t think she’s started sending out the applications.” She sighed. “I’m not sure I want that. Maybe I’ll take a year off and try to figure things out. Mom will hate it, but there are times I think I’d be just as happy if I never shook another pompom again.”
I almost said, “Except for me!” But I held it in. I couldn’t deny that Amelia in a cheerleading outfit still turned me on. But it seemed insensitive to talk about that when she was working so hard to deal with her negative body images and eating disorder. Even so, I’m pretty sure she gave her miniskirt an extra swish when she knew I was watching. I was sure of that.
She laughed and winked. “Of course I’ll shake them for you, Mel.”
The girl could make me blush.
“You don’t have to decide where you’re going right away, Ames. I guess Mel and I were both thinking ahead and sent in early applications in hopes of beating the rush. Maybe if both of us end up in Massachusetts, you can look at places close by. Even if you don’t know what you want to do, you can take general courses. Or maybe you could come out with us and hang out for that year you were talking about, and you can figure things out. Or you can stay here. You have lots of options.”
“I want to stay with you guys no matter what I decide,” said Amelia. I was relieved by her response.
“I would be the happiest woman on Earth if we all stay together.” I gave Amelia a big hug and a kiss. She looked lost and sad.
“Mel’s right.” Raine joined in our hug. “Maybe we can get an off-campus apartment that’s between our schools, and we can be together all the time.”
Amelia gave her a soft kiss. “I don’t know if they let freshmen live off-campus.”
“Maybe we can claim special circumstances,” I said, then shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll have to dig into it.”
“If we’re close to each other, we’ll work it out,” Raine said. She turned and picked up the money on the counter. “So what do you say we go celebrate.” She counted out the bills. “We don’t have to get pizza. There’s enough here for us to go to Soup and Salad, and then hit the movies if you want to.”
“Can we go see Wonder Woman?” I asked. “I haven’t gotten to see it yet, and it’s at the dollar theater.”
“Sure,” Amelia agreed with a grin. “We’re all wonder women right now, aren’t we? We’ve got brains, creativity, and determination.”
“And we’re totally awesome,” Raine said as she slipped the money into her pocket
. “Let’s go.”
We headed out to dinner and a movie. I felt totally awesome. I’d managed to get into the college I wanted. Raine was going to be nearby, and Amelia was going to follow us, even if she wasn’t sure what she wanted to be when she grew up. We were going to be together, and I knew that together we would be more than a match for anything life had to throw at us.
CAITLIN RICCI is the author of many queer romance books including some Rainbow Award winners. While most of her books include shifters, she does write a little of everything. She was first published in 2012 and since then hasn’t stopped writing. When she’s not writing, she enjoys gardening, hanging out with her dogs, and watching movies with her husband. She is a panromantic asexual and she lives in Missouri.
Website: www.CaitlinRicci.com
A.M. BURNS lives in the Colorado Rockies with his partner, several dogs, cats, horses, and birds. When he’s not writing, he’s often fixing fences, splitting wood, hiking in the mountains, or flying his hawks. He’s enjoyed writing since he was in high school, but it wasn’t until the past few years that he’s begun truly honing his craft. He is a former president of the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group: www.csfwg.org. Having lived both in Colorado and Texas, rugged frontier types and independent attitudes often show up in his work.
Social media links:
Website: www.amburns.com
Twitter: @AM_Burns
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authoramburns
Goodreads author page: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5134598.A_M_Burns
Pinterest: pinterest.com/mystichawker
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/-/e/B0054EVI6W
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