Page 108 of Stolen Summer

“I fail to see the problem,” she replied.

“Frankie,” I groaned.

“You know what you’re going to do with the money, Arie. And you called me to hold you accountable, and I fucking will. Now you better hope you can still get an apartment on campus.” Her tone had grown fiercer as if she wanted to come through the phone and pound her words into me.

She was right. I wanted someone to tell me to go for it. The only way I’d ever be able to pay Crew back was to make money faster, which was exactly what I’d do when I got a job after graduating. “The thing is, I don’t want to go alone.”

A long pause unrolled from the other end of the phone before she whispered, “What are you saying?”

I smiled, wishing I’d called her on FaceTime. I wanted to see her reaction. “I need a roommate. Pack your shit, bitch, you’re coming with me.”

“Don’t play with me.” A rustling came through the other end. It sounded like she sat up quickly.

“I need my best friend.”

“Arie, I can’t let you do that,” she protested, but she couldn’t disguise the grains of hope I detected.

Leaning back in my chair, I kicked my legs out onto the seat across from me. “It’s just an apartment. I have to pay the rent regardless. You just get to live in the spare room,” I reasoned. Like me, Frankie didn’t take handouts. We earned our way through life, fighting if necessary.

“I’ll sleep on the couch,” she quickly said, warming up to the idea. I could nearly hear the wheels in her head turning.

I laughed.

“I’ll get a job,” she added, making it known she wouldn’t freeload.

“We both will.” College was expensive, and even with the money sitting pretty in my bank, it wouldn’t last forever. I had two years to get through. Good thing I was a frugal bitch who knew how to work hard.

“So, we’re really doing this?” The hope in her voice was no longer a bud. It had bloomed to a full damn flower, and it would disappoint her if I’d been kidding, which I hadn’t.

I grinned stupidly at the phone. “Pack your damn bags. We’re getting the hell out of here.”

She squealed.

At the end of August, Frankie and I were packing her car full of shit and on our way to Whitley for college move-in day. It had been a chaotic couple of weeks and exactly what I needed to keep my mind occupied. We got lucky and were able to secure a tiny apartment on campus that the tenant backed out on at the last minute. The best part was it came fully furnished, and despite only having one bedroom, Frankie and I were too damn excited to care about the lack of privacy. We’d figure it out.

This day was the epitome of freedom. Something I’d looked forward to for what felt like very long years, and I wasn’t keen on this freedom being possible because of Crew and his money. I hated being indebted to anyone, and in a way, that’s what it felt like.

I was so ready to leave Fallen Oaks behind and all the heartache I’d suffered here. Despite leaving Dad being difficult, this was something I had to do. We both knew it, and he would have Sadie. If anything arose, I would only be two hours away, one of the reasons WU had been my top choice. It was far enough away to be out of Fallen Oaks but close enough I could get back in a pinch.

Since neither Dad nor I were keen on goodbyes, we made it quick. It was hard not worrying about him, but I reminded myself he was an adult. I couldn’t babysit him forever.

With Frankie’s car stuffed to the max, she rolled out of my driveway, using her side mirrors to guide her since she couldn’t see shit out the back window.

Don’t look. Don’t you dare look, I internally scolded for all the good it did.

I glanced at the dove-gray house next door with its pristine white shutters. The house had been empty for at least two weeks. Perhaps more. I tried not to think about it. Unsuccessfully, of course.

“Can you believe we’re doing this, bitch?” Frankie asked as if she understood I needed to be pulled out of my dark thoughts.

I shook my head, dragging my gaze away from the house. “No. It still seems unreal.”

Frankie flipped on her blinker, filling the car with its repetitive ticking. “Should I punch you to see if it hurts?”

“What the hell, Frankie.” I laughed. “You just skipped right over pinch and went to punch.”

She shrugged, looking left and right at the stop sign. “I like to move fast.”

I rolled my eyes, thankful for her distracting me. “I’m sure the guys a WU will appreciate that.”

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