Page 55 of Not in My Book

“No,” I shook my head. “My family’s just—” My phone buzzed again, the chair amplifying the sound.

“Take it,” he urged. “I don’t mind, really.”

I hastily swiped the green. “What?” I asked sharply.

“Is that any way to greet your baby sister?”

I rolled my eyes. “Hi, Maria. How are you?”

“I’m good,” she said brightly. I paused, waiting for her to continue.

“Is that it? You’re not calling about some urgent matter?”

“I can’t call to say hi to my big sister?”

“You can call, and when I don’t answer, you can send a text.”

“Look at you. Goes to New York for one year and becomes too busy to care about us southern folk,” she tsked. “So are you coming home for Christmas or not?”

“I already told Mom I don’t know,” I whispered, angling my body away from Aiden so he couldn’t hear. Maria and I both spoke broken Spanish, and we couldn’t really speak it to each other. We needed someone like my mom or our tías to guide us in conversation or else we’d be completely lost. I wished we were fluent as I sat here trying to have this conversation in front of Aiden. “I’m just trying to figure out the plane ticket and work stuff,” I lied.

I knew it wasn’t happening. I’d had an alert for flights set up since Halloween and nothing had been in my price range. Even if I took on more shifts at the Hideout, I still wouldn’t have enough for a roundtrip flight and rent next month. I knew I needed to tell them soon, but I hadn’t found the courage yet.

“I really need you here, Rosie.” I could hear the panic in her voice and frowned. Maria was the calm one. The one who did yoga in the morning and had an elaborate skin care routine she claimed was “meditative.”

“Is everything okay?” I asked softly.

“I just miss you. A lot.”

“I miss you, too. I’m sorry I don’t know yet. I’m going to try to pick up a few shifts—”

“Peter and I can help pay for your ticket.” Peter was Maria’s husband. They were high school sweethearts and got married just before I left for New York.

“No way. I know you two are saving up to get the house on Lott Street. Don’t worry about me. I’ll let y’all know soon, okay?”

“Fine. Fine. Love you,” she said as I hung up.

“I’m so sorry,” I said to Aiden.

“Don’t worry about it. Is everything okay?” I hesitated, reaching for another of the last of his fries. “You don’t have to tell me,” he said kindly. “But we’re past using personal information against each other, okay?”

Loose strands fell out from my ponytail at the side of my face, and I pushed them behind my ear.

“I still haven’t told my family I can’t come home for the holidays,” I said, my voice small. “I’ve been trying so hard for the past few weeks. Balancing school and my social life and working myself dead, and I really thought I would make it. But the plane tickets are crazy expensive now that Christmas is two weeks out, and I won’t have anyone to cover my shifts.” My voice was wobbling. I shrugged and said, “It just sucks.”

“I’m sorry, Rosie,” he said affectionately. He reached over to grab my hand, his fingers curling around the back of mine.

“It’s not world ending.” I wiped away a stray tear with the hand Aiden wasn’t holding. “I’ll survive it. I just spent last Christmas by myself, and I hoped this year would be different. New York during this time is so fun, but only if you have someone to spend it with, you know?”

“Yeah,” he said sympathetically, his thumb sweeping over the back of my hand. Such a small touch that sent shivers down my spine.

“It’s okay, though. I’m applying for the Sam Frost Fellowship, have you heard of it?”

He paused. “Yeah,” he said carefully. “I have.”

“I’m hoping that if I get it, it’ll solve some of my money problems since tuition wouldn’t be as big of a problem. Then I’ll be able to go home more often. That kind of money is life changing.”

He hummed, nodding. “I get what you mean.”

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