Page 51 of We Can't Be Friends

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Riley devours his tenders, pretending they are dragons flying through the air before biting them.

I scoot my chair closer to Miller’s.

“How are you holding up?

He nods his head, rubbing his lips together. “This week has been draining. He doesn’t understand the move, and I’m struggling to figure out school and a nanny for him.”

“Do you need one right now?”

“Practice starts in a month.”

“So you have time?”

“I don’t, Chloe. I’m juggling too much. Taking care of Riley, unpacking, iceandgym time. There’s too much.”

“How can I help?”

“You can’t help.”

“Mills—”

“What, Chloe?You haven’t been there, and you think because I’m now in the city you ran off to it magically makes everything better. You are going to be therenow?”

I butt in, “Yes, Miller. I’m here now.”

He laughs off my admission.

“I know you’re mad at me.”

“I’m not mad, Chloe. That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

“I miss him too, you know that? You weren’t the only one affected.” My throat goes dry. Any response choked right out of me by the grasp of old memories.

My giggles are contagious. They get louder the faster my legs pump. “You can’t catch me, Aaron.”

His legs are longer than mine. Aaron is ten, I’m eight.

Mom says I’m tall for my age, though. Taller than Miller. I think that’s why he pulls my hair.

Aaron catches up to me as I go flying forward, tripping over someone else’s skate. He breaks my fall, not letting me land on the frozen pond in our backyard.

“Are you okay?” He checks me out for bumps and bruises. I like having an older brother. Aaron is the best brother and my best friend, outside of Adler, of course.

Adler is my friend, but she likes Miller. I saw them swap cooties under the kitchen table last week.

“You caught me, silly. I’m fine.” I stare up at my hero.

Aaron helps me stand, making sure I’m balanced on the thin blades before turning to Miller. “What the heck, dude?” That is his word of the month. Aaron calls Miller dude all the time now.

“Maybe she should watch out where she’s going. I thought you taught her how to skate. She sucks.”

I pump my arms down at my side, balling my gloved hands into fists. “I do not.”

“You do too.” He glares at me.

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