Page 209 of Rock Me All Night
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After breakfast, I bury myself in homework. Senior year is no joke. I have an essay and two tests every week. The one thing I don't have is mental energy.
Two hours of finance and I'm ready to drop. It's not so much that I don't understand business classes. They're just so dull and closed to interpretation. I love my literature classes, even when I have to read long, meandering Russian novels that are so bleak they make me cry.
I flop on my bed and reach for my phone. Time to see if I missed anything important. There's a text from Nadeen.
Nadeen: Hey. This letter came for you. It's like really big. From UCLA. Do you need it?
My throat goes dry. A letter. It must be my acceptance or rejection from the UCLA teaching program. It's really big. Big is good. Big is acceptance packet with financial aid information.
I grab my phone and reply.
Kara: Are you home? I'll come by and get it.
Nadeen: Yeah. Until seven. I can open it now and tell you what it says? It looks like a grad school thing.
Kara: I'll come get it now.
Nadeen: Aren't you going to work at your mom's company?
Kara: Please don't touch it. I'll see you soon.
Nadeen: Okay. You don't have to get snippy about it.
I toss my phone into my purse and slide it onto my shoulder. I need that letter now. I need to know what it says.
I rush down the stairs. Keys. My keys are on the table somewhere.
Drew is sitting on the couch. He's been there for hours, bingeing on some comic book TV show.
There. I grab my keys and make for the door.
Drew turns to me. "Where are you rushing off to?"
"I have to pick something up at Nadeen's."
"You hungry?"
"Starving actually."
He turns the TV off and jumps to his feet. "I'll come with you."
"Why?"
"Because you want me tocomewith you." He takes three steps toward me. "And we can get groceries after."
I can't think about a little thing like groceries at a time like this. But, yes, that makes sense. We do need to eat eventually and there isn't a lick of food in this house.
"I'm driving," I say.
"I like a woman in charge." He practically races to the door. "What's at Nadeen's?"
"You'll see."
And he's already out the door.
