Page 386 of The First Time
It's a hardcover copy ofGhost World, a special print with the entire comic and the screenplay from the film. I flip it open and—
It's signed.
It's perfect.
My heart thuds against my chest.
I'm a sincerely.
That's what matters here. Not that this present is perfect. Not that Blake seems to know exactly what I want.
I close the book and push it to the center of the table. Coffee. I need to drink this coffee. I take a long sip. French roast. Black. Strong. Hint of vanilla.
Just like what was on his lips after the pool.
Fuck. It's not working.
"Hey… Kat…" Lizzy's voice is sing-song.
"Yeah?"
"Want me to get out of here so you can have a booty call?"
"No." I move the hardcover to our bookshelf. I'll look at it later. When it makes me think of something besides his strong hands and his piercing eyes. "I want to have brunch with my sister."
She smirks. "You want a booty call at his place."
"No, Lizzy. I broke off our engagement last night, and his mom is in the hospital. It's not the time for a booty call. Okay?"
She slumps in her chair. "I was just kidding."
"Sorry, I haven't slept."
"So can we go to the brunch place that doesn't card?" she asks.
"No way in hell."
* * *
Brunch is quiet.I eat a full plate of stuffed French toast and spend the afternoon napping with my sketchbook pressed against my chest.
Lizzy makes dinner. She's not the best cook in the world, but neither am I.
We eat in front of the TV in silence.
Maybe she's reeling too. Her life is going to be different soon. She'll be on another coast. With all new friends and surroundings.
She resigns herself to studying.
I spread out on my bed with my sketchbook. I've been working on all these tiny little comics—four or six or even ten panels. When I lay them side my side, they fit together. They're kind of likeGhost World, actually. They're vignettes about life refusing to stay the same.
It's been changing all this time. It's not just before the accident and after the accident. Every day is different. Every day, I'm different. Meeting Blake…
That's just speeding things along.
I get to work on another six-panel comic. There's so much I want to capture, but I'm not good enough yet.
The images in my head don't come out right on paper. I need training. I need experience.
