Page 40 of Late Fees

Moving in sync, Tilly muttered something to her coworker and walked toward me, her pale cheeks growing red. I joined her at the halfway point, a smile crawling across my shocked face.

“Is it really you?” I asked.

“Wyatt?” She couldn’t hide her consternation, which hit me like a ton of bricks. While I was elated to be seeing her again, I knew from her pinched eyebrows and the scowl on her lips that she didn’t share that emotion. Despite my disappointment, I nodded.

“You work here?’

“Part time, yeah.”

“So, you’re a student, then?”

She nodded. “Transferred this year.”

“I looked for you…you know, in the dorm directory. But you weren’t there, so I thought—”

“I have a studio apartment off campus. I wasn’t really interested in doing the dorm thing again.” She scratched the back of her neck and shifted her weight back and forth.

She’s not happy to see me.

“I guess I should’ve tried the yellow pages,” I said with an awkward, embarrassed laugh.

Tilly raised her eyebrows for a beat. “So, I guess you’re back in the states, huh?”

Confused, I tilted my head to the side. “Yeah, didn’t you know that?”

Her eyes avoided mine. They were clouded with guilt as they darted back to the front desk. But what could Tilly possibly feel guilty about?

“Listen, we’re about to get slammed, so I, um…I’d better get back to work,” she said, avoiding my question.

“Oh, right.”

“Wyatt?” Marissa said, approaching us, holding two tapes. “Quick, which one should we get? Two if by Sea or Sabrina. Ruben won’t let us get two romantic comedies. Oh, my God, Tilly. Hi!”

“Hey,” Tilly said.

“Do you two know each other?” I asked.

“Remember the a capella group I told you about? Well, Tilly’s in it, too. She’s, like, the best singer. Like, totally intimidating.”

“I wouldn’t say that. But, thanks,” Tilly said.

“I didn’t know you worked here,” Marissa said with wide eyes. “Do you get free movies and stuff?”

“I just started a few weeks ago. And no, unfortunately not. But the people are cool. And once the candy expires, we can take it home.”

“Cool,” Marissa said. “So, which one of these would you recommend? You know, for like, hanging out?”

Marissa’s cheeks reddened, and guilt filled my brain. I searched Tilly’s face for a reaction, but her expression was hard as stone. She was completely unaffected by the fact that Marissa and I were ‘hanging out.’

She pointed at the box for Sabrina. “It’s not really a comedy, but that one’s really good. You won’t be disappointed.”

But I already was.

This wasn’t at all how I thought our reunion would go after so much time apart. Tilly was cold and distant—as if no time had passed between us at all. As if her anger hadn’t dissipated during the past two years.

Maybe it hadn’t.

“Awesome. Thanks, Tilly. See you on Tuesday?”

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