Jessie leans against me, and I slip an arm around her. I haven’t felt this content in a long time. Being in this building feelsright. I couldn’t explain it if I tried, but maybe I need to. Maybe I need to sit down with my parents during Christmas break and explain why this is important to me or maybe I do just need to take a class and not tell them…
With the Walden Senior Scholarship in my pocket, maybe they won’t care as much.
But thinking about the scholarship gives me a weird pinching feeling in my ribs. I glance down at Jessie. If I get it, that means she didn’t, and what does that mean for her coming back to school next year? I can afford the tuition. She’s specifically told me she can’t, and that makes the pinching in my ribs transform into a dull ache. Withdrawing my application wouldn’t guarantee she’d get it, though. We’re not the only students who applied—surely. The most qualified maybe, but there’s no way to know for sure that my concession would still benefit Jessie.
But I don’t really want to think about this right now, so I stuff it to the back of my mind.
Another day.
For now I hug Jessie just a little closer to me, and when she looks up at me and grins, her eyes sparkling, I know without a doubt that I’d move heaven and hell to keep her.
Scholarship or no.
“You two are actually disgusting. Like, I was Team Mac, and now I’m Team Stop-Looking-At-Each-Other-In-Front-Of-Me.” Jade rocks up, her stage makeup mostly gone.
Jessie stands, hugging her friend. “You were fantastic,” she tells her.
“You really were,” I echo and stand too.
“I was, wasn’t I? Let’s get some food. I’m absolutely starving.”
Jade and Jessie link arms and lead the way to the caf. It’s after ten o’clock on a Friday night, and even though the caf is open twenty-four-seven, barely anyone is here but us. I buy dinner for all of us, and Jessie only protests one time before Jade reminds her the best part about taking a lover is when they buy you nice things, to which Jessie mutters, “It’s caf food?”
“Better than cat food,” Jade says, claiming a table in the near-empty cafe for us. Jessie sits next to me, Jade across from us.
“Are your standards that low?” Jessie asks, pouring dressing all over her salad.
“My standards are astronomical,” Jade says.
Jessie raises her eyebrows at her.
“For a partner.”
Jessie’s eyebrows go to her forehead. Watching them together is better than TV.
“Like, not just a sexual partner. A life partner. It’s why I’m never getting married. A chain of casual lovers who don’t expect anything from me suits me just fine,” Jade says between bites of French fries. “Commitment is for the birds. But I’m glad it’s working out for you two pheasants.”
“Did you just call us peasants?” I ask.
“Pheasants,” Jessie says, emphasizing the “F” sound. “Like the bird?”
I shrug. I genuinely have never heard of a bird called a pheasant. Jessie looks at me like I just announced my arrival from another planet.
“I thought you said he was smart,” Jade says.
“I thought he was too,” Jessie says. “At least he’s cute.”
“I can hear you,” I say, digging into my burger.
“Good. Your ego could use a knock down a level or two.” Jessie nudges me with her elbow.
“You keep me humble,” I say, throwing a fry at her face. It bounces off her cheek and lands on the table.
She picks it up with a grin and tosses it back at my face. It misses entirely, hitting my shoulder and bouncing back into my lap. I snap it up and stuff it in my mouth. Still smiling, I lean in for a kiss, and Jessie obliges. The kiss is quick and over too soon, but she tastes every bit as sweet as the first time I kissed her.
“Seriously, guys. Get a room,” Jade says.
“Sorry, sorry,” Jessie says.
