Page 10 of What We Got Wrong

Liv appeared to ponder that for a few seconds before she nodded. “Is it okay if I let you know?”

“Of course,” Quinn agreed.

Saturday morning, they went about their usual early routines. Quinn’s family was scheduled to arrive around 10:30 AM, in time for a quick tour of campus and then lunch. Quinn was waiting on a bench outside their dorm building by 10:15 AM, equal parts excited to see them and on edge that they were going to act up. Her parents were pretty chill, but they loved to tease, and she was nervous to have them in her new space. Plus, they were very different from the entirely imagined idea of Liv’s family that she had in her head. Quinn’s dad was an electrician who liked to joke that he was “half-giant” because of his height (which he’d kindly passed along to Quinn) and her mom had been a stay-at-home mom since the first set of twins arrived.

“Quinnie!” She heard her father’s booming voice, and she was already blushing as she noticed several students watching the commotion, especially when her sisters started screaming and running towards her.

Juliette made it first and leapt into her arms, followed shortly by Everlee, carrying a large gift bag. She switched out one twin for the other, and then her parents sandwiched her in a giant embrace. Quinn had only been at school for six weeks at this point, but it was the longest time she’d ever spent away from them in her life, and she was struck by how emotional she felt seeing them for the first time.

“The boys stayed at home,” Quinn guessed.

“Yeah, tremendously important thirteen-year-old boy business,” her mom said, before assuring Quinn that their neighbor would be keeping an eye on the house to ensure it didn’t burn down in their absence.

“Will you show us your room, Quinnie?” Everlee asked, pulling on her arm, still clutching the giant bag. “I’m excited to see where you live now!”

“Of course, girly,” she replied, bumping her hip against her sister. She led them inside the building, towards the stairs that would take them to her dorm room. “Is that gift for me?”

“Maybe,” Everlee answered, giggling, as they made their way upstairs.

“I’m excited to meet the roommate,” her mom said, shooting Quinn a sly glance.

“You do talk about her kind of a lot,” her dad agreed, pretending that this thought had just occurred to him, though it was clear to Quinn that this discussion was premeditated.

“Well yeah. She’s my roommate,” Quinn said through gritted teeth. She didn’t think she talked about Liv all that much, but she’d be more aware of it on future calls home. “Other than the swim team, she’s the only person I’ve really met since I’ve been here.”

“Mmhmm,” was her mom’s complete reply.

“Can you guys please not embarrass me,” Quinn begged, but she regretted the request as soon as she made it, because both of her parents lit up.

“What could we ever possibly do to embarrass our sweet baby?” her mom said.

“We would never,” her dad added, holding his hand over his chest to feign offense.

“I hate you both,” Quinn muttered under her breath, propping the door open so that they could go in, feeling the blush take over her face, and hoping, on one level, that Liv had decided against joining them.

“No, you don’t, you love us,” her dad said, and he literally reached to pinch her cheeks, though he did let her swat his hand away.

Small dignities.

“Good morning,” she heard Liv say, and Quinn quickly followed her family into the room.

“Well, aren’t you the prettiest little thing I’ve ever seen,” her mom said, adopting a faux Southern accent, taking Liv’s hand and actually twirling her, the skirt of her simple orange jersey dress flaring out with the movement. Quinn noticed that her face wasn’t the only one on fire.

“Thank you,” Liv said with a small smile.

Quinn mouthed STOP to her mother, though she knew it wouldn’t do any good. She was well aware of how pretty Liv was. She tried desperately not to think about it, to not notice her shiny, bouncy dark brown hair, her hypnotic blue eyes, or how her teeth were currently nibbling into her perfect, round bottom lip.

It’s not normal to notice your roommate’s lip shape, she chided herself. Especially your probably straight—Quinn wasn’t one to assume, even considering how Liv had reacted to her sexuality—and definitely not interested.

“Quinnie here was just about to show us around this here big city learning school,” her dad was saying, joining in on the bit, when Quinn realized she should tune back in to the conversation. “Would you like to come on the tour, darlin’?”

“He grew up in Detroit, neither of them has an accent, please excuse their weirdness,” Quinn said, trying to save Liv from having to answer. “My mom and dad, Jennifer and Nicholas.”

“Pleasure to meet y’all,” Liv said, with a glimmer in her eye, and…was she joking with them? Quinn could not handle it if Liv was going to be that cute and also act silly with her family. She simply wouldn’t survive.

Her parents were tickled, though, each of them taking turns to shake Liv’s hand, dropping the accents. Quinn then redirected their attention, turning to gesture to her sisters, who, at eight years old, were behaving better than her parents, sitting patiently on her bed.

“Liv, these are my sisters,” she said. She gestured to them in turn. “This is Everlee, and this is Juliette.”