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“For sure.”
They fell into friendship again easier than Cassie expected. After so long with minimal contact, they were back to seeing each other every day: breakfast in the caf, waiting for each other after classes, studying together in the library. It was great, even if it hurt Cassie to realize Parker had never really been “too busy.” But she’d rather enjoy what she had now than pout about what happened in the past. They never mentioned it, except once, when Cassie was making Parker crack up with an impression of Professor Crane.
Parker clutched her stomach and said, “You’re an asshole, but I missed you.”
Acacia grinned. Cassie really didn’t care what happened before; she was just glad to have her best friends back.
Parker and Cassie were supposed to be studying on the couch in Cassie’s apartment, but Cassie was on craigslist and she could see Parker was on Facebook, so she didn’t feel bad interrupting.
“How much do you know about neighborhoods in Boston?”
Parker shrugged. “A bit.”
“Look at this apartment I found.”
Parker leaned into Cassie’s side as Cassie clicked through the pictures.
“Do you know if this is a good neighborhood?”
Parker leaned away, back to her own computer. “I really don’t know,” she said. “You should ask my mom. She knows Boston better than I do.”
Cassie looked sharply at Parker, who wasn’t paying her any attention. “I should ask your mom?”
“Yeah,” Parker said. “She’s in the city all the time for patient stuff. Just text her.”
Cassie swallowed. Wished Acacia were there. “Just text your mom out of the blue about Boston neighborhoods?”
Parker shrugged. “You have her number, right? Just text her or call her. She likes you enough she’d probably even go take a look at the apartment to make sure the photos aren’t bullshit or whatever.”
“Right.” Cassie picked at her fingernails. “That’d be pretty sweet, actually.”
It seemed crazy that Erin might go look at apartments for her. Crazier still that Parker had suggested it. Cassie brought it up on the phone with Erin a few days later anyway.
“So, uh, Parker told me to ask you about Boston neighborhoods.”
Erinhmmed. “Did she?”
“Yeah.” Cassie cleared her throat. “Said you liked me enough to go look at apartments for me?”
“I don’t know if I like youthatmuch.”
Cassie tried to backtrack. “Right, of course, I mean, that’s a lot and—”
Erin laughed. “Cassie. Of course I like you enough to look at apartments for you. I don’t want you living in squalor.”
Cassie’s pulse tried to get back to normal. “Right,” she said again. Erin was just kidding. They were friends. It still seemed like a lot though. “I have it narrowed down to a couple. Just like—if you could, check them out, maybe?”
Erin’s voice was soft. “I’d love to, babe.”
Acacia walked into her dorm without knocking one Thursday afternoon, announcing, “I’m bored and hungry and if I have to eat another meal at the caf, I’m gonna die. Let’s go to Sonic tonight.”
With the nearest Sonic almost forty minutes away, going there was always an adventure, one Cassie would normally be all for.
“I can’t tonight,” she said. “Erin and I are making dinner together.”
She didn’t think she’d said anything unusual, but Acacia was staring at her.
“What?” Cassie said.
