Page 21 of Left on Read

“Why’s itmyjob to fix this, anyway?” I ask Hayes after she’s gone, even though I know he doesn’t have an answer. We haven’t moved from our seats.

“It’s not.” He smiles, and it’s … devastating. He should not be allowed to possess such a high level of intelligence and a face like that. “It’s not mine, either. But I’m pretty sure we’re gonna do it anyway. So let’s get serious, Novella. We haveuniversitiesto get into. You know your acceptance can be rescinded by some schools if your GPA drops?”

“No,” I say firmly, gritting my teeth. “We just have to get through it. And get our A’s. I’m going to stay focused on the work and that’s it. There’s nothing we can do.”

But do I really want that to be true?

Esha:will you come to the interest meeting for the animal rescue club? it’s this afternoon

Nova:do I have to rescue an animal

Nova:if so what kind and from where

Nova:also I’m probably not wearing the right shoes for that?

Esha:no actual rescuing required, I’m just scared no one else will show up

Nova:oh in that case sure

There’s a knock on my otherwise silent study-room door, quick and demanding. Maybe it’s Mrs. McCrary, the pink-haired librarian, telling me someone else wants the room. Lord knows I’ve had more than my fair share of time in it today.

I slide the creaking desk chair across the faded carpet, reaching one arm back to open the door without even looking. My left hand keeps scrolling down on the school computer. I’m trying to get ahead on research for Lowry’s midterm paper, and I have a whole sticky note filled with the titles of scholarly papers to readlater. I’m going to write something so good, so academic, so well thought-out, she’llhaveto give me an A.

“Sorry,” I mutter, not turning around. “I’ll be out in just a minute …”

“What are youdoing?” Esha asks. She spins my chair around to face her. My eyes have to refocus; all the blue light from that ancient computer makes the room fuzzy.

“I’m working,” I respond, making a futile attempt to turn my own chair back around. She’s so much stronger than me. All it takes is her foot stopping my momentum, and I’m stuck.

“Right, but it’s late. They’re closing.” She steps out of the way so I can see the almost completely dark library behind her.

“Oh!” I rub my eyes, blue and black splotches lingering once I open them again. “I didn’t even realize.”

Esha starts packing up for me, and while I appreciate the gesture, she’s doing it all wrong. She picks up my lucky pencil and throws it haphazardly into the biggest compartment in my bookbag, and that’s justanarchy.

“Alright, alright! I’ll go!” Shuffling my stuff around into the proper order, I see, out of the corner of my eye, Mrs. McCrary starting to flip the last lights off. I’ve never closed down the library before.

This is either a new high or a new low. Maybe a little of both.

I let the adhesive back of the sticky note grip my thumb as we walk out of the library into the dark. I wasn’t expecting to see the moon. My parents are going to kill me.

“Your mom called me,” Esha says, either reading my thoughts directly from the source or guessing by the horrified look on my face.

“Thank you,” I respond. It’s not the first time I’ve lost track of time studying somewhere, but this might be the latest I’ve ever stayed out on a school night. “And I’m sorry. Sorry that you felt you had to come and get me.” I rub my forehead with my non-sticky note hand.

“I didn’tfeel,Ididhave to come and get you. You didn’t answer my texts! I was worried! I still don’t know what you were doing in there all night.”

“I was working on essay ideas for Lit! We have this midterm paper coming up … She hasn’t told us anything about it, and I don’t know if she ever will … but I still have to write the damn thing, so I need a killer thesis! I read the syllabus, that’s theonlyreason I even know about it. It’s 50 percent of our final grade. So it has to beperfect.”

Esha whistles, the sharp sound interrupting the rhythm of cicadas chirping.

We reach the campus parking lot, her giant Jeep and my tiny Honda the only two vehicles left. She’s parked under a lamppost, like a street-smart adult. I’m parked next to the dark woods, like the first person to die in a horror movie.

“Call your mom once you get in the car. She made me promise.” Esha squeezes my shoulder, then heads for her Jeep. I watch her push a button on the remote, and the headlights cut through the dark.

My sticky note outline slips from my finger, and I accidentallystep on it on the way to my own car. Superb. That sticky note is my comprehensive plan to save myself from a shitty grade in what was supposed to be the world’s best class. I bend and retrieve it.

After I slide into the driver’s seat, I fumble for my phone. The screen lights up as I dial my mom.