“I think it’s less about it being new and more about her finally letting me work in the office and you being here that gives her a little more time off.”
My grandmother works too hard, there’s no doubt about that. “I’m glad she’s not pushing herself so much, you know? It’s a lot of responsibility.”
“Having you here really helps,” Katie says, spinning in the office chair. “She missed you while you were gone. Worried, even.”
“I hate that.”
“She wasn’t the only
one. Those guys were beside themselves. I kept expecting to wake up and hear they’d stolen Sierra’s Jeep and driven across the country to find you.”
“She’d kill them if they took her Jeep.”
She laughs. “You know what I mean. They’re super into you, Starlee. All of them.”
I hear the implication—that she knows it’s not just one or the other. It’s all of them. We don’t particularly hide it around here and Sierra seems to have accepted it as long as we follow her rules. Unsure of what to say, I just reply, “I’m into them, too.”
She snorts. “Who wouldn’t be? Damn. You’re going to have to watch your back if you’re not going to leave some for the rest of the girls at the Academy. And seriously, no one around here really cares what you’re up to but at school, people talk.”
“Did you go there?” I ask.
“Yep. Class of 2015. How’s it going?”
“Okay, I guess. I’m just not used to school and all the noise and distraction. My classes seem good. I’m a little ahead, which makes me feel better. The guys are great but the girls…”
“Are bitches?”
“That’s not very feminist to slam your fellow females,” I say, knowing I’d felt the same earlier.
“The truth is what it is. Have you made any friends? Outside the guys?”
“Not really. This one girl in my P.E. class seems okay. I think her name is Claire. And my Student Ambassador was nice—although that’s her job.”
“Then approach them. Join a club. Hang out with more than just the guys. It’ll take the heat off a little.”
I nod, but I’m not sure I have the courage to do it. “You think I should join a club? Become a cheerleader?”
She laughs. “Definitely do not become a cheerleader. But yeah, join the adventure club or Spanish society or whatever. They’ve got a book club. You like to read, right?”
“I do.”
This is all so overwhelming. All those years trapped at home, I thought of classes and assignments and maybe eating lunch with friends, but clubs and football games and mean girls in the locker room…that passed me by.
Katie must sense my hesitation because she hops out of the chair and helps me sort the brochures. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but trust me, everyone else has the same insecurities. Lots of them would give anything to be the new girl with a clean slate.”
“Really?”
“Definitely. They’ve all known one another forever. There are no secrets—none. You’re a mystery. An enigma. You have way more power than you realize.”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
“Because you’re a worrier. I’m not. I see things clearly and trust me, Starlee Jones, this is going to be a great year for you.”
I lay my brochures on the table and reach out to pull her into a hug. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, friend.” I release her. “Now, since I outrank you, please go put these in all the cabins. You can do the single rooms tomorrow.”
“Done.”