Piper: Never. I'm getting my own place as soon as I can afford it.
Kit: What's stopping you?
Piper: Rent around here is more than I made at my old job, at this little cafe. I had to quit last semester. My grades were slipping. I couldn't juggle both.
Kit: School should come first.
Piper: Says the what— high school graduate?
Kit: College dropout.
Piper: Says the college drop out rock star?
Kit: You want to wait tables your whole life?
Piper: No.
Kit: I quit to play bass. I knew that was what I wanted to do.
Piper: Your parents must have been furious.
Kit: You'd be surprised.
Actually, I wouldn't. Our parents bailed days after Mal turned eighteen. They're home a few weeks a year. They send cards and money at birthdays and Christmas. They call once a month.
That's the full extent of their parenting skills.
They aren't technically deadbeats. They have big, important jobs as research scientists. They're off doing fieldwork, not getting high.
But what's the difference? Either way, they aren't here. They don't show an interest in us.
I'm stuck in angry thoughts of mom and dad when my phone buzzes with a call from Rory. I haven't texted her about Gilmore Girls yet. She must have gossip to share about her boyfriend.
Shit. I missed the call.
A text from her flares on my phone. Something about an emergency.
The selfish part of me hopes her boyfriend ended things— Carter is a burn out and he hogs Rory's time—but I push that aside. She's my friend and I want her to be happy.
Even if it means I'm losing time with my oldest friend.
I better say goodbye to Kit.
Piper: I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow?
Kit: Yeah.
Piper: You gonna text me every day?
Kit: Depends what I feel like doing?
Piper: What a stereotypical, non-committal man.
Kit: Every day it is.
I smile ear to ear. Kit is texting me every day. He really is my friend. And I could swear he's even flirting a little.
I take a moment to soak in the feeling of chatting with him then I call Rory. Sure enough, she's having boyfriend issues. Usually, I get jealous of how Rory's boyfriend stole her away from me.