Lily turned her head to follow Felicity’s line of sight and saw Maya and Hanna skating together—to her discomfort—towards them. They were arm in arm, and Hanna was helping them along, Maya laughing. Lily could see the ease in their features, the level of comfort they had with one another. Wasshe the third wheel?
She made eye contact with Hanna, who gestured to Maya. They started skating towards Lily in earnest. To Lily’s relief, they didn’t remove their skates, but waited for Lily at the edge of the ice. Clearly watching the exchange. She wondered how much they could hear, being only about six feet away.
“Fe,” Lily tried to untangle her voice in her throat. She shot tentative glances at Hanna and Maya and saw that each of their gazes were fixed on the scene before them.
“No I get it, just thought we were beyond avoidance and at least you could talk to me, to my face. Maybe at least a phone call or text message. Apparently not.” She huffed out a breath and added dismissively, “But hey, I get it.”
“No you don’t,” Lily began to protest.
The line moved again and Lily was up next. She ordered three hot chocolates.
Lily handed over some cash and told the teen behind the counter to keep the change. “I just?—”
Felicity cut her off. “Sruti is really nice, a pretty cool girl, and she’s, well, you left her on read, too?”
The anger in Felicity’s voice momentarily surprised Lily. Was Felicity mad onSruti’s behalf?
Interesting.
“I don’t really see how that’s any of your business,” Lily retorted, feeling her defenses building.
At that moment, the teen handed Lily three cups in a cardboard carrier. They looked about sixteen, and their pale face turned red at Lily’s words.
“I gotta go,” Lily said quickly, flustered and truthfully not prepared to have the conversation. Not that there was much of one to have; they hadn’t been together, even though Felicity was probably the closest she’d had to a relationship in her whole life. What was more, Hanna and Maya had witnessed everything they probably needed to know about her and romance and for some reason that unnerved her.
“I bet you do,” Lily heard Felicity say as she hurried back towards Maya and Hanna.
15
HANNA
“That hot cocoa was really good,” Hanna said as the three of them finished cleaning up the kitchen after dinner later that evening. Maya and Lily were at the island, Hanna on the other side.
“Must be if you’re still thinking about it, Banana,” Lily said, smiling as she dried a plate. They’d made lasagna—well, Lily and Maya had made the food once they’d realized Hanna couldn’t cook. In Hanna’s defense she had offered to chop the onions, but as soon as Lily saw the way she was holding the knife, she’d taken over. Hanna liked to think she was great company though, and kept their wine glasses full.
“You know how she feels about chocolate,” Maya said teasingly, and Hanna was relieved at the small break in the tension that still hovered around them. Dinner had been somewhat subdued as they made forced conversation, which likely led to the wine being drunk faster than normal. Lily had made attempts at humor, while Maya seemed just—sad, but Hanna wasn’t sure the current vibe conditions were ideal for checking in with her.
“So your grad applications are in?” Lily turned to Maya, taking a sip of her wine and keeping the conversation safe and neutral.
“Yep.” Maya didn’t elaborate.
“So where did you apply again?” Lily pushed.
“Doesn’t matter, let’s see if I get in,” Maya said. She picked up her wine, looked at it, and then set it down without taking a sip.
“Sociology right?” Hanna piped in, trying to help the conversation gain momentum.
“Yah,” Maya said again, without elaborating. Instead she focused her gaze on Hanna and asked, “And med school?”
Hanna felt her face heat. “Applications are in!” she said, perhaps too brightly. She’d applied, but these days she wasn’t so sure if she wanted to go straight to med school or focus more on the medical policy aspects of her studies. Or perhaps say “fuck it” and volunteer on a vineyard in France.
“Look at me here with two future doctors, and me, just an artist,” Lily mused, once again trying to inject humor into the room.
“Well, some of us have to worry about bills when we graduate,” Hanna said, and immediately regretted it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean?—”
“It’s all good, you’re right, I’m a trust fund baby who gets to pursue a passion that will most likely pay me nothing. But,” Lily added, her voice wavering with something like shyness, “it’s my passion. It’s the only way I feel like I can really say anythingright,you know? I’m better with my hands than I am with my mouth.” Realizing what she’d said, she laughed.
Maya laughed too, full belly, and Hanna couldn’t help but join in.
