After graduation, Leigh had left Clover Lake, went to medical school, and became an anesthesiologist. They worked at a hospital in Chicago now, at least the last Ramona had heard. Every now and then, they’d come back to town, slip into April’s bed, then head back to Illinois.
“My god, Leigh, warn a girl!” April said, grinning.
“You know I like to keep you on your toes,” Leigh said. “Came back for my mom’s birthday this weekend.”
“Such a good kid,” April said, patting Leigh’s cheek.
Leigh just winked, and Ramona stifled a laugh. She could almost hear April’s panties dropping.
“Hey, there you are,” Olive said as she and Marley appeared in the main aisle. Olive had a pile of lavender towels in her arms, and Marley flipped a pack of gauzy plum-colored curtains from hand to hand. “Did you find a purple comforter?”
“Oh,” Ramona said, then looked around at the shelves. “Not yet.”
“Holy shit, Olive Riley?” Leigh said. “You grew up.”
Olive’s eyes went wide. “Leigh, oh my god,” she said, then threw her arms around Leigh too.
Leigh laughed, then glanced at Marley. “Hey, Mar-Mar, god, what is in the water here?”
“We’re shopping for their college dorm room,” April said.
“No way,” Leigh said as Olive pulled back.
“Very way,” Marley said. “Ollie wants all purple shit.”
“Purple shit is a compromise between my pink and your blue,” Olive said.
“How very bisexual of you,” Leigh said.
Olive’s brows lifted, and she glanced at Ramona, who just lifted her brows right back. Marley very pointedly looked at the floor.
Olive cleared her throat. “Which one do you like, Mar?” She waved at the plastic-wrapped comforters on the shelves.
“Whichever one you do,” Marley said. She put her curtains in the cart too, but then Ramona noticed her eyes following Olive, gazing at her best friend instead of the comforter options. When Marley’s gaze snagged on Ramona’s, her cheeks went red and she got out her phone, busying herself with scrolling.
“I like this one,” Olive said, grabbing a deep purple comforter with lavender leaves all over it. It was reversible, the colors switched on the other side.
“That’s pretty,” Ramona said. “It’ll match everything we’ve got so far.”
“Like Barney threw up,” April said, and Leigh laughed.
“Oh, ha ha,” Olive said. “Marley, what do you think?”
Marley didn’t answer. Her eyes were wide on her phone, her fingers pressed to her mouth.
“Mar?” Olive said. “You okay?”
Marley lifted her head, but she didn’t look at Olive.
She looked at Ramona.
“What’s wrong?” Ramona asked.
“Um…” Marley said, but then Olive all but stomped over and took her phone, eyes scanning whatever had Marley so spooked.
“Holy. Shit,” Olive said after a few seconds.
“God, what now?” Ramona said, but she was laughing as she plucked her phone from her bag’s front pocket. Honestly, she’d expected this—there had been a ton of tiny cameras on her and Dylan yesterday, and if she was going to hang out with a famous person, she was going to have to get used to some pictures of herself on the internet. It’s not like she’d ever be doing anything scandalous in public. The most risqué thing would probably be a swimsuit shot if she and Dylan ever went swimming and, honestly, she looked amazing in her two-piece.
