“By the time I graduate, I think he’ll be happy enough with the diploma. He won’t care where it’s from.”
“So is that why you’re not in a rush to go back to LA?”
He shrugs. “I figure the longer we’re here, the more time it buys me.”
“What are you going to tell him about your grades? He’ll know something’s up when you don’t have them by the time school starts in the fall.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll tell him before then.” He sighs, rubbing his face. “Or maybe I’ll have ChatGPT write a report card for me.” He chuckles weakly.
“That’s not funny,” I say.
“It is, kind of.”
“Okay, you’re right.” My lips tug up into a weak smile.
“I’ll be fine,” he says, probably sensing my concern. “Dad will make sure of that.”
He’s right. Gavin will be fine. Because once he settles into his new role in It’s Ok!, Dad will ensure Gavin has a place there.
As I lay in bed that night, I’m still thinking about Gavin’s expulsion. As big of a deal as it is, his enthusiasm for our extended stay makes sense now. Blaire is offering him a way out of a bad situation. And after observing the way Mom and Dad are in their element on the farm, I can see glimpses of why they like it here too. But that doesn’t change the fact that while this lifestyle may suit them, it doesn’t suit me. Which is why I have to take matters into my own hands.
Maybe there is a way to get back to LA before the bankruptcy case is resolved. If I can pay Kiki for a month, she’ll be able to book me enough events where I could retain her services on commission going forward. I just need the seed money to get me started.
—
I’ll be the first to admit that peddling honey and God knows what else this town produces in a booth isn’t how I prefer to spend my Saturdays. But now that we’re here for longer than the expected two weeks, I have no excuse to get out of helping Callie at the farmer’s market. Besides, I’ve come up with a way to use this to my advantage, which makes me much more motivated to go.
After getting ready, I leave the bathroom with my blow-dryer case in my hand. Mom and Dad have already left to go to a secondhandstore outside of town, and since the tractor can only take the two of them, Gavin is the only other person at home. When I pass him in the kitchen, he scrambles to hide the magazine he’s reading. Ever since he confessed his expulsion from USC, we’ve been more civil toward each other. I don’t give him a hard time about his eagerness to please Mom and Dad anymore, and in return, he hasn’t given me a hard time for shirking my responsibilities. So instead of making fun of him, I make a beeline for the door to leave him to read his porn in peace.Blech.Words no sister ever wants to say about her brother.
Gavin surprises me by stopping me before I reach the door. “What are you doing with that?” He arches an eyebrow.
I look down at the blow-dryer case in my hand. “I’m going to try to sell it at the farmer’s market,” I say.
“At the farmer’s market?” He stifles a laugh. “Who’s going to want your secondhand department-store blow-dryer there?”
“It’s not just a blow-dryer, Gavin.” I roll my eyes. “The Dyson Airwrap is anAllureBest of Beauty award winner and one of Oprah’s Favorite Things from last year.”
He looks more confused than before. “Do you even know what a farmer’s market is?”
Realizing I won’t be able to get through to Gavin with logic and reason, I resort to something more convincing. I whine. “Gaaaaviiiin.If no one’s going to buy this, what else can I sell? It’s the most expensive thing I have that I’m willing to part with.”
Gavin rubs the back of his head. “Why doyouneed to sell anything at all? Aren’t you supposed to be helping Callie sellherstuff?”
I’d forgotten that Gavin doesn’t know about my plan, so I fill him in on it.
“You’re going to pay for Kiki Klineman’s services, and then what? Move back to LA?” His mouth hangs open.
“That’s the hope.” I sigh wistfully.
“Why? Not one of your friends has called you since you’ve been here.”
“Our phones don’t work, remember? Besides, it’s the summer. They’re obviously busy. I would have been, too, if things hadn’t turned out this way.”
“Sounds like solid friendships.”
“I’m not as naive as I seem.” I cock my head to the side. “I know what kind of friendships I have. The kind that rely on one another for our collective reputations to build our brands. And with our family situation, I understand why they’re distancing themselves from me. I bring them down rather than up. If I were them, I’d do the same.”
“Brutal. And you want to go back to that?” He grimaces.
