She finally releases whatever she’s been holding in and it comes out as some combination of a laugh/cry/snort.
“We’re going to need a lot more than this,” she says, tossing the money down beside us.
“You’re in?” I ask, throwing my arms around her and pulling her in as close as I can.
“I’ve always been in,” she whispers.
The next day we sit on the floor of Ryan’s guest bedroom with a notebook and pen, ready to get this plan in motion. I have no idea where to start, but we had all this figured out once, so hopefully Nora can steer the ship.
“Ryan’s parents will be back on August twenty-fourth so I have to be out by then. But if we leave the next day, I could spend the last night in Wyatt at Griffin’s Motel, then we could ride to the airport with Ryan that morning,” Nora suggests, writing the date down in front of us. I stare at it, doing the math in my head, and then let out a sigh.
“That’s in nine days,” I reply. We have nine days to pick upeverythingand move across the country, just the two of us. Only nine days left to live the only life I’ve ever known.
“Is it too crazy?” she asks. But I look at Nora and remember that I’m leaving it behind for a better one. As scary as it might be, it’s even more exhilarating. And finally my future feels right.
“No. No, let’s make it happen. So, the first thing I guess is figuring out our budget?” I open up the banking app on my phone and flip it around to show Nora: $2,237.15. “Do you think this’ll be enough to get us out there?” I ask, already cringing.
“Uh… no.” She laughs and then gets up to retrieve the box from beside her duffel bag. “But this should be.” She hands it to me and when I open it up, my jaw drops open. I have never seen this much cash in my life.
“Oh my God, Nora, did you rob a bank?” I ask, fanning through a pile of twenties, fifties, and hundreds.
“I’ve been saving for a rainy day.”
“This is all from the farm?” I ask, my gaping mouth turning up into a smile. “Jeez, you must’ve workeda lot. How much money is this?”
She reaches into the box and pulls out a tiny notepad, reading off the last line. “Fifteen thousand, four hundred and twenty dollars.”
“OhSHIT. We’re moving to Beverly Hills!” I shout, and Nora laughs.
“Slow down, Mike Tyson. See, this is exactly whyIwill be in charge of our finances.” She puts the lid back over the money and slides it away from me.
“Says the girl with a giant pile of money in a box?” I ask.
“Key words beinggiantandpile.” She begins scribbling words down in the notebook as she goes on. “And we’ll be lucky to get back into a studio apartment in the building we found in Palms. Then we have to pay first month’s rent and security deposit, get our bus passes, at least get, like… a mattress to sleep on. Then there are pots, pans, linens, utilities,food.”
“Okay, yeah. We havea lotto do. I sent a few emails to different people in admissions this morning to explain why I haven’t been in contact and hopefully get signed up for some classes.”
“We’ve gotta buy all your textbooks, too,” she adds. “And get your financial aid sorted.”
I excitedly reach across to grab her hand before we get overwhelmed. “Nora. I’m going to be a freakingBruin! Me!”
“Iknow.” She smiles. “I can’t wait for you to show me around campus. When does semester start again?”
“September eighteenth, but I think it’ll be good to get there with plenty of time to get settled, you know? Maybe I can even find a campus job or something before then.”
“That’s true.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to find an apartment on such short notice if we can’t get into that building?” I ask.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to spend the rest of the day calling around until I get it figured out.” She pulls Safari up on her phone and starts typing. “I’m going to give you some of this cash to deposit into your account, so you can wire the money for rent when I do find one, and buy our plane tickets and stuff.”
“Oh, so youdotrust me with the money?” I ask, smirking.
“Just don’t spend it all on a cow. Okay?” she jokes, and I roll my eyes at her.
She sets her phone and pen down for a second, and the two of us look at each other. All of this feels sort of like a dream. Like I’m going to wake up and laugh that I thought I wouldactuallymove across the country with Nora.
“Are you good?” she asks.
