“I told you that I thought we’d grown apart—”
“And I said that was natural!” I half shout.
He’s still looking at me like nothing about me makes sense. “What does it even mean to you to be in a relationship, Penny?”
“It—it means that we love each other. And that we have this part of our lives figured out. That we know who we’re going to be with in the end.”
“No,” he says, sounding—for the first time in this conversation—more sad than fed up. “A relationship isn’t about the end. It’s about being together every step of the way.”
“Micah?” A girl steps into the living room. “I heard shouting, and your mom said it was fine, but—”
“It is fine,” he says softly. “I’ll be back down in a few minutes.”
The girl keeps looking at me. She has long dark hair and wide hips. She’s wearing a flowered sundress. “You’re Penelope,” she says.
“I am.”
“I’m Erin. It’s so nice to meet you.” She comes at me with her hand out, but I act like it’s taking all I’ve got to hold on to the dog.
“I just need a few minutes,” Micah says. “I can explain—”
“Good,” I say.
He looks back at me, like I’m still being unbelievably foolish. “I wasn’t talking to you, Penny. For God’s sake.”
“Micah, what is this? Are you breaking up with me?”
“No,” he says. “I already have, half a dozen times. And you just won’t hear it!”
“I’m certain you never said,‘Penelope, I’m breaking up with you.’”
“I said it every other way! We went two months without talking, and you didn’t even notice!”
“I’m sure I was working on something very important!”
“I’m sure you were, too! Something much more important than me!”
At this point, I’m very tempted to say,“No, Micah, you’re wrong. This is a mistake, and I don’t accept it.”
And maybe I would if this Erin person weren’t standing right there. I think she’s a Normal, unless she’s got a wand up the back of her dress—nothing she’s wearing could hold magic. Cheap bangles and flip-flop sandals. If it weren’t for her, I’d announce,“I’m leaving now. Call me when you’re feeling reasonable.”
Instead I say, “My mother set eyes on my father in third year and knew immediately that they’d be married someday.”
“That’s not us,” he says. “That’s practically nobody.”
He’s right.…
…
… How mortifying.
I walk out of the house then, without saying good-bye to him or Erin or Mrs. Cordero. I’m halfway down the walk when Micah catches up with me.
“Penelope!”
“I don’t want to talk to you anymore!”
“No, you—you’ve got my mom’s dog.” He takes the Pomeranian from my arms, and it barks like it wants to come back to me. Micah jogs back into the house.
