Deadly serious, I said, “I really hope so.”
Adam laughed. “I think it’s cool.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded. “So what’s the application process?”
“I have to write an essay, send in a few short films, and get a letter of recommendation from someone who can—” here I added air quotes “—discuss my creative strengths in relation to film and filmmaking.”
“Who are you going to ask for the recommendation?”
“I have no idea. I’ll find someone though.” I was glad he wasn’t asking about the short films, especially the one he was in, because I wasn’t ready to show it to him yet.
“I think my dad said there’s a new guy in the building who’s some kind of movie critic.”
I grabbed one of Adam’s arms with both of mine. “Are you serious?”
“I think so. I’ll try to find out.”
“I will seriously love you forever if you find him for me.”
“And just yesterday you made me watch a movie about how I can’t buy me love.” He shook his head, and I threw mine back with a laugh.
“Okay, my turn for questions.”
“Ask away.”
“Where do you live?”
“Little town called Telford,” he said. “It’s a thirty-minute drive north from here without traffic. What about you?”
“My mom’s house is in the city. We could go later if we want to forge a suicide pact.”
Adam stopped walking. “Are you saying that because of the house or the occupant?”
“Both lately.”
Adam got that uncomfortable look on his face that meant I’d made him feel sadandguilty.
“Not because of my mom, at least not completely. I told you about the guy from her gym that she’s seeing. He claims to be a financial expert—maybe he is, I don’t know. He’s got her all worked up about the money my dad is hiding from her.”
“Is he? Your dad, I mean?”
“Totally. Before the divorce, my dad could buy and sell the entire Oak Village apartment building ten times over, and now he’s living here and claiming that he can’t afford anything nicer—no offense to your dad, the place is better since he started working on it.” I stopped walking. “I’m starting to sound like Tom. He’s trying to get my mom to hire a forensic accountant to look through my dad’s finances and get more alimony out of him. My dad isn’t an idiot though, so I doubt they’ll find anything, which means that if she wants more money, then she’ll have to get a job and do something besides work out and drink. Maybe she’ll grow up and care about someone besides herself. Maybe they both will.” I was breathing like a bull, steam billowing in and out. Adam hadn’t known half the stuff I’d just unloaded on him. No one did.
I needed to get back to safer, less-uncomfortable-for-both-of-us ground. “Just forget I said all that. My point is that until we can drive, we won’t be hanging out anywhere except here.” We’d come full circle and were approaching our building again. We passed the sign, and neither of us looked at it.
Adam’s response was to nod his head and shove his hands into his pockets.
“Let’s just do more questions,” I said. “Favorite color?”
“Red. You?”
“Purple. Candy?”
“Jelly beans. You?”
“Fireballs. Holiday?”
