“There is no fucking way they’re still…” I started to say.
“The bonfires!” she shouted. “Of course we still have them! First snowfall of the year always means bonfires, marshmallows, cookies, hot chocolate, good music, and—”
“Booze,” I interrupted her. “Yeah, I remember.”
Kami rolled her eyes. “It’s not just about drinking, it’s about having fun. It’s honestly one of my favorite Carsville festivities.”
“Do they still have a competition for best snowman?”
“Yeah, but now only kids can take part.”
“What the hell?” I asked.
“But if we get my little brother to sign up, we can help,” Kami said, with excitement in her eyes. I’d forgotten how much she liked the snow, sledding, snowmen, bonfires… We’d had some good winter times together when we were little, and I was happy to be able to relive that with her.
“Let it snow!”
The three of us left our mugs in the sink and got in the car to head to school. As soon as we walked in, we saw a giant poster welcoming us in the hallway right by the lockers.
University Week, it said.
“Is it really this week?” Kami asked.
“Is what this week?” I responded.
“Have fun, kids,” my brother smirked, walking off toward the teachers’ lounge with one quick look back at Kami. I don’t know if I was imagining things, if I was paranoid or what, but I was sure I kept seeing something between them. I didn’t like it, and it was starting to affect my mood.
“Taylor, how do you not know about this? We have our practice SATs, there are special classes about how to write an application essay, recruiters from different colleges come to visit. Shit…” She stopped at a long table covered in flyers and read the wordsIvy League.Behind it were the flags of the eight best colleges in the country: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, UPenn, Princeton, and Yale.
“Fuckfuckfuck,” she said, picking up a leaflet with a blue cover and the logo for Yale.
I couldn’t help but smile at how worked up she got. “Sometimes I forget how soon it is until we go off to college.”
“There’s no way I’m getting in,” she said, squeezing the brochure so tight it started to crumple. “There’s just no way…”
“Don’t be an idiot,” I said, taking it from her hands. “You’re one of the top students.”
“Right.One of. But notthe best.”
“I think you’re the best,” I said, trying to encourage her.
“I’m not getting in. I already know it.” There was panic in her beautiful brown eyes.
“Hey! Calm down. You’ve got plenty of time still, don’t start obsessing now.”
She picked the flyer up and started reading it again. My eyes drifted over to the materials for Harvard. I reached for the flyer, but someone else’s hand picked it up first. It was Ellie, Kami’s best friend.
“So you’re the competition?” I asked her.
She narrowed her eyes. I don’t know why, but I felt like she was always giving me nasty looks. “For me, there is no competition. I’m getting in, and that’s that,” she replied.
“Is that so? I guess that’s why you’re hanging out with that douchebag, to improve your chances? Because unless his parents pull strings for you, I don’t really see it happening.”
“Shut up, dumbass.”
“Oh, that really is it!” Now I saw I’d touched a nerve. It was known that Danny’s family had lots of money and lots of connections, and they were generous with the people they liked. “I wondered what would drive you to hook up with your best friend’s ex even after you learned he was an abuser.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know, Taylor.”
