Cassidy shrugs. “Might as well use my parents’ money for something good,” she says.
—
This moment right now, them kissing in the stairwell like no one’s watching.
—
A late-night pool party in someone’s backyard. Christmas lights strung across the sky. Kids strewn across the lawn.
Cassidy stumbles, almost falls into the pool, almost pulls Sophie in with her.
“God, Cassidy, how much did you drink?” Sophie asks.
“Don’t be like that, Sophie,” Cassidy says. “Relax.”
Sophie looks down into the pool. It’s lit from inside, glows blue-green against the night. To Cassidy she says: “But I thought you liked me like this.”
—
The four of us at Surf City Waffle. Martin’s USA map is folded and tucked between the syrup bottles and the wall.
Sophie and Cassidy are next to each other but not touching.
Cassidy is looking out the window. Her face says she wants to be someplace—anyplace—else.
Sophie is looking at Cassidy. Her face says she wants the same thing.
Cassidy starts ripping pages out of her Road Trip USA guidebook.
She doesn’t look at Sophie, or any of us, as she leaves.
CHAPTER 27
The Ones You Don’t See Coming, Part 2
THE VISION ENDS,and I’m back in the stairwell.
Sophie and Cassidy aren’t kissing anymore. Instead, they’re waving at Martin and me with goofy, happy expressions on their faces.
Martin nudges my shoulder. “Shit,” he says. “Yousawthem, didn’t you?”
I’m too rattled to talk, so I just nod.
Sophie and Cassidy realize something’s wrong. They start walking down the stairs toward us.
I can’t stay here and pretend to be happy for them when I understand how much pain they’re going to cause each other.
“I have to go,” I say, and push my way out the door.
And it’s strange, because I’ve seen so many visions that I know to expect all relationships to end. But the ending of our friendship is a heartbreak I didn’t see coming.
CHAPTER 28
The Fall
I KNOW SOMETHING’Swrong as soon as I get home from school.
First of all, the sliding glass door that leads to our patio and the common courtyard is wide-open. Mom hardly ever opens those doors because she hates nature. Mostly she hates bugs, but bugs are a part of nature, so. Her back is facing the room and she’s gripping the doorframe, like she needs to steady herself.
