Page 93 of I Hope This Finds You Well

“Why the hell do we have to see it then? This was meant as a whole thing to let you actually have some joy.”

“Itisbringing me joy. Ineedto see this movie. My two almost friends, Sandra and Sarah, who are coming for a slumber party, have started leaving me out for not seeing it. And why? Because Sandra’s creepy brother took them.”

Miley squeezes her hands together on her lap. So much of the girl I once was bounces in her seat.

I lean in, voice softer. “Miley, I haven’t forgotten what it’s like to be your age—how hard it is.”

She shrugs. “Good, then you understand why.”

“Yeah, but... a real friend wouldn’t care about the movies you’ve seen. They’d include you anyway.”

She rolls her eyes. “Thanks, Hallmark Channel.”

“I’m serious. Just this week I was, um... admiring the zebra you made me.” I flash back to poor Mr. Barcode being handled by Larry, to Cliff saving him, toour kiss. How could things have gone so bad since then? I push that thought loop down—my angst down—for the hundredth time today and continue. “That was so thoughtful of you to make that. You’re a good friend.”

“My crochet sucks, Jolene. Everyone knows that. No matter how many YouTube tutorials I watch.”

There’s a hint of hardness in her eyes. There’s no way to stop the world from getting to her. “Well, to me your crochet is charming, and my actual point is that anyone would be lucky to have a thoughtful friend like you. Take it from me; it’s better to be a little picky and hold out for real friends, ’cause the fake friends can crush you.”

“But who wants to be that picky?” She leans in conspiringly, the tang of soda on her breath, in the orange on her lips. “Now that you’re old, aren’t you, like, allowed to do whatever you want without asking? But you never do. It’s like you’ve grounded yourself.”

I stiffen.

She keeps going. “You don’t even drive with that friend from your work anymore. Picky again?”

I fully turn to stone.

Unacceptable behavior. And as I’m about to defend myself from her vicious attack, my heart stops in its tracks.

Because somehow, some way, Cliff has stepped into the theater. Cliff theactualperson. Not an illusion. Not a wish. The HR guy. He’s sporting a fitted hoodie and crisp baseball cap.

But my blood pauses in my arteries. Because there’s a very attractive young brunette walking next to him who is definitely not his sister.

“Oh my god.” I stiffen and crouch in my seat. This isn’t a dream. It’s a nightmare.

Miley looks at me, raising an eyebrow. “What’s gotten into you—”

I squeeze Miley’s shoulder and pull her down with me. “Shh!”

She follows my gaze and practically screams. “We werejusttalking about him! Is he your boyfriend?”

“No!” I almost yell. I squeeze her arm a little too hard. “Keep your voice down. I don’t want him to see me.”

Our gazes turn back to Cliff, who has taken a seat a few rows ahead. He’s chatting easily, picking pieces of popcorn from the bag sitting in the woman’s lap. He’s so casual and happy looking.

The attractive brunette leans close and whispers in his ear. I crouch farther.

I want to disappear into my bones. Instead, I have to sit here, watching Cliff on a date. Oh god, am I going to have to watch him kiss her?

While the trailers start, Miley whispers, “If he’s two-timing you, he’s a piece of shit.”

I shake my head, even as my stomach curdles. “No, he isn’t. We’re just friends.” But I know that’s a lie. I stopped us being friends. And now it’s official. He’s moving on. And that’s okay.

Miley gives me a lingering look that is way too knowing. “Sure, Jolene.”

I wake from the nightmare as the lights finally come on and the theater begins to empty. I have no idea what we just saw. I spent the entire time watching the dark outline of Cliff’s head, analyzing every inch of space between him and that woman.

They start to stand up, and so does Miley, but I pull her back down. “Let’s give them a buffer.”