school, I’m hoping they’ll relax a little bit. And if they don’t, oh well. It’s not their life.”
“No, it’s not.”
Martha finished showing Logan around and helped him turn on the popcorn machine. Then there was nothing left for her to do. “Okay,” she said. “I think that’s it. So this is good-bye.”
“Later,” Logan said.
But Martha wasn’t really saying good-bye to Logan, she was saying good-bye to the theater. It had been good to her. She walked out the door and let it close behind her. She looked back only once.
Martha pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at the text chain with Victoria. It was long now, and it took her a second to find the question she loved to read and reread. The one that had taken all of her bravery to ask.
Were you upset because you have feelings for Logan Diffenderfer or because you have feelings for me? It’s a loaded question. Because I have feelings for you.
“Martha.”
Martha looked up. Victoria was standing at the corner waiting for her. “That took long enough,” she said.
“What was I supposed to do? Guys always take longer to learn things.”
Victoria made a scoffing sound. “Men.” Then she put her hand out. Martha took it and let Victoria pull her in. Their lips met and Martha felt that same electric jolt that she’d felt when Victoria had first responded to her text.
Because I have feelings for you, dummy.
Martha and Victoria kissed on the corner. It went on and on for what felt like forever, and Martha thought that it was nothing like kissing a boy. It wasn’t like kissing Hermione Granger either. It was so much better.
The only thing I have to fear is fear itself. The only thing I have to fear is fear itself. The only thing I have to fear is fear itself.
Ava had been on a Roosevelt kick ever since CJ had given her the book. Now the words cycled through her mind as she walked to the park. Dr. Clifford had suggested that it might be helpful to make a list of the things she’d done in her life that were brave. That way she could see that she was actually a lot stronger than she realized. It was definitely helping. She looked back over her accomplishments.
Turning down RISD was brave.
Saying yes to Stanford was brave.
Giving the letter to Logan Diffenderfer was brave.
She’d written the letter out on a sheet of notebook paper and then shoved it through the slats of his locker on the last day of school before she could change her mind.
Dear Logan,
This weekend I’m going to go see the new park that the city is building. I want to have memories there so when I come back on break or during the summers, it’ll have meaning to me. I’m bringing my sketchbook. Because sitting on a bench and sketching will be a good memory to have. But there’s one that would be even better. A first kiss with a guy I care about. I like you, Logan. Not as a friend. Although that too. If you don’t feel the same way, then my memory will be of sketching. And that’s okay. So no hard feelings. But if you do feel the same way, then I’ll be there on Saturday at two pm. Meet me and let’s make a memory.—Ava
Even though the new park was still under construction, it was easy to see its potential. Everyone was talking about the cool new jungle gym and the fact that all the equipment was going to be wheelchair accessible thanks to the organization CJ had found. The benches had already been installed, and Ava was going to sit down on one and watch the landscapers work.
She looked at the time on her phone. It was one forty-five. She would have a few minutes to sit down and catch her breath and remind herself that the only thing I have to fear is fear itself. But as she came around the corner, her expression shifted.
“You’re early,” she said.
Logan Diffenderfer stood up from the bench and walked toward her.
“I know. I couldn’t wait.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“CAN WE please try to be a little quieter?”
Jordan had already asked her friends to keep it down, but nobody was listening.
“I thought I was supposed to be the uptight one,” CJ said, making absolutely no effort to lower her voice.
Ava and Martha weren’t any better. They were still laughing at a joke that Martha had made.
Jordan took the key out of her