distance, in her head, in her dreams. She looked toward her feet where the bleachers ran in strips and saw Max standing beneath her. "Whatcha doin’ up there?"
She wanted to ask him what he was doing underneath where it was nothing but shadows and gum and whatever else people threw away on purpose or accidentally.
"Gwen?"
She heard the click of his camera, knew he could wait her out if he wanted to, or worse, he’d get distracted taking shots and wander off before he remembered to come back to her.
"Are you mad at me, again?"
God, was she? It seemed like she’d been mad since he’d said goodbye in June and not missed her as much as she’d missed him. "I’m fine."
"You know, I’m beginning to think that when girls answer a question like that, they don’t say what they really think."
All guys knew that, didn’t they? Duh. Not that she was going to tell him he’d gotten it right. She tried to see his face in the gaps of the bleachers but only heard his camera clicking below. He was so talented that he’d be gone the day after they graduated and so handsome he still took her breath away even after a year.
"Gwen? Don’t get mad, well, madder, but I think if you had, you know, more to do you’d be more okay with the time the newspaper’s taking. I know I’m in the darkroom a lot lately, but you know…"
So she just didn’t have enough to do? That was her problem? "It’s not like I’m not taking eighteen credits, Max. You’re not the only one going to school."
"I know. It’s just that elementary ed. doesn’t really seem like it’s your thing."
"What do you mean by that?" She’d passed every class, every class so far, even the really stupid ones.
"It’s just that ed. majors are, well, especially the ones teaching kids, they’re so, you know, psyched about it. Remember that assignment with the marbles and the molding clay? You gotta admit that yours didn’t really look like the solar system."
"Jeez, go away. You’re not helping."
"Helping? I’ve been trying, Gwen. I can’t win with you. I didn’t call enough this summer. I wasn’t jealous enough when that guy Steve drove you back to Belmar for school. You’re my girlfriend, and I didn’t think I needed to be, and god, Gwen, he’s not even your type."
"My period’s late." The words came out so quickly and without any kind of conversational echo. It was like a hiccup that polite people ignored, that polite people went on ignoring. "I’m just stressed, that’s all. I think it’s because I started to exercise or something. I’ll get it soon. It’s nothing."
Back to U…
She’d followed Nicola out and stood on the front porch in her socks, which might not have been a great idea for a couple of reasons. The big one, besides not wanting to talk to the woman at all, was that Nicola wore a coat and boots, and Gwen was already freezing. She tried not to shift her weight back and forth on her feet because that was trying to keep warm like squirrels did.
"You are here because you cannot live in the dormitory, yes?"
"Oui." Gwen smiled like she’d made a joke at her own expense, but Nicola didn’t register it. "And… I’ve kind of been dating Max. You probably know that."
"I am very, very tolerant of men. They are..." Nicola waved her hand, "men. Max will let you stay. I will not."
Gwen forgot she was cold for a moment. What did that mean? Head of her program or not, who did Max’s ex-girlfriend think she was? "Listen, I know that Max feels responsible for you coming here--"
Nicola laughed, and it sounded light and musical even though Gwen knew it was fakey and mean. "I should hope so. We have had our difficultés as anyone does. And what this is," Nicola waved an elegant finger her direction, "I am understanding to be… oh, what is the word? Nostalgia."
Why, when Nicola said it, did nostalgia sound so old and moldy? "I’m here for old time’s sake?"
"Yes, you understand also. His attention will turn, and we will be stronger, our marriage."
Marriage? Lord, but the woman had a hurtful way with the English language. "You mean relationship."
Nicola didn’t answer, just stood there looking so perfectly put together Gwen heard cool as a cucumber run through her head over and over and had to stop thinking it to focus. "You’re married to Max?"
"But of course." Nicola gave a