"Southern California is amazing," Monique told Ren over the phone
when she had gotten back from her weekend trip. "You're going to love it."
"Really?" Ren asked. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. It's so beautiful, Ren."
"That makes me feel better," said Ren. "I guess."
"There's so much to do. I stopped for a day in LA and I walked through Westwood and it is so dreamy," said Monique.
"I guess I'll see for myself when I go to my orientation next week," said Ren. "But I'm really nervous to meet my roommate and, well, Arnold Schwarzenegger and everything, you know."
"Don't worry, you'll do great," Monique assured her. "There are so many possibilities out there. You have to embrace them."
Louis shoved his yearbook into Tawny's hands. "Sign it," he commanded.
"Okay, whatever you say, sir," said Tawny. "I think Twitty has mine when you want it."
It was the last day of school for underclassmen, and lunch period had become a systematic passing-around of yearbooks.
Tawny opened Louis' yearbook, which was littered with just a few signatures on sporadic pages, and poised her pen above a blank page. She sighed and began to write.
The lunch bell rang and Tawny closed the yearbook and put it back into Louis' hands. "Well, we don't have any class together for the rest of the day, so." She held her arms out and he hugged her. After Louis was done Twitty gave Tawny a gigantic bear hug.
"I'm really gonna miss you guys over the summer," said Twitty.
"Me, too," said Louis.
"Hey, we'll probably see each other a few more times before we all go our own separate ways," Tawny told them. "Well, I'm staying here, but you guys."
"We'll keep in touch," Twitty assured her.
Louis walked out of the lunchroom and into his next class. He opened his yearbook to the page Tawny had signed. She had only written one sentence: Call me. Peace, Tawny Dean.
As Louis walked out to the parking lot he flipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed Tawny's cell phone number. Tawny picked up.
"Hey, it's Louis," said Louis. "You told me to call you."
"Wow, are you home already?" Tawny asked.
"No, I'm in the parking lot, waiting for my mom."
"Oh. Well, I would offer to drive you home but I'm already halfway there, so."
"It's okay," said Louis. "So what did you want to tell me?"
"Look, Louis, I don't want to get into an accident again. I have to hang up. Call me when you get back home."
Half an hour later Louis bolted through the door and dived for the phone in the kitchen.
"Hey!" said Ren. "I was about to call my roommate."
"Use your own phone," said Louis.
"But I gave her my home phone, and what if she has caller ID and won't answer calls coming from my line?"
"You think too much," said Louis, and picked up the phone and dialed Tawny's number on the way to his room. "Okay, the suspense is killing me," he said once he had locked his door.
"Well, I hope I don't disappoint you, because I didn't mean to put you in suspense," said Tawny. "I just couldn't bring myself to write anything in your yearbook. Our friendship means more than just some paragraph."
"You could have used the whole page. Did you see how many people had signed it before you?"
"Ha ha, Louis. Look, I have an appointment in a few minutes so I'm just going to tell you what all the other people who signed your yearbook did and say have a great summer. I'll call you later. Bye." Tawny hung up.
A few seconds later Louis' phone beeped in a text message. Louis picked up the phone.
Check your e-mail in a few hours.
Louis sighed and went back downstairs to make himself a sandwich.
"Really?" Ren asked. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. It's so beautiful, Ren."
"That makes me feel better," said Ren. "I guess."
"There's so much to do. I stopped for a day in LA and I walked through Westwood and it is so dreamy," said Monique.
"I guess I'll see for myself when I go to my orientation next week," said Ren. "But I'm really nervous to meet my roommate and, well, Arnold Schwarzenegger and everything, you know."
"Don't worry, you'll do great," Monique assured her. "There are so many possibilities out there. You have to embrace them."
Louis shoved his yearbook into Tawny's hands. "Sign it," he commanded.
"Okay, whatever you say, sir," said Tawny. "I think Twitty has mine when you want it."
It was the last day of school for underclassmen, and lunch period had become a systematic passing-around of yearbooks.
Tawny opened Louis' yearbook, which was littered with just a few signatures on sporadic pages, and poised her pen above a blank page. She sighed and began to write.
The lunch bell rang and Tawny closed the yearbook and put it back into Louis' hands. "Well, we don't have any class together for the rest of the day, so." She held her arms out and he hugged her. After Louis was done Twitty gave Tawny a gigantic bear hug.
"I'm really gonna miss you guys over the summer," said Twitty.
"Me, too," said Louis.
"Hey, we'll probably see each other a few more times before we all go our own separate ways," Tawny told them. "Well, I'm staying here, but you guys."
"We'll keep in touch," Twitty assured her.
Louis walked out of the lunchroom and into his next class. He opened his yearbook to the page Tawny had signed. She had only written one sentence: Call me. Peace, Tawny Dean.
As Louis walked out to the parking lot he flipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed Tawny's cell phone number. Tawny picked up.
"Hey, it's Louis," said Louis. "You told me to call you."
"Wow, are you home already?" Tawny asked.
"No, I'm in the parking lot, waiting for my mom."
"Oh. Well, I would offer to drive you home but I'm already halfway there, so."
"It's okay," said Louis. "So what did you want to tell me?"
"Look, Louis, I don't want to get into an accident again. I have to hang up. Call me when you get back home."
Half an hour later Louis bolted through the door and dived for the phone in the kitchen.
"Hey!" said Ren. "I was about to call my roommate."
"Use your own phone," said Louis.
"But I gave her my home phone, and what if she has caller ID and won't answer calls coming from my line?"
"You think too much," said Louis, and picked up the phone and dialed Tawny's number on the way to his room. "Okay, the suspense is killing me," he said once he had locked his door.
"Well, I hope I don't disappoint you, because I didn't mean to put you in suspense," said Tawny. "I just couldn't bring myself to write anything in your yearbook. Our friendship means more than just some paragraph."
"You could have used the whole page. Did you see how many people had signed it before you?"
"Ha ha, Louis. Look, I have an appointment in a few minutes so I'm just going to tell you what all the other people who signed your yearbook did and say have a great summer. I'll call you later. Bye." Tawny hung up.
A few seconds later Louis' phone beeped in a text message. Louis picked up the phone.
Check your e-mail in a few hours.
Louis sighed and went back downstairs to make himself a sandwich.