for my small-town rendezvous with Luke, and that meant that it had immediately become the number one priority in my life.
I unpacked the entire contents of my suitcases, laying them out on the bed to inspect each dress, top, and a pair of pants or shorts.
The number one rule of dressing for a first date was trying your best while making sure you looked like you were doing anything but that.
I had narrowed it down to four outfits when my cell phone rang. My heart did a flip at the sight of my dad’s picture. Could it be that he was already calling to tell me he’d worked things out, and I could return to L.A?
Immediately, I began concocting excuses as to why I decided not to return to NYU after all. Too straight laced, I’d tell Madi and anyone else who wanted to know. My old Ethics teacher begged me to return, but I’m just so tired of the whole academic snootiness, you know? Informal education is the way to go these days. Everyone is skipping it and touring Europe instead.
“Hi, Dad,” I chirped into the phone.
“You sound happy,” came his surprised voice.
I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Do I?”
“So you’re liking Crystal Brook?”
“No,” I immediately said. “I hate it here.”
He sighed. I waited a long moment for him to say something. When he didn’t, fear crept into my chest, constricting my heart and then my throat.
“It’s over, Grace,” he finally said.
The words tumbled out. “What do you mean?”
“I kept holding onto the hope that there was some way to save the company, but there’s just not.”
I grasped for the words that seemed to evade me. “B-but you said… you said that maybe…”
“I know, but it didn’t work out that way.”
I stared at the wall, watching in amazement as it seemed to simultaneously shrink and grow. Was I about to have a panic attack?
“I’m going to rent an apartment here in New York,” he continued. “And figure out what’s next.”
“The houses,” I feebly said.
“They’re gone. Someone is already interested in the Sierra Mar one. It’s as good as sold.”
A choking sound escaped my throat. Yes, I knew selling the Hollywood Hills house had been the plan, but I’d also known there was a tiny chance it might not happen after all. That chance was what I had written my whole last minute cover story around. The way I’d seen it, I was going to return to L.A. whenever things with Pet Hop got back to normal, and use whatever excuse I needed to about changing my mind about school.
But now there truly was no home to return to.
“What am I going to do?” I whispered, more to the whole world than just my father.
“I talked to your uncle this morning,” he said. “School sounds like a good idea. You should get a job too, though, you know. Your aunt and uncle really want you there, but the right thing to do is contribute to the household.”
Contribute to the household? So now I was a burden — someone who needed to prove their worth?
“My account,” I argued.
“I can’t keep depositing money in it. You know that, Grace. It’s time to stand on your own two feet… this will be good for you.”
I bit my tongue. He’d already said that, and so far he was wrong. I wanted to lash out at him. Cry and shout. Demand to know how he had allowed us to get to such a desolate and shameful place in life. I knew it wouldn’t do any good, though, and I was afraid if I tried to say more than a few words I would end up sobbing and unable to clearly articulate.
“I’ll call you soon,” he said. “It’s going to be all right.”
“Okay,” I said, emotion cracking the word.
The tears hit my cheeks before I even set the phone down. The destitute feeling from the day before was now quadrupled. What I’d tried to convince myself was temporary was anything but.
Stuck. I was stuck in Crystal Brook, North Carolina.
Maybe forever.
*
I slept for hours on top of the laid out clothes. Each time I would start to wake up, the cruel
I unpacked the entire contents of my suitcases, laying them out on the bed to inspect each dress, top, and a pair of pants or shorts.
The number one rule of dressing for a first date was trying your best while making sure you looked like you were doing anything but that.
I had narrowed it down to four outfits when my cell phone rang. My heart did a flip at the sight of my dad’s picture. Could it be that he was already calling to tell me he’d worked things out, and I could return to L.A?
Immediately, I began concocting excuses as to why I decided not to return to NYU after all. Too straight laced, I’d tell Madi and anyone else who wanted to know. My old Ethics teacher begged me to return, but I’m just so tired of the whole academic snootiness, you know? Informal education is the way to go these days. Everyone is skipping it and touring Europe instead.
“Hi, Dad,” I chirped into the phone.
“You sound happy,” came his surprised voice.
I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Do I?”
“So you’re liking Crystal Brook?”
“No,” I immediately said. “I hate it here.”
He sighed. I waited a long moment for him to say something. When he didn’t, fear crept into my chest, constricting my heart and then my throat.
“It’s over, Grace,” he finally said.
The words tumbled out. “What do you mean?”
“I kept holding onto the hope that there was some way to save the company, but there’s just not.”
I grasped for the words that seemed to evade me. “B-but you said… you said that maybe…”
“I know, but it didn’t work out that way.”
I stared at the wall, watching in amazement as it seemed to simultaneously shrink and grow. Was I about to have a panic attack?
“I’m going to rent an apartment here in New York,” he continued. “And figure out what’s next.”
“The houses,” I feebly said.
“They’re gone. Someone is already interested in the Sierra Mar one. It’s as good as sold.”
A choking sound escaped my throat. Yes, I knew selling the Hollywood Hills house had been the plan, but I’d also known there was a tiny chance it might not happen after all. That chance was what I had written my whole last minute cover story around. The way I’d seen it, I was going to return to L.A. whenever things with Pet Hop got back to normal, and use whatever excuse I needed to about changing my mind about school.
But now there truly was no home to return to.
“What am I going to do?” I whispered, more to the whole world than just my father.
“I talked to your uncle this morning,” he said. “School sounds like a good idea. You should get a job too, though, you know. Your aunt and uncle really want you there, but the right thing to do is contribute to the household.”
Contribute to the household? So now I was a burden — someone who needed to prove their worth?
“My account,” I argued.
“I can’t keep depositing money in it. You know that, Grace. It’s time to stand on your own two feet… this will be good for you.”
I bit my tongue. He’d already said that, and so far he was wrong. I wanted to lash out at him. Cry and shout. Demand to know how he had allowed us to get to such a desolate and shameful place in life. I knew it wouldn’t do any good, though, and I was afraid if I tried to say more than a few words I would end up sobbing and unable to clearly articulate.
“I’ll call you soon,” he said. “It’s going to be all right.”
“Okay,” I said, emotion cracking the word.
The tears hit my cheeks before I even set the phone down. The destitute feeling from the day before was now quadrupled. What I’d tried to convince myself was temporary was anything but.
Stuck. I was stuck in Crystal Brook, North Carolina.
Maybe forever.
*
I slept for hours on top of the laid out clothes. Each time I would start to wake up, the cruel
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