Almost Perfect - Brian Katcher [73]
Laura waved at me dismissively. “There’s a bunch of music stores and stuff downtown. You won’t be bored.”
Eventually, I convinced the girls to grab some supper. Laura took us to the dorm’s dining hall, which offered a wider menu than any establishment in Boyer. As we ate, Laura filled Sage in on the best clothing stores, stylists, and coffee shops in town. Laura had grown up in Boyer, but she was as cool as any girl from St. Louis.
It was obvious Sage was making friends with my sister. When she enrolled next semester, they’d probably get together. They’d become close. Laura could introduce her to people, and the three of us could hang out. Laura would probably keep hoping Sage and I would hook up, but she’d stop when I started dating someone else. My sister, I realized, had the potential to be a better friend to Sage than I was. Sage needed another girl to talk shop with.
Laura was talking about the various dorms on campus. “So have you got your housing assignment yet?” she asked me.
“Yeah,” I answered. “Jack and I are going to be at Graham Hall.”
My sister grimaced. “I have a friend who lives there. Vintage forties steam heat. How about you, Sage? Do you know who you’ll room with?”
“No,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll probably just pay extra for a single.”
“Don’t do that!” objected Laura. “That’s, like, a thousand dollars extra a semester.”
Sage winced. “That much?”
“Having a roommate isn’t as bad as you think, Sage. Ebony’s like a sister to me. I know some girls who will need a roommate next year. I can help you find someone nice.”
Sage smiled as I frowned. Sage wouldn’t be allowed to move in with a girl. She’d eventually have to turn down Laura’s offer. I wished she didn’t have to put up with so much bullshit.
Laura brushed her hair while Sage sat at a makeup table putting on eyeliner. We were going to a frat party in a couple of hours. I lay on Laura’s bed, tossing a tennis ball at the ceiling, bored out of my skull. The girls weren’t ignoring me on purpose. It’s just that when the conversation revolved around shoes and makeup, I couldn’t add much. I smiled inside, thinking of how my sister was discussing fashion and hairstyles with a boy.
Sage was filling Laura in about her family. “So my sister’s dating this guy from school, Rob.”
“Jennifer’s brother,” I reminded Laura. “Redheaded guy.”
Sage began to rouge her cheeks. “Rob’s a nice guy, but I just worry. I mean, Tammi’s my sister. I want to look out for her.”
“You always want to look out for your little sister … or brother.” Laura winked at me. “You don’t think anyone’s good enough for them.”
Sage had been applying lipstick, but paused. Her eyes met mine in the reflection of the mirror. “Well, a special guy deserves a special girl.” Sage’s image smirked at me. I fumbled the tennis ball, which banked off Laura’s desk and bonked her in the face.
“Watch it, Logan.” She hurled it back at me, narrowly missing my groin. Hopefully, that distracted Laura from Sage’s odd comment. What did she mean by special girl?
Sage finished coloring her lips. She puckered, then bit a tissue, leaving a bright red ring. “Well, are we ready to go?”
Laura grabbed her purse. “Let’s do it. Maybe I can introduce you to someone tonight.”
That got my hopes up. “Cute sorority chick?”
Laura laughed. “I was talking to Sage.”
I stood up and took a good look at my friend. Her makeup skills, I realized, had improved since I’d first met her. And the way she was dressed: a long denim skirt and dark sweater. She wasn’t wearing one of her wild outfits. The demure clothes emphasized her femininity, her long legs, her chest, her face. And she was about to go to a party with a bunch of drunk college guys. Every one of them would notice the tall, regal stranger. She’d drink, and Laura, if she truly believed I wasn’t interested, would introduce Sage to other guys.
I was going to have