CHAPTER 8
Matt set his messenger bag on the stool next to him and sat down at the kitchen counter. He looked at the plate in front of him. “What is this?”
“It’s a gastronomical representation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Julie put her hands on her hips. “Don’t you see it? The clear depiction of the struggle for sexual identity as evidenced by the two phallic shapes?”
Matt looked at her. “What are you talking about?”
“What are you talking about? It’s manicotti, you nut. What do you think it is?”
“I know that. I was referencing the noticeable absence of takeout cartons. You made dinner?”
“Celeste and I made dinner,” Julie corrected.
“And they did a wonderful job.” Erin swooped into the kitchen and set her wine glass down on the counter. “Thank you again, Julie. It was wonderful. I don’t remember the last time we’ve bothered to cook dinner ourselves. I’m surprised the stove is still working.” She turned to Matt. “You’re home late. How was school? Did your meeting go well?”
Matt nodded as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. Half his food was already gone. “Very good. Sorry I’m home late. And even sorrier that I’ve managed to double my workload by agreeing to be a research assistant.”
“This is with Professor Saunders, correct? He has an excellent reputation, so this is an important opportunity for you.” Erin took a sip of wine. “I do hear he’s very demanding, Matthew, so you’ll have to be incredibly diligent with your work.”
“I realize that. In fact,” Matt said as he stood up, “I should get upstairs and get to work. I’ll finish dinner up there. Thanks, Julie.” He picked up his plate and started out of the kitchen. “Hey, Julie?” He stopped in the doorway.
“Yeah?”
“So things went all right today?”
“Totally fine. I told you that when you called. Both times.”
“OK. Thanks again.”
Julie wiped down the counter and moved to the sink to start washing the pans that hadn’t fit into the dishwasher. Erin took a towel and stood next to her.
“Julie, tell me how your mother is. Until she called me the other day, I hadn’t heard her voice in years. She’s doing well?”
Julie nodded. “Yeah. She still works for her parents’ copier company as the office manager. She seems to like it.” She rinsed a saucepan and handed it to Erin.
“She’s still working for them?” Erin said with surprise. “Bless her, because I could never work for my family. Kate is a better woman than I am.”
“Erin? This might sound weird, but you and my mom seem very different. I have a hard time seeing you two as friends.” In fact, Julie found it impossible to see her mother and Erin hanging out and swapping approaches to socioeconomic policies in between classes and dorm parties.
“We were. We roomed together for three out of the four years. We may be different people now, but when we were in college, we were probably more alike. Your mother was an excellent student, and it came so naturally to her. Did you know that? She’s very bright. We chose different paths after we graduated, though. You mother and father were already dating, and they got married a year after they graduated. I worked for a few years and then went to law school. I was simply more career-oriented than your mother. Kate chose a path that was comfortable for her. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. I’m glad she’s so happy.”
“Did you think she was going to go to law school or something, the way you did?”
“She could have. She certainly had the intellect. It just wasn’t what she wanted. Kate wasn’t interested in graduate school or a more prominent career. She wanted your father, and she wanted the life she got.” Erin paused. “Until…I’m sorry. That was thoughtless.”
“It’s OK. The divorce is the divorce. It happens all the time, so it’s not a big deal.”
“They separated when you were about four or five, is that right?”
Julie nodded.
“Do you see him much?”
“Once or twice a year. After the divorce his career really took off, and he just hasn’t been able to see me as much as he would like. He’s really busy with his job. He comes into town for business sometimes, so I have dinner with him when he can. It’s the nature of his work, I guess. I understand.”
“He’s still with that fancy hotel chain?”
Julie nodded. “Yup. He’s the regional vice president for the West Coast. And he’s taking me to California over winter break this year. My first Christmas without snow.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Erin said. “I’m glad you’ll have some time with him.”
“Yeah. I’m sure it will be great,” Julie said. She turned off the water. “I’m glad my mom called you.”
“I’m glad Kate called me too.”
“I hope you know that I’ve been doing everything I can to find an apartment. I don’t want you to think you’ll have to put me up permanently.”
“Well, why not?”
“What do you mean?”
Erin shrugged and refilled her wine glass. “Why don’t you stay? Free room and board. That’s a pretty good deal, don’t you think? You shouldn’t have to worry about rent and bills and all that nonsense when you should be focusing on school.”
“I couldn’t let you put me up all year. That doesn’t seem right.”
“If you have morning classes, then you could take care of Celeste in the afternoons. How about that? She enjoys you. I noticed her hair looked different tonight. Did you do something to it?”
“Oh, yeah,” Julie said distractedly. “I did a quick French braid for her. She seemed to like it. So, seriously? You would really be OK with me staying here?”
“Absolutely. What’s the big deal? Although I understand that you might prefer to live with friends and experience a more traditional undergraduate social life. You’re an adult now, so you should certainly set your own schedule here. I have no interest in monitoring your every move. You’re obviously smart and responsible.”
Julie thought for a moment. Why not? She’d save her mom a ton of money, and if she found a good deal on an apartment in a few months, she could always move out then. “I’d love to stay, Erin. Really. That’s incredibly generous of you. I assume you need to talk to Roger about this, though, and I understand if he doesn’t want an unexpected boarder.”
Erin waved her hand dismissively. “He won’t mind in the least. Besides, he’s going off on his trip soon, and we could use an extra hand. And this way Matthew can really apply himself to his studies.”
Julie smiled. “OK, then. This sounds great. I like Celeste. A lot.”
“Good. Not everyone is respectful of her choices,” Erin said pointedly. “You are. Then it’s settled.” She raised her glass in a toast. “Welcome home.”
“You’re a lifesaver. Thank you so much,” Julie said happily. “I’ll go grab the rest of the things from the dinner table.”
She started collecting the salt and pepper shakers and the placemats. God, what a relief! This was actually much better than being in a cramped apartment with a bunch of other girls. She’d still be on campus enough to make friends, and now she didn’t have to stress out over money or even contemplate going to her father for help. Not that he’d offered, but she knew he would come through if she asked. Of course he would.
Even with four people in the Watkinses’ house, it seemed like a wonderfully quiet place to get work done, so she wouldn’t have to yell at roommates to turn down music at three in the morning or put a pillow over her head to block out the all-night rager in the building next door. It’s not what every eighteen-year-old would want, but it’s what Julie wanted.
“I don’t know how to thank you.” Julie set the placemats and plates on the counter. “I hope Finn won’t mind my moving into his room. Will he be back soon? He didn’t say when I e-mailed him.”
“You’ve been in touch with Finn?” Erin didn’t hide the surprise in her voice. “I didn’t know you two…I didn’t know. How…funny.”
“Yeah. Just a quick message to introduce myself. I guess I felt strange about staying in his room without his knowing.”
“The room is all yours.” Erin smiled. “Now go run upstairs and unpack. We can’t have you living out of suitcases, can we?”
“OK. Thank you so much for letting me stay.” Julie headed up the stairs to settle in. No more worrying, no more looking at cockroach-infested slum apartments!
Tonight, Flat Finn stood outside Celeste’s bedroom door, tirelessly guarding her while she finished her homework. “S’up, Flat Finn?” Julie leaned in and whispered to the cardboard head, “You and I will be spending more time together, so I expect continued model behavior. Deal? You’re thinking about it? I understand. Let me know. Excuse me while I go to your namesake’s room and unpack. We’ll talk later.”
Julie went into what was now her room and looked around. She could happily stay here. A large shelf that held travel guides, photo albums, a series of thick books on rocks and minerals, and a stack of old Time and Newsweek magazines still left plenty of room for her things. As a whole, the room was a little sparse in some places, which was good because she could easily fill up the empty space.
She unzipped her suitcase and began putting away her now very wrinkled clothes and the few pairs of shoes she’d crammed into the bags. The dresser was empty except for two things: a frayed navy-blue T-shirt with the outline of a skydiver that read, Don’t forget to pull, and an old sweatshirt that read, Skydivers like to do it in groups. Clearly Julie had moved into the witty-shirt family’s house.
She pulled her laptop onto the bed and messaged Finn again through Facebook.
Dear Finn–
Hope you don’t mind if I hang in your room for a little longer. Your mom suggested I ditch the impossible idea of trying to find a Boston apt. and stay here. Mornings at college, afternoons with Celeste, and evenings defending your room against monsters.
Being a girl and all, I’m resisting the urge to immediately paint your bedroom pink and plaster the wall with pictures of unicorns and rainbows. No promises on how long I can hold out.
How is South Africa? Celeste is waiting for pictures…Hint, hint.
–Julie
She put on her robe, gathered what she needed to take into the shower, and went into the hall. As she passed Matthew’s room, she could hear soft conversation behind his closed door. He and Erin were talking, and even without being able about to make out any words, Julie could tell that the tone of their talk was less than jovial. In fact, they were having a muffled argument. She kept walking and shut the bathroom door.
The hot shower felt wonderful, and she let the water steam up the room while she decompressed. It was a relief to be done worrying about unpleasant logistical issues. Hanging out with Celeste would be cool. OK, maybe cool wasn’t the right word. Unique, unusual, interesting, and challenging. All of Julie’s favorites. Plus, it was impossible not to wonder what Flat Finn was all about.
When she got back to her bedroom, she threw on her usual bedtime outfit, a pair of lightweight pajama bottoms and a tank, and turned on the television. She found a good celebrity gossip show and left it on in the background while she sat in bed with her computer. A number of her friends had e-mailed her with stories about their first days at college, rumors about her ex-boyfriend, and early complaints about the miseries of campus dining. She wrote her friends back and then read a message from Finn.
Julie–
OMG, I love pink! And unicorns! And rainbows! Really. So awesome! I’ve always wanted one of those super cute posters of a kitten dangling from a tree limb that says, “Hang in there!” Maybe you can find one? My room is gonna be, like, totally the best ever! Julie, you’re a peach!
South Africa is definitely fantastic. Rehabilitating elephants this week. Did you know elephant rehab is very similar to human rehab? Well, it is. Except that we don’t have hideous artwork hanging on the walls. But we do allow cell phones. Elephants get wicked pissed when they can’t call their loved ones or order out for pizza. Canoeing tomorrow and then sleeping in the bush under the stars.
Good luck with the family. Here’s a free tip: Matt is a geek.
Tell my girl that I’ll send pictures very soon. I’m not the tech nerd that my brother is, but I’ll do my best.
–Finn
For some reason, Julie found it reassuring that Finn was as quirky as the rest of the family.
Finn–
KNEW you’d like the new décor! Will search faithfully for coveted kitten poster.
Thanks for the help with the monsters. Worked like a charm. No other tips needed just yet. Your family is very nice. Took Flat Finn grocery shopping, and although I suspect he considered stealing a can of artichoke hearts, he restrained himself. He did, however, eat a handful of trail mix from the bulk bins, but everyone does that.
Yes, Matt is a bit geeky. He’s rather proud of that, huh? I should get another free tip since that one was a no-brainer. And will there be a fee for others? I’m on a student budget. I could probably do with a Celeste tip. I’m rather unclear on the Flat Finn situation.
And I can’t resist asking: What’s up with your “Finn Is God” Facebook name?
–Julie
Finn must have still been online because he replied right away.
Julie–
No worries. House tips will come free of charge.
“Finn Is God” is my attempt to start a new religion. I’m working on a merchandise line now because all good religions come with fashionable accessories. And I wanna be rich.
–Finn
Finn–
I’ll take a “Finn Is God” tote bag and a visor.
–Julie