The Last Boy and Girl in the World (24 page)

“What about graduation?” someone shouted.

“And prom?”

Both of those voices were students, not parents.

Bundy looked nervously at the teachers flanking her. I loved seeing her struggle up there.

“Prom is, unfortunately, also canceled. Our senior advisor will explain details about ticket refunds.”

The boos were thunderous, and if I'd been a senior, I would have booed too. We'd already gotten cheated out of a Spring Formal.

“I hope you understand that this was a very hard choice. I started my teaching career here at Aberdeen thirty years ago, as did many of our other faculty. None of us wanted this to happen, but we have to do what's best. It's going to be a difficult week, but we will have each other to lean on.”

Some parents began to shout, so Bundy dipped her face closer to the microphone and spoke in a booming voice, meant to drown the other voices out. “As for graduation, there will be an abbreviated ceremony on the last day of school. To that end, seniors, please stay in your seats. We'll be having additional discussions regarding the modified graduation services. The rest of you are dismissed. Please make your way to homeroom.”

Morgan looked totally blindsided. “I never thought they'd cancel school early. How quickly do they want us all out of town? Does your dad have any idea?”

I felt shaky. “I'm not sure.”

We met up with Elise on the way out. She'd come in late and was listening in the back. She had a duffel bag with her, clothes I guess, to keep at Morgan's house. Mrs. Dorsey and Elise's parents were in a corner, speaking to each other. She whipped her head around and looked over my shoulder at some girls behind us, also juniors, chatting about how this whole experience was going to make for the best personal essay topic ever for college applications next year.

“Admissions loves these sorts of stories, people in turmoil,” Rebecca said, yammering on. “This is, like, a golden opportunity for us.”

Elise gave them both a fiery look, fists clenched at her side. “A golden opportunity? Are you serious? I lost my home!”

“Well, I'm losing my home too. And my school, so . . .”

Elise looked like a stray cat about to pounce. “Come on, Elise,” I said, ushering her away.

But instead of relief, Elise was crying again. “We signed the lease and bought our plane tickets this morning. We leave on Monday.”

“This coming Monday?” Morgan shook her head. “No! Can't your family wait until the end of next week?”

Elise lifted her arm and let it fall to her side with a slap. “We have to be out of the hotel by then. My dad's meeting with Bundy to work something out with my grades. Tomorrow's going to be my last day.” She barely got the words out.

I gently patted her back, which was the only part of her not enveloped by Morgan's hug.

On our way out of the auditorium, I looked for Jesse. He wasn't hard to spot, standing up in his seat, waving his arms like a conductor, leading the seniors in a rowdy chant of “
PROM, PROM, WE WANT PROM.”
It was ridiculous, of course, but something felt therapeutic about being so loud and letting our frustrations out. And none of the teachers, not even Principal Bundy, did anything to stop him.

The only senior not participating was, of course, Levi Hamrick. He sat quietly, looking at his phone. I guess what was happening didn't concern him much. Like Elise, he already knew that his future was beyond this place. Unlike Elise, he clearly didn't care.

Thursday, May 19

Breezy in the afternoon, 66°F

The rest of that day was so strange. It was as if two simultaneous universes were beginning to exist inside Aberdeen High. Half of us, me included, kept to the schedule. We went to our classes when the bells rang, we handed in homework assigned before any of this happened and took notes on the lectures, we locked our lockers. Elise, Morgan, and I sat at our normal lunch table and had our usual, chicken fingers and fries. By then, Elise had mostly stopped crying.

The other half seemed immediately able to break through the artifice. For them, the rules, the structure, the hierarchy gave way like the sandbags we'd stacked to protect us. Those kids roamed the halls at will, used their cell phones blatantly. Or they went outside and sat in the bleachers and stared at the dim lights of the scoreboard, or they slept across pushed-together desks in class, or they spent the day in the library hanging out with friends on the beanbag chairs, or they went home. The teachers were too preoccupied to care. Actually, some of the teachers let go just as quickly, took attendance after the bell but then excused themselves to the teachers' lounge and didn't come back.

I ran into Levi talking to one of the guidance counselors in the hallway. Though he didn't pause their conversation, he held up a hand to me, asking me to wait a minute.

Mrs. Jergins said,“I know you want to stay and work, dear, but don't let it get in the way of any of your great opportunities. Precollege classes are an excellent way to get yourself oriented to your new surroundings.”

Levi saw me waiting like he'd asked, but he still didn't try to hurry out of the conversation. “Well, the thing is that there's a lot of important work that needs to be done. And the guys at the station, they just don't have the manpower. I'd feel terrible if someone got hurt or injured because there wasn't enough time to put the safety precautions in place.”

It was only when I was about to walk away that he glanced over at me and said, “Meet you after school near the bike rack.”

“Wait. We start working today?”

Levi nodded like I was an idiot.

I realized then that he and I were on two different sides of this battle.

He looked me up and down. “Do you have anything else you can wear besides a dress?”

I did. In my gym locker. But because he was being such a jerk, I said, “Nope,” and popped that
p
like a big old piece of Bubblicious.

He sighed and turned back to Mrs. Jergins.

•  •  •

After the last bell, I ran to my locker to grab my things. When I opened it, Jesse Ford came tumbling out like a zombie lying in wait. I screamed and pushed him off until I realized he wasn't trying to eat my brains so much as kiss me.

He closed his eyes and pursed his lips and waited for me to lean in. Which I did, happily yet nervously. There were other people in the hallways, teachers even, so I kept it quick. Just a peck. Also kissing on the regular was still a new thing for me.

His eyes fluttered open. “I've been waiting in here for like four periods and that's all I get?” He reached up for his neck like it was sore.

“You have not!”

“You're right. More like thirty seconds. But I have missed you.” He wrapped his arms around me and it felt so good. And way different than girl hugs. Friend hugs are loose, airy. Jesse gripped me tight enough to lift me ever so slightly off the floor. “You feel good in my arms,” he said, and he kept holding on to me long after I assumed he'd let go.

And just being touched, having someone's hands cling to me, want me, it felt like every single nerve ending inside me was amplified, turned up loud. I couldn't believe that I was now the girl I'd always watched jealously from afar, the girl in Jesse's arms.

“Me and Zito and a bunch of the guys have been collecting old toilets out of the Dumpsters in town.”

I raised an eyebrow. It was not exactly the most romantic thing a boy has ever extended to a girl, but it was intriguing nonetheless. “You don't say.”

“Yeah, and we're going to bring them to the mill and drop them off the roof.”

“Why would you do that?”

He recoiled in mock shock. “Haven't you ever wanted to throw a toilet off a four-story building? No?” He leaned against the wall. “Okay then. Well, at the very least, it's gonna make a badass video. Come with us!”

“I can't. I have to work.”

“I didn't know you had a job. Wah,” he said, and drooped his head. “I found a pink toilet just for you.”

“Super wah,” I said, and drooped my head too. Then we were forehead to forehead, nose to nose, toe to toe. My heartbeat quickened.

“Keeley!”

Elise and Morgan were coming slowly down the hall. Both of them were carrying plastic bags full of stuff, likely whatever Elise had in her locker. They both looked super-tired, and Elise's eyes were puffy and red. Morgan paused and waved shyly, I think because she wanted to make sure it was okay to approach. She didn't want to disturb us from our kiss. I had lived this same moment a hundred times before. So of course, I waved them right over.

Jesse propped himself up on his elbow against a locker. “Ladies! Care to come with us to the mill for a little video project? Blow off some steam?”

Morgan smiled. “Sounds good to me.” Then she knocked into Elise and said, “But it's up to Elise. Whatever she wants to do.”

“Come on, Elise. Turn that frown upside down with a little
destructive therapy
.”

The corners of Elise's mouth turned up and she looked at Jesse, curious. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“Trust me. You'll love it.” Elise was still debating, but Jesse cradled her chin in his hand and made her nod like a puppet.

I pouted, but inside I was beaming. It was nice to get to do the thing Elise did, knowing guys who invited us to hang out with them. Except Jesse was inclusive. Even though I couldn't go, he was happy to extend the invitation to my friends, the more the merrier.

“Text me when you're done,” I told them.

“Wait. You're not coming?” Morgan said.

“She's working,” Jesse said.

Morgan looked confused, because I hadn't mentioned anything about my job. “Where? Viola's?”

“No. It's a thing I'm doing with Levi Hamrick.” The three of them looked at me, slack-jawed. “I know, I know. Believe me.”

“I bet he hopes you'll give him some info so he can narc to his dad about what your dad is doing,” Jesse said. “Like a good little kiss-ass.”

The same thing had occurred to me, obviously, but it didn't matter because Jesse was jealous, and it made me so happy. Sometimes I wondered if we were an actual couple or just clinging to each other as we waited to see if this ship would sink. This was a moment where I felt, yes, we are real.

“Please don't talk about my coworker that way,” I said.

“Sorry, but you dissing us for Levi Hamrick is not allowed,” Jesse said, and picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

“Come on! Put me down!” I squealed and kicked my legs until he did, even though I would have loved for him to carry me away.

•  •  •

Levi Hamrick was waiting for me outside school, sitting on the curb. He'd changed into work clothes, a pair of navy Dickies stained with streaks of black grease and dried mud, and a long-sleeved gray T-shirt. He wore brown work boots with rubber across the toes and camel-colored laces. A pair of black work gloves dangled out of his front pants pocket.

“You're late,” he huffed.

“I am not.” And then I pointed up to the old school clock above the main entrance, the clock whose hands never moved off 2:36 p.m., and grinned.

He raised his hand, palm up, and said, “That's what you're going to work in?”

I'd changed out of my dress, not to please Levi, but because I didn't want to ruin Morgan's clothes. I found a pair of jeans and a light pink Henley in the bottom of my locker that I'd left at Morgan's house that had ended up in her wash. “What's wrong with jeans? I bet jeans are actually thicker material than the pants you have on.”

“Yeah, but my pants go all the way down to my ankles. Those are like, half-calf jeans.”

I busted up laughing. “Oh my God, did you just call these ‘half-calf jeans'? They're
capris
, Levi! Hello!”

“Sorry I'm not an expert in women's fashion.”

I busted up even harder. “Okay, wait. Did you just say ‘women's fashion'?”

Levi walked away from me over to the bike rack, which was fine. I was laughing too hard to say anything else.

Across the parking lot, Jesse and everyone jumped into cars. They were already laughing and having a good time. I wanted so badly to be with them and not with Levi. They drove past us on their way out of the parking lot, a caravan beeping and waving and screaming my name, ten or so toilets piled up in the back of Zito's truck bed. I waved wildly.

Levi didn't say anything but “Get on.”

“Ride on your pegs? Are we twelve? Don't you have your driver's license?”

He ignored every one of my questions. “Fine. Walk.”

•  •  •

Levi stood on the porch of the first home, between me and the door, the clipboard cradled in one arm. Slung over the other was a tote bag with a flashlight, a can of spray paint, and a big box of black trash bags. He dug around and pulled out a pair of work gloves for me. We were on Basin Street, the last street in town before the river, where the homes were hit hardest by the flood.

“Okay. So when someone officially leaves Aberdeen, they are supposed to report their address in to the police department. Once that happens, the home gets assigned to an inspection team.” He eyed me. “That's what we are, in case you didn't know.”

“Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious.”

He cleared his throat. “Inspection teams have three main jobs. First . . . , Keeley?”

“Yeah?” I looked up from my phone, but only for a second. “Go on.”

“First we go in and make sure electricity, water, and gas are shut off. If they aren't, then we call in to the police department, flag the house on our list, and move on.” He sighed. “Keeley? Seriously?”

“What, Levi! I can listen to you and look at my phone at the same time. It's not rocket science.”