“What’s that?”
The voice from the kitchen made her jump and slam the scrapbook shut. “Jesus, Matt, I forgot you were home.”
Her brother was already poking around in the fridge. “I’m always home.”
“Tell me about it.” Megan put the scrapbook back on the shelf. She’d look at it later, when Matt wasn’t around to make snide comments. “Didn’t you have work today?”
Matt chugged his water and leaned against the fridge. If he’d had work today, he’d wasted no time changing back into running pants and an old T-shirt. He didn’t look like he’d shaved, either, and his hair was uncombed. “I took today off. I had a headache when I woke up.”
Megan wrinkled her nose. Great, another day off for Matt. She approached him in the kitchen. “Speaking of which. You have your share of the rent money?”
“Didn’t I Venmo you yet?” He looked at the calendar hanging on the wall, then made a thoughtful noise. “Wasn’t that due on the first?”
“Of course it was due on the first, and you told me you’d have it to me once you got paid, so I covered your half.” Megan tried to keep her voice calm. If Matt got into a snit, he’d withhold rent for the month just to be spiteful.
“Oh, yeah.” He nodded, sipping his water and rubbing his abs absentmindedly with his free hand. “Sure, I can get that to you. Remind me when I’ve got my phone.” Before she could protest, he started out the door, grabbing his phone off the table as he did so. “See ya.”
“You’ve got your phone now,” she shouted after him.
“I mean remind me when I’m not busy.” He was still on his way out.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m meeting Dan at the gym,” he hollered, already leaving.
“I thought you had a headache.”
If he answered, the words were lost as he shut the front door behind him.
Megan exhaled through her nose, a hot, angry puff of air. He knew just what to say to piss her off, and always had, ever since they were kids. If he weren’t completely incapable of being a responsible adult, he would have his own rental instead of living with her, and she wouldn’t have to babysit him all the time for things like paying the bills and cleaning up after himself.
He walked all over her, and she never stood up to him. It never seemed worth the effort. Maybe that should stop.
Megan wiped up the edge of the counter where Matt had spilled some water. Even Matt had done his share of traveling, although he’d mooched off the generosity of friends and relatives to do so. But her? She’d been safe. She’d been predictable. She’d stayed home.
And now, she was laid off with ten thousand dollars and very little clue what to do next.
* * *
The email from Juliet said only cryptically that she had news for both of them, and asked to video chat around seven that night. Scarlett had already sent back yes, probably assuming that Megan didn’t have any other plans. The assumption would have rankled Megan if it wasn’t so damn accurate. At 7:05 p.m., a message came through in a newly formed group chat.
Megan stared at the words for an inordinately long time. It just said, Hey! Are you two around?
At this point, it was getting weird not to just announce whatever news she had instead of demanding a video chat, but Juliet had always been a fan of grand gestures. It was part of what made her get along so well with Scarlett when they were kids. Juliet always had the best make-believe games, and Scarlett would be eager to build on her story, and Megan was just happy to be included.
It was also weird to be in a group chat with Scarlett. They’d had that conversation this morning, and then Megan was laid off, and now it was like she was in this twilight zone of worlds being overturned. Once upon a time, things were simpler between them. Scarlett had been the kind of best friend she would go to the moon for. Now? Now was a different story.
Scarlett responded to the chat first, the little circle with her cheerful face popping up on the screen. Sure! What’s up? she typed. She was like some kind of poster for an anti-depressant. Surely some of the intervening years should have taken some of that chipperness away.
Megan had to respond, then, because otherwise Juliet was going to think she was the only one in the chat. I’m here too! The exclamation point felt ridiculous. She wasn’t an “exclamation point” kind of person, and she never had been. Would they think this looked as fake as she felt?
Hey girls! Oh my god. Let’s video chat.
What could she say other than Sure! with another damn exclamation point?
Within moments, all their faces were up on the screen. Nostalgia hit her like a wave of ocean water, the kind you don’t see coming that knocks you flat on your ass. Juliet looked amazing, as good as ever, her blonde hair loose and perfect around her shoulders. She was older than when Megan had last seen her, obviously, but she still looked like a model.
Alongside Juliet was Scarlett, whose light brown curls looked cuter in a messy bun than Megan’s hair looked when she styled it. Next to their faces, she looked like the friend who was going to tell them not to go to the party because the parents wouldn’t be home. The disparity had her pulling self-consciously at her glasses before either of them said anything. Of course, then she couldn’t really see, so she had to put them on. Now she looked indecisive and nerdy. Perfect. Just the way she wanted this weird reunion to go.
“Girls! Oh my god, why haven’t we done this before?” Juliet was looking down, staring at their faces rather than the camera, probably.
Because we’re not friends anymore! Megan’s inner voice said, chipper and too-perky, but Juliet didn’t deserve that. Juliet hadn’t pissed her off, after all. Juliet hadn’t abandoned her at the most terrifying part of her life to go off to some other prestigious college like Scarlett had.
“What’s new?” Scarlett sounded as cheerful as Juliet. Probably her life was amazing now; Megan didn’t know.
“First tell me about you! Megan, where are you living? What are you doing?” Juliet rested her chin on her hands.
“Uh. I’m renting a house,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. She didn’t need to mention that her brother lived with her. “And I’m, you know, I’ve been working at the Starlite. Trying to pay off that student loan debt. But uh... I’m making some big changes! Career change.” She smiled.
“You are?” Scarlett raised an eyebrow, surprise or irritation in her expression. “You didn’t mention that this morning.”
“Yeah, well, it didn’t come up then.” Megan’s face was so hot, she must look like a tomato. “It’s all still up in the air right now. Very new.”