Little Wrecks by Meredith Miller

Author:Meredith Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-04-15T04:00:00+00:00

five

“YOU GUYS SHOULD see yourselves,” Isabel says.

Ruth and Magda are across from her at the front booth in the Harpoon Diner, facing the sun, and their two different pairs of eyes throw the light back blue and brown. It’s one of those moments when you just know the reason for everything. Whatever she did on Friday, whatever those two ever know about it, this kind of beauty is the reason. How can you not know it, especially with Ruth Carter sitting right across from you? Isn’t this worth killing for?

“You look like terrifying angels with the sun behind you. You’re like Joan of Arc sitting next to Saint Barbara or something. Seriously, Holy of Holies. You two inspire my awe.”

“Don’t listen,” Ruth says. “It’s a setup.”

“Whatever.” Isabel looks over at the bookstore. “Mr. Lipsky’ll close up soon; we can go over there and get him to give us a coffee before he walks his dad.”

“Oh nice, Isabel.” Ruth is drawing now and doesn’t look up.

“I like the dad, actually. He has that old, tough way of talking, like in a gangster movie. He’s cool. Anyway, Mr. Lipsky does walk him, every night before it gets dark. They have a routine. Ruth, do me a quadratic equation, please?”

“See? Told you she wanted something. Ask Magda.”

“I’m not teaching her,” Magda says. “Ask Charlie. He can do math. He just pretends he can’t ’cause he thinks it means he’s a rebel if he’s taking algebra for the third time.”

“Come on, Ruth, just let me look at your notebook.” Isabel makes a grab for it, and Ruth slaps her hand away. “Wow, did you do that in art today?”

“They’re tulips.”

“Magda, you should have heard her ranting about tulips the other night. It was pure genius.”

“No it wasn’t,” Ruth says. “It just seemed like it at the time. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I was just thinking about a new drawing. School is boring.”

“For you,” Magda says. “Some of us pay attention.”

“Not me,” Isabel says. “I’m training to be a professional daydreamer. It’s a public-service vocation.”

“Yeah, okay, Isabel.” Ruth laughs that sarcastic laugh she seems to have picked up somewhere recently. “You keep on dreaming. Me and Magda’ll just deal with all your consequences. If there’s jail, we’ll do it while you hang out with your typewriter being surrealist on your houseboat. Not a problem. Honest.”

“Magda, do you get what’s going on with her? She keeps saying there’s nothing wrong.”

Isabel told Ruth she was beautiful and they messed around. She needed her. Aren’t your friends supposed to be there when you need them?

“Because there isn’t anything wrong, Isabel.” Ruth bends over her notebook and speaks through her hanging-down hair. “I don’t care what you do.”

“So.” Magda looks down at the two crumpled-up dollar bills and the pile of change on the table. “This is what we got. This and some stolen weed you guys can’t figure out what to do with and more brains than any other three people who might be sitting at a table together in Highbone.

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