Chapter 5: The Lanyard

After the lab session Hailey caught my sleeve in the hallway.

"I'm not going to get in your way," she said. "I swear."

"I'll live in the other dorm. I'll sit at the back of every class."

"Hailey, why are you here?"

"Because you were gone, and I didn't know how to be in Ohio without you."

Her voice cracked on the last word.

"That's the whole reason."

Dani stood a few feet off with her arms crossed and her phone hanging on its lanyard.

Hailey turned to her at once and held out two paper cups.

"You must be Dani. I asked the barista in the lobby what the redhead in overalls ordered this morning."

She held the cup out a little farther.

"Oat milk latte, one sugar. I'm nosy and I'm sorry."

Dani looked at the cup.

"That is exactly right," she said slowly.

Hailey smiled. She handed me the second cup. Hot chocolate, no whipped cream, the way I had taken it since I was eight.

Then she pulled a small yellow notebook out of her bag.

"It's waterproof," she said.

"Your roommate posted a video of you on the shore. Your pages were soaking, so I thought, Abby needs one."

My throat did something odd.

"Thanks," I said.

"You don't have to forgive me for coming," she said, soft. "Just let me be near."

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