Us, In Another Ending

d at the gran

s had gone cold. The driver rolled down his window, and from the

the Ledger

caught in

dg

arder than she

s the iron gate creaked open, s

dg

uldn'

Not here.

tightly, knuckles pale. Her lips did

, she tried

coinc

gut knew

view-majestic, glowing with warm lights, soft laughter s

inside Mildred

ed out of

oor o

here

nr

und the edges. Bu

the way his presen

idened, just for a second..

locke

thing she had buried, the fear, the fury, the guil

idn't

er di

ck gently. Crizzle stepped

enry," Mikey said,

said n

didn't

em with a warmth that almost masked the i

g closely, something had c

was e

zine. Laughter, wine, clinking s

couldn't t

ss from her. He bar

silent current running benea

hing was off. She felt it in the way her mother's smi

ile, kept che

us about the fo

secret of

dn't hold i

ing. He stood slowly, his chair scraping

at. "Sorry, I didn't plan this.

ly at his parents,

ice tr

er for a while now. And I know... we're still young, and figuring things out, but I want to do thi

p intakes

ed against her plate

idn't

zen, like ice s

e glass hun

en

" they both sho

ped. The ro

ground played on, odd

ned sharply

inked. "

ll like a

of the table, Mil

elty. Not ev

heart

e you a

ersity – Firs

late, but he might

some freshman already locked in a battle with a jammed vending machine. The sun threw golden streaks over the redb

oogle Maps had failed him for the third time. First day of college, an

sed, and a little bossy

his part of your brood

ed, eyebro

rd, and a tote that was bleeding art supplies. Her hoodie had paint stains i

cialize in rescuing first-years who thin

ed, then immediately tripped

"Right. Not

eat crawling up his neck

canvas and offered him a smi

t even h

as they walked toward

ik

terious. Sounds like someone who broods in the lib

hate

ew

as the dean started his welcome speech. Mikey tried to focus, but C

iced this speech in front

"More like ten. With d

a glare from a stud

e, but he knew Crizzle's favorite band, the name of her cat (Pick

, the sun had shifted, casting lo

place near the dorms that sells decent

ead the way, Res

zle talked fast jumping from art to music to her high school arch-nemesis who once ruined her mural with a

d, licking ketchup off her thumb. "Everyo

"Damn. Straight

ious

. "My dad wanted me in business school. Said

ere yo

s dropping to his sk

for the first time. "Well, screw busi

a brow. "Ar

g it palm up. "See? These are the hands of some

ight, but her w

n't pu

rest of her soda. "Anyway. That's

t to look flustered. "Let's go

d me at

all, they paused o

4," Criz

rinned.

t him. "You'

op

if you turn out to be secr

miss me

her smile lingered. "See

ke that, sh

nd still holding the elevator button, h

lieve in fat

er? It didn't