Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler (the read aloud family .txt) 📕

Clearly, Gia’s been practicing her justifications on her parents, who think it’s absurd that she wants to go to Boston when she could go to school fifteen minutes away at SUNY Purchase.

My mom says I’m free to go wherever as long as it won’t put me in debt for the rest of my life. And since my dad said he’ll pay for state school, I’ve kinda dragged my feet on looking anywhere else. I can’t imagine what would be worth taking out loans for if I don’t have to. Anyway, I want to major in English, and all schools have English majors, right? So, whatever.

“Where are you applying?” Gia asks her, and I know there’s a vague response coming. Jasmine never really wanted to talk about college, said it was too big a decision to leave subject to other people’s opinions.

But there’s no hesitation when Jasmine says, “I’m pretty set on NYU, especially since my mom is moving to Jersey. But I’ve also been thinking about getting off the East Coast entirely, maybe applying somewhere in Colorado or California. Photography’s a big hobby of mine and I’m definitely planning to study it more in school, so it’d be cool to get some new surroundings.”

I clench my jaw at how readily she just revealed so many personal bits of information, pieces I had to dig halfway to China to get. It’s the first time I’ve heard Jasmine mention her mom since she got to Stratford, and I thought maybe they’d had some sort of falling out, but it sounds like they’re as tight as ever.

As annoyed as I am, though, I’m relieved to hear things between Jasmine and her mom are OK and there isn’t gonna be as much physical distance as I thought. The weekend we spent with Sylvia Halabi was one of my favorites of the whole summer, and I see why she and Jasmine are so tight. She’s cool and effortlessly glamorous, a solid view into what Jasmine will probably look like in thirty years, and an amazing cook. It’s hard to picture her with Jasmine’s more ruggedly handsome and super Irish dad, but beautiful people always seem to find each other, even if a billion things eventually tear them apart.

“Cool,” says Kiki. “NYU’s a great school. Lara’s applying there too—you guys should talk.”

“I’m thinking about applying there,” I correct her, picking at my turkey burger, and it’s true, I am. It’s pretty close to home, I can minor in creative writing, and there are plenty of bookstores around so I can hopefully keep working at one, which would offset the tuition difference a little. I’ve thought about eventually working in publishing and being in the city would be perfect for that. But being at the same school as Jasmine, even if it’s enormous? Doesn’t sound quite as perfect. “I’m also applying to a few SUNYs, and that’s probably where I’ll go.”

“Where’s Chase going?” Gia asks.

I shrug. “Also local, most likely.”

Gia’s eyes light up—she’s such a believer in true love, she’s an even sappier romantic than I am—but Shannon looks at me and laughs. “Wait. You’re not staying local because of him, right? You wouldn’t follow a guy to college.”

I open my mouth to point out that I’ve always planned on staying local, but Gia cuts me off. “Just because she’s not following him doesn’t mean they can’t stay together.” She turns to me as I’m about to take a bite of my burger. “Do you think you guys will keep dating?”

“It’s been a week, G,” I say, taking a bite so she won’t immediately shoot back with a follow-up question. “What about you?” I ask after I swallow, though I know the answer. It’s the surest bet to shifting the conversation. “Do you really think you and Tommy will stay together?”

“I know we will.” The look on her face is so simultaneously dreamy and confident, I will Jasmine not to roll her eyes; the rest of us have learned not to.

“That’s really nice,” Jasmine surprises me by saying, and I look up to see her digging through her salad as if the meaning of life is buried underneath.

Encouraged, Gia launches into the Plan, which means describing how she and Tommy will stay in the dorms their first year so they can make friends and stuff, but then get an apartment together in between their two schools, provided she gets in somewhere within twenty-five miles of BC. The rest of us have heard this many, many times, but Jasmine nods and says “that makes sense” at all the right points, leaving us free to finish our food and go over our own plans.

I’ve nearly forgotten Jasmine’s there when a familiar voice says, “This seat taken?”

We all look up to see Chase standing there with Lucas Miller, both of their trays piled high with meat and carbs. There’s only room for one tray between me and Shannon, and before I can say a word, she smiles at Lucas and says, “I think we can squeeze you in.”

“Dude,” Chase protests as Lucas slides his tray between ours.

“Gotta be faster than that at the hot chicks’ table,” Lucas says gleefully, plucking a fry from Kiki’s plate even though he has plenty of his own. She snorts but pushes her tray forward slightly. Kiki’s not immune to a compliment from a hot guy, even if she doesn’t have any interest in dating the ones at our school.

“Tommy doesn’t.” Chase gestures at where his teammate is strolling up to the table, dropping a kiss on Gia’s cheek as he slips in next to her.

“No, Tommy doesn’t. My girl saves me a seat because she likes me.” Gia rests her head on Tommy’s shoulder as he brags. “Maybe you should work on that.”

I wish I could physically pull the smug grin off Tommy’s face as he looks from Chase to me. He’s only teasing, but I still don’t know how to deal