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Grandma gave him a look, then said, “I agree. Without the cursing.”
“And they let you go,” Grandpa said. “Just like that? No warning or nothing? That’s not how you run a business.”
“It’s how the Academy runs their business,” I said with a sigh. “And I-I don’t know what to do.”
“Of course you do,” Grandpa said sternly.
“What?” I leaned forward. “Didn’t you hear? I gotfired. Lost my job. Lost my boyfriend. Lost the roof I was keeping over Ralphie’s head, and I’m living in my friend’s spare room.” Grandma opened her mouth to speak, but I shook my head. “And no, you can’t talk me into living in the senior apartments with you. I’d stand out like a sore thumb, and you’d get in trouble.”
“You’re down,” Grandpa said. “I get that. I’ve been kicked in the teeth a few times myself. Why do you think I have dentures? But you weren’t raised to mope like this, to settle for suits like that jackass.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the exit Walter had gone through. His voice was almost mad as he continued. “You’re going to get your ass up, pick up the pieces, apply for jobs at other schools, and show your shit-for-brains boss at that stupid fancy school that they made a mistake in losing you. But under no condition, Birdie Karen Melrose, are you allowed to settle for anything less than you’re worth.”
I looked toward the table, my vision blurring. “I don’t feel like I’m worth much at all.”
When I looked back up, Grandpa’s lips quirked. “Sugar, you’re worth the sun, the moon, and all the stars.”
My heart melted at the words and the sincerity behind them. But something held me back from accepting them as truth. “Then why do these things keep happening to me?” I asked. “Why do I keep losing all the things I want?”
Grandma and Grandpa exchanged a glance, then Grandma said, “You made a huge leap in going to college, and I wonder if you thought you were done with hard decisions after that? Life rarely happens to us, unless you let it.”
Had I been letting life happen to me? I hadn’t chosen for Dax to break up with me. Hadn’t chosen for the school to fire me. The only thing I’d chosen lately was to take a risk with Cohen, and even though our relationship had been short, it had been amazing.
“Can I give you some advice?” Grandpa said.
I gave him a sardonic smile. “Now you’re asking?”
He chuckled, then reached across the table, taking my hands in his. “One step at a time, Birdie. That’s all anyone can do.”
Grandpa was right. I couldn’t fix all my problems. Couldn’t change the fact that Dax had clearly cheated on me throughout our relationship. Couldn’t change what I’d said to Cohen or that I’d been fired from my job. But I could direct my next step, and it was going to be one that made my grandparents proud.
63
Cohen
Ollie and I sat together at the table, both of us bent over our computers, hard at work. I’d called every single person on the board of trustees, only to get the same answer. Headmaster Bradford had the power to make the decision he had. I could attempt to change the rule at the next meeting, but it wouldn’t cover the past.
So there was only one thing left to do to make sure our voices were heard.
64
Birdie
Confession: I want to live on my own.
I sat at the kitchen table, filling out a tenth job application. I knew because I was keeping track. I had a spreadsheet with the company website, application date, the best contact to follow up with, and the results of my efforts.
Most of these applications took for-freaking-ever. A resume wasn’t enough. You had to enter all of your past experience in the stupid website and then add all the information from your past employers. My chest ached every time I had to advise the employer against contacting Emerson Academy. They had already done more harm to my career than good.
Mara came into the kitchen, heading straight to the coffee pot. Now that we were both home all day, we went through way more than I cared to admit.
“Any bites?” she asked.
I shook my head. “But I have it on my list to follow up with Seaton High today. I’m going to drive over there and drop off my resume.”
“Nice,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. “I think I’m going to head to a coffee shop to write this afternoon. I need to get out of the house. Do you think your grandpa could give me a pep talk too?”
I laughed. “Head by the diner and ask. I bet he’d oblige.”
“I might just do that.”