Page 34 of Burn Bright

“I don’t really care what it is,” I admit. “Just pick whatever you need to get into med school on time.”

“Yeah, okay?—”

“You two,” Gavin cuts her off, and the rise of my pulse suddenly flat lines at his presence. “You both start this Saturday. I’m sending you your onboarding paperwork by email.”

“Wait…” Harriet frowns. “Both of us?” She casts a skeptical glance from me to the manager. “I got the job?”

Gavin, thankfully, doesn’t stare me down when he says, “Yeah, you’ll work the same shift together. It’ll be easier to train you at the same time.” He pauses. “And Harriet.”

I slip him a warning glare.Don’t be an ass to her.

“Yeah?” She’s bracing herself for a wrecking ball swing.

“You can smile once in a while, you know.” He says it like a jab and not like friendly advice.

Still, Harriet nods, “Yeah, I’ll work on it.”

Once he’s gone, I tell her, “You don’t have to smile if you don’t want to. He probably won’t even be around when we’re bartending.”

She grabs her backpack strap. “It’s not the first time I’ve heard it.” She snatches my ballcap, then holds it out to me. “Here you go, Friend.”

“Keep it.” I like seeing her wear it.

Harriet sucks in, not releasing the breath. “Uh, I can’t.” She slides out of the booth, then shoves the hat in my chest when I stand up. “It’s yours. See you later?” She’s bolting toward the exit, but she slows and spins around, just to wait for my response.

“I’ll call you,” I tell her.

I swear she smiles as she walks out the door.

7

HARRIET FISHER

Icannot stop thinking abouthim.

The entire subway ride after leaving the End of the World, I replay our conversations, which were easy and natural and not at all taxing. I’m buzzing like I drank three Lightning Bolt! energy drinks back-to-back.

I dazedly touch the damp tendril of my hair. I remember his strong hand sliding up against my neck and cradling the side of my head. I remember the skip of my pulse, the urge to lean my weight into his bare chest, the comfort and growing euphoria of being around him.

A bird shit on me, and he made me feel like nothing was ruined. Not my hair, not the day, not the moment, notme.I was okay.

He made me feel okay.

He let me wear his hat.It’s seriously nothing I should freak out over, but my heart floats higher in my body as I rerun how he fit it on my head, how he tightened it for me. I’m weirdly breathless all over again.

Harriet.I want to groan out my name into the pits of my palms, but I stay quiet and still as the passenger car rattleson the tracks. I feel fucking ridiculous for being giddy over something sobasic, but if this is what friendship brings…then I think I could get behind it.

Friendship.

I stare at my empty hands. I could be holding Ben Cobalt’s worn ballcap right now, and I know it seems dumb that I gave it back. Who’d ever reject an article of clothing worn by a Cobalt boy? But I don’t regret it. Because I can’t imagine never seeing him wear it again.

So yeah, I didn’t accept the hat. I’m sure a good percentage of girls would thank me profusely.

I take the subway north to the Upper West Side where MVU’s campus resides. My housing isn’t directly oncampus, but it’s only ten blocks away. If I don’t want to walk to class, I can bike.

I just have to get a bike. And learn to ride it.

Another task for another day.