Page 24 of Dream On, Ramona Riley

“It’s beautiful,” Dylan said.

“And, you know,” Ramona said, “now that I think about it, I need to talk to you about that thing.”

April’s perfect brows lifted. “Thing.”

“Yeah.”

“Going to need some more information.”

“That thing, you know. With Olive,” Ramona said.

Liar, liar, pants on fire, but she needed to talk to her best friend and she needed it now.

“Ah,” April said loudly. “That thing, yes, well. I need to wash up anyway and get a fresh wrap for Molly’s new piece.” She stood, snapped off her latex gloves, and nodded her head toward the back.

“You good?” Ramona asked Dylan.

“Oh, sure, I want to hear all about Molly’s tats.” She sat down in the chair April had just vacated, while Molly looked like she was about to internally combust right there.

“Great, be right back,” Ramona said, then grabbed April’s arm and all but dragged her to the office, a tiny space where April worked on designs and kept extra supplies.

“What is happening?” April said when Ramona closed the door and leaned against it, breathing hard as though she’d just escaped a serial killer.

“I’m a horrible person,” she said, then jabbed a finger in April’s direction. “And it’s your fault. You’ve got me thinking thoughts and feeling feels.”

“Oh, no, not thoughts,” April deadpanned.

Ramona flipped her off, then explained about her walk through the woods and Dylan’s request tohang outand howlet’s do ithad just come out of her mouth because she was an ogre of a person who just wanted to thrust a screenplay into Dylan’s hands.

“You don’t write screenplays,” April said, her voice maddeningly calm.

“It’s a metaphor,” Ramona whisper-yelled. “And Dylan is gorgeous and smart and kind, and I’m a lying liar who lies.”

“You didn’t lie about anything.”

“I told her I studied apparel design.”

April blinked at her. “You did.”

“But I didn’t tell her why!”

“Why would you?” April said.

Ramona released a grunt of frustration that lasted a whole five seconds.

“Okay, take a breath or ten, I beg you,” April said, closing her hands around Ramona’s arms. “This is not a crisis.”

“It is.”

“No, it’sgood.”

Ramona just narrowed her eyes.

“Look,” April said, releasing her and then leaning her butt against the desk. “You said this very bonny morning that you were in. You want to find a way to meet Noelle and shoot your shot. Yeah?”

Ramona swallowed hard. She did. Goddammit, she really did. She nodded.

“Okay, so, you can’t justwant, you have todo.”