Page 72 of Dream On, Ramona Riley

“Oh, Jesus,” Ramona said, clutching at her chest. Penny Hampton, ofPenny for Your Thoughts, had popped up next to her like a jack-in-the-box from hell.

“Sorry, doll,” Penny said. “Would you mind if I asked you somequestions?” She thrust her phone in Ramona’s face, voice memo app recording.

“Penny, seriously?” she asked.

Penny nodded vigorously. Her shoulder-length copper hair—which Ramona was almost positive she dyed to match the color of an actual penny—didn’t even move when she did, frozen into a football helmet style by an entire can of Aqua Net.

“I’m always serious about the town’s goings-on,” Penny said, “and this is the biggest news to hit our little hamlet since the movie itself.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” April said from Ramona’s other side. “Nothing is bigger than when Howie Hanlin had to go to the ER in Manchester for sticking the handle of a hairbrush up his—”

“And I’ll get back to you,” Ramona said to Penny, grabbing April’s arm and hauling her to the back of the diner. Olive had found Marley, and the two of them were hunched over Marley’s phone at the counter. Ramona didn’t want to think about what had them so engrossed, though she had a good idea.

It wasn’t as though Ramona had done anything wrong, or that she was ashamed even. She’d played mini-golf, for god’s sake. And while Clover Lake was small and everyone was always in everyone’s business, Ramona wasn’t quite used to this kind of prying.

Or attention.

Of course, after her mother left town, the town was abuzz, but they also had the wherewithal to shut up when Ramona and her dad were around, and they brought casseroles. Lots and lots of casseroles, as though Rebecca had died. And in retrospect, she kind of had.

She’d disappeared from their lives just as completely.

“This is amazing,” April said as Ramona continued tugging her to the back. Ramona waved at Owen as he came out of the kitchen, and she and April headed for his office. As she closed the door, she heard his voice boom through the dining room.

“All right, folks, finish up! I need everyone out of here in ten minutes!”

A cheer went up, because Clover Lake was Clover Lake, excited over getting kicked out of a diner for a Hollywood film, and Ramona pressed her back to the door.

“So when’s the next date?” April asked, folding her arms.

“Not you too,” Ramona said. “I told you, nothing—”

“I know what you told me. I also know it’s bullshit.”

“It absolutely is not bullshit.”

“Okay, well, it should be.”

Ramona pressed her hands to her forehead. “I’m dizzy. I’m literally dizzy.”

“Love will do that.”

Ramona dropped her hands. “Be serious.”

“Iam. This is some serious Meant to Be shit.”

Ramona scoffed. “That kind of thinking has never worked out very well for anyone in this room.”

April’s expression froze for a second, then her mouth snapped shut. “Right.”

“Honey,” Ramona said, exhaling heavily. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

April’s jaw was tight. “No, no, I’m fully aware that the person I thought was my Meant to Be discarded me like a piece of trash.”

“Apes,” Ramona said softly. “I just mean I don’t think about Dylan that way. I can’t. And you’re not trash. You’re perfect.”

“Oh, I know.” April agreed, and they both laughed softly before April grew serious again. “I’m not saying you have to believe in fairy tales,” April said, lifting her eyes to Ramona. “But I want you to at least believe inyou.”

Ramona sighed, unsure how to respond to that. Luckily, she didn’t have a chance. A knock sounded on the door, vibratingagainst Ramona’s back and causing her to yelp. She clapped her hands over her mouth.