Page 42 of Switch!

My stomach sinks. “Is this a deal-breaker?”

“I don’t know,” she says. “Give me a second.”

I walk beside her as she consults her phone.

“The age of consent in Washington is sixteen,” she reports.

I feel a little thrill at this, since it implies we might be doing the sort of things that require consent. “Does age matter that much?” I ask. “Shouldn’t maturity count for more?”

“Sure.” Sarah pockets her phone, still looking concerned. “I don’t care what other people think about me, but if they find out I’m dating someone in high school…”

“I’m willing to lie when we’re around your friends,” I say. “We’ll tell them I’m older than you. I’ll grow a beard.”

“Can you?”

“Of course!” I never needed to shave as Travis. Maybe because of my Native American heritage, but thankfully, Caleb does sprout whiskers. I shave at least once a week, sometimes twice, which seems like a lot. “I’ll have an amazing handlebar mustache by the end of summer. You’ll see.”

Sarah laughs. “I prefer smooth. And you don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not. You caught me off guard, that’s all.”

She’s trying to be understanding, but I can tell that her enthusiasm for me has waned. I get it. When a college-aged guy dates someone in high school, people judge. I’ve already decided not to hold it against her if she only wants to be friends. I’d be open to that, because I really do like her.

Something stirs inside of me. Not a thought exactly, but more of a conviction.Don’t let them trap you in the friend zone.Persistence is key.

Is that true? I don’t have any experience, but Caleb does, so I run with it. “If you didn’t realize that I’m younger until now,” I say, “then I must act like a twenty-year-old.”

“True,” Sarah says. “You are very mature for your age.” She reappraises me. “Tell me more about yourself.”

We continue talking as we stroll through the park. We’re skirting the edge of it, heading for the water of the sound. I tell her about Caleb’s father and the pressure to enlist, even though I’m more interested in academics. I’m worried this will make me sound childish, like I can’t withstand my parents’ expectations, until she explains how her parents want her to go into the medical industry, where they feel she’ll earn more.

“And they’re probably right, but it’s not what I feel passionate about. So I know the sort of pressure you’re under. Ultimately, it’s our lives and we have to live them. I’d rather be happy than practical.”

“It’s important to be true to yourself.”

“Exactly. How about here?”

Piles of stone slabs separate the shore from the trees. The view here is fantastic. A glowing orange line dances its way across the water’s surface to where the sun touches the horizon. There aren’t many people around, which is appealing, because we never get much time alone while at work. Most of the slabs are flat enough to sit on, so we search for one big enough to share. As soon as we’re cozied up side-by-side, Sarah handsThe Little White Birdto me.

“I’m not sure I get it entirely,” she says.

“Old books can be a tough read,” I say, opening it to the correct page. “I don’t know if people wrote differently back then, or if it’s just Barrie’s style.”

“A little of both,” she says. “I’m used to that.”

“I noticed you only read the classics. Any reason why?”

Sarah exhales. “It started after the election, when the country went crazy. I guess it’s nothing new that half the population is unhappy with the current president, but everyone is so angry at each other now. All the important issues have been boiled down to an ‘us versus them’ mentality. Too many people side with their team instead of thinking for themselves. Nobody is talking to each other anymore either. We just yell, and frankly, it scares me to think where that might lead.”

She makes me regret not paying attention to politics, but I can relate on a more personal level. “I’ve often wished that people would be nice to each other. Simple as that. We don’t have to agree on everything or pretend to be friends, but we can at least be civilized, you know?”

“That’s exactly what I like about these books,” Sarah says, nodding to the one in my hands. “Being civil was actually valued back then and everything feels, I don’t know, safer. I realize life wasn’t perfect for them. I certainly wouldn’t want to live through either World War, or be a woman when there was even less equality… but despite all that, the era has a certain appeal. Maybe because I’d know what the future held so I could avoid it. That’s what I wish I could do now. I feel like it’s all bubbling up, and I don’t know where to go or what to do to avoid the explosion.”

“So you keep escaping into the past.”

She nods. “It’s silly, isn’t it?”

I shake my head. “Nothing is certain anymore. I don’t even recognize the world around me sometimes, and it’s not just the move or the other things I’ve been through recently. Everything is changing so quickly.”

“Or not quickly enough. I’m honestly not sure.” Sarah sighs. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be such a downer.” She reaches over and taps the cover. “Tell me what you like about this chapter so much.”