Rosemarie really did like Leo in a huge way; she’d never liked a boy this much. She liked him in a way she had to like somebody she spent so much time with. Meaning his mouth didn’t make too much noise when he ate and she liked his natural smell and he was extraordinarily easy to be around. He wasn’t a know-it-all like so many other guys, and he had a Mister Rogers gentleness about him.
Also, he was a good kisser. They’d made out a few times, the last time being less than a month ago at one of the Castelow parties by the water. They sat outside roasting marshmallows and warming up, and when Rosemarie went inside to use the bathroom, Leo pulled her into one of the empty bedrooms and asked if he could kiss her again and she said yes. They turned the lights out and stayed in there for so long by the time they emerged, some people had already left, and Kasey and Silas were asleep on the couch.
Rosemarie and Leo hadn’t had sex; she hadn’t had sex with anyone. She’d made out with Leo enough that she thought she could imagine what sex with him would be like, and it was pleasing to think about from time to time and keep it separate from the times she thought about kissing Sparrow or being in a dark bedroom with Sparrow for so long they had to squint when they walked out.
Rosemarie knew a lot of girls at school were jealous of her because she was the one whom Leo was so into, and he had been for so long. Maybe she and Kasey should walk to his house right now so Rosemarie could ask him to prom. Kasey’s mom was working late, and Kasey was spending the night at the Kingstons’ to get away from Roy again, and neither of them had any homework.
“He’s obsessed with you. That’s a plus,” Kasey tacked on. She nudged herself closer to Rosemarie and put her head on her shoulder.
“I wish Caro could go with Beau somehow. He’s the only boy she likes.”
“I know. Sucks. But! Ada is on the case to find her a date. One of Grayson’s friends, apparently.”
“Aha. Of course she is. Okay. Get up. Let’s go. Let’s go find Leo. Time to lock it down,” Rosemarie said.
“Can we stop by Myrtle’s so Caro can hook us up with some pie and ice cream first?”
“How can you be hungry?! We just ate, like, four tacos!”
“But doesn’t raspberry honey pie with vanilla bean ice cream sound so good?” Kasey asked, making far too much sense for Rosemarie to object.
*
On the walk to the diner, Rosemarie listened as Kasey told her about the latest evil, dumbass thing Roy had done. He’d backed into a pole in Kasey’s truck and dented it good, but he wouldn’t pay to get it fixed. Kasey didn’t have the money and said she wouldn’t even care if it weren’t her daddy’s truck in the first place, but it was, and she loved that truck. Silas had offered to get it fixed for her, and she was thinking about it.
“Tell me the truth: Has Roy ever done one nice or good thing for you?” Rosemarie asked. They sauntered through the neighborhood, making their way past the last cul-de-sac before they got to the main road. Kasey was wearing her knockoff flowered Dr. Martens and a short, breezy white skirt with scientific drawings of plants on it—her favorite, Rosemarie knew. RACK had one another’s clothes memorized. Kasey’s lime-green T-shirt had a tiny, useless pocket over her left boob. Put an acorn in it, Rosemarie had said one time when they were blissed out on pot brownies. They’d gone outside to find an acorn and put it in there. Came inside and laughed for five minutes straight about it, putting it in and taking it out over and over again.
“He won a lion plushie for me at the Goldie Fair back in seventh grade. One of those ring-toss games. He got pissed at me the next day when my dog chewed it up. Does that count?” Kasey said, kicking at a rock. They were at the intersection now, so they stopped and waited until it was clear to go. Three boys from school drove by in a black Jeep, honked and hollered at them, then disappeared down the road into the sun.
“Fuck him,” Rosemarie said, taking Kasey’s hand so they could cross together. “No, seriously. I know how bad it is to hate somebody, but I hate him. There’s nothing good in him.” Rosemarie continued her short rant about Roy’s shittiness, leaving Kasey’s mom out of it completely, although Kasey’s mom, Angie, was way too smart and sweet to be with a guy like that, so none of it made sense. Rosemarie only saw Roy when she caught a glimpse of him driving through town in Kasey’s truck or the handful of times Rosemarie would come to pick Kasey up at the farmhouse and see him out in the yard or on the porch. Not a week went by without Rosemarie asking Kasey if she was scared to stay in the house with him. Rosemarie’s parents offered up their home to Kasey, day or night, for whatever she needed.
Rosemarie’s dad was laid-back about everything and could get along with anyone, but he didn’t like Roy one bit. Bad news. Real bad fucking news, he’d said to Rosemarie once, and Rosemarie would always remember the look on her daddy’s face when he said it, because it was a new expression she’d never seen him make. There was none of his usual chill there, only fire.
“Like…I…fantasize about someone killing him. Genuinely good people get murdered all the time. How is Roy still out here walking around? No matter what he does, no one cares, no one helps, no one will do anything about it. Not even my mom! It’s infuriating. I just—” Kasey stopped and found a fluffy cloud above them, watched it like it held an answer.
“I care. You know how much I care,” Rosemarie said, stopping and looking up with her. She reached over to brush the hair from Kasey’s forehead.
“I know you do,” Kasey said, and they walked again, quiet for a little bit.
*
Caroline fed them pie and ice cream and took her break with them afterward. Beau was out back too with a lit cigarette dangling from his lip, rooting around in the back of his truck. The girls sat at the umbrellaed picnic table, trying not to be too obvious about watching him.
“Okay, y’all. I’m gonna ask Leo Bell to prom with this delicious piece of pie,” Rosemarie said, lifting the box into the air. Caro had cut her an extra piece for the occasion.
“You two are BFFs! Don’t try to act like you’re worried he won’t say yes,” Caro said.
Beau pulled out a toolbox, set it on the ground, and let the tailgate down. He had an extremely cute ass. So perky! The girls watched him bend to get whatever out of the toolbox and lift himself up into the truck bed. They didn’t know what he was doing and they didn’t care. Free BeauTV.
“Nah, I’m not worried. It just makes me feel caged in when I should be free,” Rosemarie said, spreading her arms out so wide Kasey scooted so she wouldn’t get smacked in the face. Rosemarie made herself feel better by imagining everything that would come after graduation—traveling the world, living on the other side of the country. Doing whatever she wanted. All of it far from the prying eyes of Good Ol’ Goldie.
“Free as a sparrow,” Caro said, poking her shoulder.
“Exactly,” Rosemarie said.
“I feel like a loser for getting Ada to hook me up with one of Grayson’s friends,” Caro admitted.
“Grayson does have some hot friends, though,” Kasey said. “The one who’s on the soccer team. Will. He drives the loud red car. He’s cute! He’s an airhead, but he’s cute!”