Steph climbed out of the passenger seat, wearing ripped jeans and Vans and a black T-shirt. She saw me right away and waved before going to open the trunk. Lisa got out a second later, dressed in cutoff jean shorts, purple Converse high-tops, and a white ribbed tank top that was kind of see-through. Beneath it she wore a rainbow bikini top that tied around her neck. She had gotten her hair done; now it was blonder and sleeker, pushed back behind her sunglasses, and she looked good.

She gave me a once-over and said, “Your shoes are gonna kill you.”

“They’re pretty comfy,” I said. “I like your rainbow bikini.”

Lisa seemed a little surprised. “Thanks.” She pulled a tiny messenger bag over her head, and the strap fell between her breasts. I felt uncomfortable noticing, so I looked at Steph, who was pulling a backpack out of the trunk.

“What did you bring?” I asked. “Was I supposed to bring something?”

“It’s a blanket and some stuff for the park. You didn’t need to bring anything.” She shut the trunk, and she and Lisa headed toward me.

I waited for them to catch up, and then we all went up the stairs to the front door. I got to the top first and pressed the buzzer. It didn’t take long for Mel to open the door, her face breaking into a broad grin. “Welcome! You’re all here! Awesome, come on in. I’m almost ready.”

The front door opened into the living room, which was sparsely furnished, as if Mel had just moved in. Lisa plopped herself down on the squishy-looking beige sofa and started scrolling through her phone, while Steph asked, “Is Dani coming with us?”

“Nah, Dani went down already,” Mel said, going into the next room. “We might run into her.”

Steph followed Mel, and I followed Steph through the doorway into the kitchen. This room was the opposite of the living room. Where the former had felt barely inhabited, this one was lived in. Three of the walls were painted butter yellow and covered with photos of fruits and vegetables; the fourth, which contained the window, was turquoise blue. A narrow table beneath the window held a long planter full of herbs. Pots and strainers hung from a rack over a mini island, and built-in shelves were packed with cookbooks that were bristling with Post-it notes.

Mel was putting a few things into a backpack and asked, “You want some water before we go?”

“No thanks,” I said. “This kitchen is great.”

“Yeah, I love it. It’s why I rented the place. Also Dani never uses it—she’s my roommate—so I get it all to myself.” Mel zipped up her backpack. “All right. You need the bathroom before we head out? There will only be porta potties down there.”