Dez lifts the card reader up, but before she can announce the total, Keller has seamlessly tapped his phone, paying for my food.

I attempt to glare at him, but then his eyes do their thing, where the depth of the many blues pulls me in, and I forget I’m supposed to be annoyed. Instead, I make myself lower my gaze.

Keller is a problem and a half.

Welp.

“I’d better take this one to go.”

I’m not going to say I flee, but I definitely walk out of there real fast, after a wave towards Lily, Liv, Jack, and an ever-amused Markus. He’s the only one who waves back.

21. Claire

21

CLAIRE

It’s a short walk from the building housing the library to the dorm—less than fifteen minutes—and I choose to spend it stuffing my face with one hand, and catching up with the world on the others.

As expected, I received several texts, and more than a few missed calls. Eating my croissant with one hand, I type an answer with the other, and copy-paste it on my chat with Noah and grandma.

Me: Sorry, I lost my charger! I’ll call tonight.

The little white lie won’t hurt anyone.

To my grandmother, I add a line.

Me: I’m so glad to hear about the anonymous donor. Amazing. I’ll see if I can come back for the operation.

I don’t find anything else to say to Noah.

I can’t really afford another trip back home so soon after coming here, but the more I think about it, the more it seems logical. I need to chat with Noah, face to face. After this weekend, I know it’s a necessity. And if my grandmother’s getting surgery on a Friday, it makes sense to go, then stay with her for a couple of days. If Keller’s sister wants me to start babysitting right away, and I manage to find some cheap tickets, maybe I can afford it.

I then move on to the more intriguing text, from an unknown number I rename as Lisa.

Lisa: Hi, Claire. We haven’t met, but I’m Lisa, Keller’s sister and Octavia’s mom. Vivi is officially smitten with you, and I happen to be looking for a babysitter. I understand you study at Rothford. Naturally, I’ll take your schedule into consideration. If you’re interested, please message me, and we can meet up at the house to chat about the details.

Me: Hi, Lisa! Thank you so much for considering me. I have a little experience as a babysitter, and would be thrilled to take care of Vivi. She’s the cutest. I received my schedule today; most of my classes are between nine and three. I’d love to meet up, let me know when.