It felt both shocking and refreshing, to hear her talk so plainly about high school friendships. And it made me feel doubly lucky for Touch and Ros, who I had just abandoned at Lovers’ Lagoon: They were people I really wanted to be friends with, not just because we came from the same pool, but because I really liked them.

“I’m probably telling you only because I have a needle in my finger and I’m on drugs and they’re severely affecting my ability to think clearly,” Phoebe said.

“So I’ll have to injure you every time I want to talk?”

“Looks that way,” Phoebe said. Her phone buzzed. “My mom’s coming.”

“What does she do, that she’s working today?”

“Runs a restaurant in the next town over,” Phoebe said. “What about yours?”

“She writes horoscopes.”

“Wait, really? That’s so cool!”

“It’s… something.”

“Can I read them?”

“Yeah—they’re online.”

“Will you read me mine? Please? I’m a Scorpio. You have to; I’m injured.”

I rolled my eyes but navigated, reluctantly, to my mother’s website.

“Scorpio,” I began. “‘You may be dealing with some new challenges in life or career.…”

“That’s true,” said Phoebe.

“It’s true of everyone. Who isn’t ever dealing with new challenges in life or career!?”

“Keep reading, sassafras.”

“Don’t let your passion override your ability to know when to stop.”

“Could have used that advice earlier.”

“Emotions are your friend. What does that even mean?”

“Spoken like a true Capricorn,” said Phoebe. “What does yours say?”

“Um.… okay, Capricorn. Blah, blah, blah, check your materialistic impulses—thanks, Mom. Also… a relationship may be testing you. Give someone new a chance; they might surprise you.”

Phoebe and I sat with that for a minute, letting it wash over us.

“It’s definitely talking about Jacques,” Phoebe said.

“You’re so right,” I said.

I stayed until her mom came, and for a little time after that, too.

When I got home, I was so tired, I didn’t even notice Ros wasn’t in their bed.

The Story of Ros, Part IV

So Celia left Lovers’ Lagoon early, without saying goodbye. Big deal.

So she missed the swimming, and the limeade, and the fireworks over the water. Big deal.

So she drove away, leaving us stranded. So she’d marooned us. A slightly bigger deal, but Jess finds a friend at the lagoon that can give us a ride back to her house.