“Finley, why would you throw away this opportunity?”

“Because it’s not mine in the first place.”

“I’m going to stop you right there. Do not go down the martyr route. That’s obnoxious. You got into Barrington because your grades were good and I’m guessing you wrote a great essay. Don’t you dare throw it away like it’s nothing. It’s not nothing. It’s someone’s dream and you earned it, so act like it. Respect it.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“It’s your dream, too.”

She shoved her hands into her coat pockets. “I’m fine.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t need you to believe me.”

“Listen, Ayisha.” I was getting excited. “I think you should follow up after Christmas. Reapply or whatever else you need to do to get back in.”

“That’s foolishness.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“It is, Finley. Mamma needs me here.”

“Not anymore. Billie and Linda won’t be in Christmas. You can go now.”

For a moment there was a flash of hopefulness in her dark eyes. But it faded almost as quickly. “It’s too late,” she said. “I’m a junior now.”

“So am I. What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s already becoming time to start applying to colleges. I missed my shot.”

“Now I’m going to stop you. You can still maybe get into the school and you know darn well it’d look good to colleges, even if it’s only a year.”

“I don’t know that they’d still want me.”

“So, find out.”

“How?”

“Arthur’s aunt can ask Ms. Martinez. They’re friends. Ms. Martinez is on the admissions board. Here.”

I took my phone out of my coat pocket and found Ayisha’s number, which I’d put in once years ago and never deleted. Sadly, because I needed as many numbers in there as possible for when someone grabbed my phone to act like an asshole (it had happened). I didn’t want anyone shouting, Finley’s only got thirty numbers and most of them are old people she’s related to. (That hadn’t happened to me, but Shane Gowdy did it once to Lyndy Decker and it was humiliating.)

I typed her a text with Arthur’s number. Decorum dictated I should have asked his permission first, however I didn’t have that luxury anymore since he asked me not to text him.

“Okay. I just sent you Arthur’s contact info. Check in with him and see if his aunt or any of their contacts can find out your status.”

She glanced at her phone, where I saw my text had arrived. Then she frowned at me. “Why would he help me?”