“It’s nice to talk to you at last, Kate,” I said.
“Shh,” she said. “The name’s classified.”
When I got home, the first thing I did was contact Fats at the Pool. He said he was surprised to hear from me so soon, but that he’d be happy to give my friend a job. Despite the fact that he’d abjectly rejected the idea I thought was going to save us all, Fats was a good guy.
Win came over that night. “You’re quiet,” he said.
“I thought I’d come up with something really smart,” I said. I described my idea to him, and then I told him the reasons Fats had said it wouldn’t work.
“So that’s what the cacao rally was about and why you’ve been so secretive,” Win said.
I nodded. “I really wanted it to work.”
Win took my hand. “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way but I’m kind of glad that it didn’t work. Even if there were a legal way to justify selling chocolate, you’d end up in court all the time. You’d be fighting City Hall and public opinion and even your own family, it sounds like. Why would you want to take on all of that? Not having anything to do after high school is not a good enough reason.”
“Win! That’s not the reason! How stupid do you think I am?” I shook my head. “It might sound silly to you, but there’s some part of me that always wanted to be the person who returned Balanchine Chocolate to the right side of the law, I guess. For Daddy.”
“Look, Annie. You gave the business to Fats. Sophia and Mickey are gone. Yuji Ono, too. You really can be free of this now. It’s a gift, if you choose to see it that way.”
He kissed me, but I didn’t feel like being kissed.
“Are you angry at me?” Win asked.
“No.” I was.
“Let me see your eyes.”
I turned them on him.
“My father’s the same way.”
“Don’t compare me to him.”
“He’s done nothing for the past six months because he lost the election when really, losing the election was a gift to all of us. Me. You. My mother. And especially him, if the bastard could just open up his eyes and see it.”
I didn’t say anything for such a long time that Win finally changed the subject.
“Graduation is next Wednesday. Are you coming?” Win asked.
“Do you want me to?” I replied with a question of my own.
“I don’t care,” Win said.
But obviously he did want me to come if he was bringing it up.
“I’m giving the salutatorian speech if you’re interested,” Win continued.
“That’s right. You’re smart. I forget that sometimes.”
“Hey.” Win smiled.
I asked him if he knew what he planned to say.
“It’ll be a surprise,” he promised.
That was how Natty, Noriko, and I found ourselves at Trinity’s high school graduation.
Win’s speech was, I think, in part directed at me and in part directed at his father. It was about questioning what society tells you and standing up to authority and other things that have probably been said at countless other graduations. He had acquired his father’s gift for oration, so in terms of the crowd’s response, it barely mattered what he said. I clapped as much as anyone else.
Did I feel a twinge at the sight of my classmates walking across the stage? Yes, I did. More than just a twinge actually.
Scarlet waved to us as she accepted her diploma. After some amount of back-and-forth, the administration had allowed her to walk at graduation while pregnant. Cap-and-gown was basically like a maternity dress, so Scarlet didn’t stick out much anyway. And from the point of view of Trinity, it was far worse not to keep one’s baby than to keep it. Gable met her on the other side of the stage to help her down the steps.
When they reached the bottom, Gable got down on one knee.
“Oh no,” Natty said. “I think Gable’s proposing again.”
I dismissed her. “Gable wouldn’t do that here.”
“He is. Look, he’s taking a little jewelry box out of his pocket,” Natty said.
“Romantic,” Noriko said. “So romantic.” And I imagine it did look romantic if you didn’t know either of the parties involved.
“Poor Scarlet,” I said. “She must be so embarrassed.”
At that moment, a cheer went through the gymnasium. We were sitting toward the back, so I could no longer see Scarlet or Arsley. “What?” I asked. “What just happened?” I stood.
Scarlet and Arsley were kissing. He had his arms around her.
“Maybe she’s letting him down easy?” I said. But even as I said it, I knew that she wasn’t.
After graduation was over, I scrambled to the front to find Scarlet but she’d already left. I spotted Scarlet and her parents outside. They were standing in a coven with Gable Arsley’s parents. I grabbed Scarlet’s hand and pulled her away.
“What is wrong with you?” I asked as soon as I’d gotten her alone.
Scarlet shrugged. “I’m sorry, Annie. I knew how you’d feel but … with the baby coming, I just got worn down.” She sighed. “I’m worn out. I even wore flats to graduation. Can you imagine me—”
“I told you that you could stay with me!”
“Could I really? It’s a nice offer, Annie, but I don’t think I could. Leo’s wife is there. And Leo will be back. And there won’t be any room for me and a baby.”
“Yes there will, Scarlet! I’ll make room.”
She didn’t say anything. Even in flats, she was taller than me. She looked over my head. She didn’t seem to be looking at anything specific other than not at me. Her expression was even and the set of her mouth was firm.
“Scarlet, if you seriously marry Gable Arsley, you and I won’t be friends anymore.”
“Don’t be dramatic, Annie. We’ll always be friends.”
“We won’t,” I insisted. “I know Gable Arsley. If you marry him, your life will be ruined.”
“Well, then it’s ruined. It was already ruined,” she said calmly.
Gable came up to us. “I assume you’re here to congratulate us, Anya.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t know how you’ve fooled her, Gable. What you did to make her change her mind.”
“This isn’t about Scarlet. It’s about you, Anya. Like it always has to be,” Gable said calmly.
Not for the first time, I wanted to smack him across his face. Suddenly, I felt Natty’s hand in mine.
“Let’s go,” she whispered.
“Goodbye,” Scarlet called.
My jaw wobbled like a three-legged stool, but I did not cry.
“Anya, we aren’t children anymore!” Scarlet said.
In that moment, I hated her—for implying that the reason I objected to her marrying that sociopath was because I was somehow stunted and pathetically suspended in childhood. As if I hadn’t been forced to do away with childish things years ago. “Do you mean because we graduated or because you’re knocked up?” Even as I said it, I knew it was cruel.
“We didn’t graduate!” Scarlet yelled back. “I graduated. And for the record, my job title is not Professional Best Friend to Anya Balanchine!”
“If it were, you’d be fired!”
“Okay,” Natty said. “You two really need to stop now. You’re both being awful.” Natty went up to Scarlet and embraced her. “Congratulations, Scarlet for … um … making a decision that you’re happy with, I guess. Come on, Annie. We need to get going.”
After graduation, Natty and I went to a celebratory brunch at Win’s parents’ place. I was still preoccupied from my argument with Scarlet, and I spent the whole meal brooding. Just before dessert, Win’s father tapped his knife against his glass and stood to make a speech. Charles Delacroix liked making speeches. I’d heard more than enough of them in my life so I didn’t feel the need to pay attention to this one. Finally, it seemed like we’d stayed long enough that it wouldn’t be rude to leave.