Away Read Free

know what it’s like to be completely innocent.”
    I ignore her. “I’m not taking your virginity. Saying no is hard enough without you trying to convince me to say yes.”
    “Oh really? Why?” The corners of her mouth perk up.
    “Because you’re beautiful, and I’m a guy. A great girl like you is hard to resist. Now stop talking about it. I love you, but it’s not going to happen. Fix your hair. We’re almost to your house.”
    She adjusts her messy ponytail, all over the place from my recklessness. I turn carefully into her long driveway, a winding gravel road with a tiny Cape Cod resting at the end of it. Rosemary’s house sits in the middle of three big cornfields, and I’m glad that it doesn’t bother her. Being surrounded by that many tall stalks and not being able to see what’s coming freaks me out, in a way. I like things that are predictable.
    “Hello Peter,” I say, parking the car and getting out to shake her stepfather’s hand. “Thanks again for inviting me.”
    “You’re always welcome here, Noah,” Peter Radison says, though his warmth doesn’t fully embrace his eyes. Turning to Rosemary’s mother I give her a hug and say, “Thank you Donna. I know you worked hard on all of this. Sorry we’re late.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” she says, and her eyes gleam just like Rosie’s do. “We’re just happy you could make it. There’s plenty of food. Help yourself.”
    Rosemary and I make our way around to the back of the house. “Your dad was nice, as always,” I say, having to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
    “He’s just being protective,” Rosemary says. “You know why.”
    I shrug, then go straight through the giant crowd of Radisons, feeling like I’m being squished as I drag Rosie through it. Typically Donna made too much food, which is wonderful. My dad, when he does cooks dinner, rarely makes enough. I give a plate to Rosemary and then start heaping giant servings of potato salad and fried chicken onto my plate. I stare at an orange foreign mass in a bowl, wondering what it is, and then decide to take some anyway.
    “I don’t know if you’ll like that,” Rosemary says, staring at it.
    “I’ll eat it anyway. I don’t want to hurt your mom’s feelings.” We go to sit down on the grass and Rosemary kicks off her shoes, enjoying the grass and the sunshine. It’s not too long before Levi, Michael and Michelle pop by, all with plates of their own.
    “Pretty nice cookout, huh?” Levi asks, shoving a giant spoonful into his mouth. “Donna’s an amazing cook.”
    Like I don’t know that. I practically live here. Whatever I don’t eat, Levi will definitely finish off. When Michelle is nearly done Michael leans over and asks, “Are you gonna eat that?”
    “Touch my food and you die,” Michelle says, not even giving him a second glance. Michael drops his head and asks, “Not even a little bite of that pie?”
    “I’ll shove the whole thing in your pie hole , and laugh,” she says.
    “Well, then maybe I’ll pin you down and sit on you.”
    Michelle’s eyes crinkle. “And maybe I’d like that.”
    Michael’s whole face lights up. “Really?”
    “No!” With her hands, Michelle takes a bit of sauce and smears it all over the side of Michael’s cheek.
    “Ugh!” Michael says, standing up and holding a hand to his saucy face. “Michelle, you’re such a little kid!”
    “You’re welcome. Now get out of my face,” she says, happily returning to her dinner as Michael stomps away. Rosemary and I both look at each other, smiling. Michael and Michelle are so into each other, it’s starting to get pathetic. By the mischievous look in her eye, I can already tell Rosie’s developing a plan to get them together.
    “Why do you have to be so mean to him, Michelle?” Levi says, completely missing the entire point of the conversation. Michelle raises a saucy hand, and he falls quiet.
    “Babe, can you go after Michael?” Rosemary asks. “His temper can