Its still weird.
Really? Cath asked. Youre really going to start talking about how I got stuck with a weird roommate?
Wren sighed. What about her boyfriend?
Havent seen him for a few days.
What are you doing this weekend?
Homework, I guess. Writing Simon.
Courtney and I are going to a party tonight.
Where?
The Triangle House! Courtney said. She said it the same way youd say the Playboy Mansion! if you were a total D-bag.
Whats a Triangle House? Cath asked.
Its an engineering fraternity, Wren said.
So they, like, get drunk and build bridges?
They get drunk and design bridges. Want to come?
Nah. Cath took a bite of roast beef and potatoes; it was always Sunday-night dinner in the Selleck dining room. Drunk nerds. Not my thing.
You like nerds.
Not nerds who join fraternities, Cath said. Thats a whole subclass of nerds that Im not interested in.
Did you make Abel sign a sobriety pledge before he left for Missouri?
Is Abel your boyfriend? Courtney asked. Is he cute?
Cath ignored her. Abel isnt going to turn into a drunk. He cant even tolerate caffeine.
That right there is some faulty logic.
You know I dont like parties, Wren.
And you know what Dad saysyou have to try something before you can say you dont like it.
Seriously? Youre using Dad to get me to a frat party? I have tried parties. There was that one at Jesses, with the tequila
Did you try the tequila?
No, but you did, and I helped clean it up when you puked.
Wren smiled wistfully and smoothed her long bangs across her forehead. Drinking tequila is more about the journey than the destination.
Youll call me, Cath said, right?
If I puke?
If you need help.
I wont need help.
But youll call me?
God, Cath. Yes. Relax, okay?
But, sir, Simon pushed, do I have to be his roommate every year, every year until we leave Watford?
The Mage smiled indulgently and ruffled Simons caramel brown hair. Being matched with your roommate is a sacred tradition at Watford. His voice was gentle but firm. The Crucible cast you together. Youre to watch out for each other, to know each other as well as brothers.
Yeah, but, sir Simon shuffled in his chair. The Crucible must have made a mistake. My roommates a complete git. He might even be evil. Last week, someone spelled my laptop closed, and I know it was him. He practically cackled.
The Mage gave his beard a few solemn strokes. It was short and pointed and just covered his chin.
The Crucible cast you together, Simon. Youre meant to watch out for him.
from chapter 3, Simon Snow and the Second Serpent, copyright © 2003 by Gemma T. Leslie
FOUR
The squirrels on campus were beyond domestic; they were practically domestically abusive. If you were eating anything at all, theyd come right up to you and chit-chit-chit in your space.
Take it, Cath said, tossing a chunk of strawberry-soy bar to the fat red squirrel at her feet. She took a photo of it with her phone and sent it to Abel. bully squirrel, she typed.
Abel had sent her photos of his roomhis suite at MoTech, and of him standing with all five of his nerdy Big Bang Theory roommates. Cath tried to imagine asking Reagan to pose for a photo and laughed a little out loud. The squirrel froze but didnt run away.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, Cath had forty-five minutes between Biology and Fiction-Writing, and lately shed been killing it right here, sitting in a shadowy patch of grass on the slow side of the English building. Nobody to deal with here. Nobody but the squirrels.
She checked her text messages, even though her phone hadnt chimed.
She and Abel hadnt actually talked since Cath left for school three weeks ago, but he did text her. And he e-mailed every once in a while. He said he was fine and that the competition at Missouri was already intense. Everybody here was the smartest kid in their graduating class.
Cath had resisted the urge to reply, Except for you, right?
Just because Abel got a perfect score on the math section of the SATs didnt mean he was the smartest kid in their class. He was crap in American History, and hed limped through Spanish. Through Spanish, for Christs sake.
Hed already told Cath that he wasnt coming back to Omaha until Thanksgiving, and she hadnt tried to convince him to come home any sooner.
She didnt really miss him yet.
Wren would say that was because Abel wasnt really Caths boyfriend. It was one of their recurring conversations:
Hes a perfectly good boyfriend, Cath would say.
Hes an end table, Wren would answer.
Hes always there for me.
to set magazines on.
Would you rather I dated someone like Jesse? So we can both stay up crying every weekend?
I would rather you dated someone youd actually like
to kiss.
Ive kissed Abel.
Oh, Cath, stop. Youre making my brain throw up.
Weve been dating for three years. Hes my boyfriend.
You have stronger feelings for Baz and Simon.
Duh, theyre Baz and Simon, like thats even fairI like Abel. Hes steady.
You just keep describing an end table.
Wren had started going out with boys in the eighth grade (two years before Cath was even thinking about it). And until Jesse Sandoz, Wren hadnt stayed with the same guy for more than a few months. She kept Jesse around so long because she was never really sure that he liked herat least that was Caths theory.