As I promised Oliver, I don’t go back. Not that day, and not the day after. Kate calls me at least five times a day; I ignore her calls. Kate is a wonderful person, and Oliver is probably right in thinking I’m a bad influence, so why put her through that? Like everyone else, she’s better off without me.
Joey doesn’t let up, of course. He calls more than anyone. He comes over constantly, but I don’t answer. He tries crawling up to my window, but I just change rooms. It’s pretty heartbreaking, because before, when Dad was dying, I did want him to push to see me, but now I don’t, and he probably thinks I do.
Back then, I was as good for Joey as Joey was for me. I had a future back then; I had ambitions. I was going to go to college in-state on the fund Dad spent my entire life putting money
