Lost and Found by Chris Van Hakes Read Free Book Online Page A

my door in his face. I slumped down on the other side, shame filtering into my chest cavity, filling every crevice.
    I had to stop being nice to Oliver, and remember that he was just like Cliff. All men were like Cliff. They didn’t want me. They wanted the Emilys and the Ursulas of the world. The Kelseys. I shuddered, thinking of Cliff and Kelsey standing together, entwined, and then I stood up, resolved to not talk to Oliver again.
    Later that evening, I was sitting on Emily’s green sofa with my feet in wool socks, eating out of a Ben & Jerry’s pint. “He didn’t even remember me!” Emily said, her spoon in the air, waving around manica lly as she ranted. “He was hitting on me. And he didn’t even care that I’m with Sam!”
    Ursula rested her head on my shoulder. She was wea ring a sweatshirt and jeans, almost no makeup, and still looked pretty much perfect, maybe because her sweatshirt was Manic Pixie Dream Girl cute, pink with glitter, and her curly blonde hair was in one of those braids that twisted around her head. Ursula could pull off things that stopped looking good on the rest of us in fifth grade. She was like a model for adult orthodontia, skewing the norm.
    She snuggled into my side. “My cousin sounds like a jackass. Jac kass is a jackass.”
    “Exactly! He is! And he calls her Skunk Girl. Like he’s so perfect!” Emily put her spoon in her mouth then, but her face was still red with rage.
    Ursula patted my leg. “I’m so glad you came back to Prairie Glen. Emily’s rants are so much more tolerable with you to share the bu rden.”
    “Hey,” Emily said around her spoon, but I just laughed and said, “I know, me too.”
    “I know it’s a horrible thing, but I am so glad Cliff was a cheater,” Ursula said. Emily shot her a glare, and Ursula said, “It’s selfish. I can’t help it. You’re my family. You and Emily. And I missed you.” She squeezed me.
    “You could have visited me any time in LA,” I said, dipping my finger into the bottom of the Cherry Garcia.
    “Ugh. And stay with Cliff? No thank you.” Ursula wrinkled her nose.
    “I’ve gotta say, you were always this little wilting flower with Cliff. I’m glad he’s gone, too. He was no good for you,” Emily said.
    “If he was so bad for me, why didn’t either of you tell me ?” I said, moving away from Ursula to the end of the sofa. I put down my ice cream and hugged a throw pillow to my chest.
    Emily rolled her eyes. “Girl, we tried. Don’t you r emember, oh, college? Like, all of college? When we would say, ‘You can do better, Lane!’ and you would counter with, ‘But he’s so beautiful. And he chose me. ’” She shook her head. “I hated that you were so willing to put up with his shit just because you were grateful he was paying attention to you.”
    “He didn’t pay much attention,” I said.
    “We know,” Emily said. “And we tried and tried. But eventually, you know, there’s only so much we could say.”
    “He’s still beautiful,” I said. “Like a young Chri stopher Reeve.”
    “You do have a type,” Emily said.
    “What does that mean?” I said, tilting my head. “I’ve dated exactly one guy.”
    “I mean Oliver. That guy with his stubble and those blue eyes and the tall, dark and handsome?” Emily said.
    “All of a sudden handsome is a type ?” I said. “Just because you met the love of your life in high school doesn’t mean the rest of us aren’t allowed to look.”
    “You like him?” Ursula’s voice faltered.
    “Wait, I am not into Oliver,” I said.
    “Uh huh,” Emily said. “Convincing.”
    “I’m not! He’s just a friend! And he’s not even attrac ted to me!”
    “Sure. That’s why he hit on me,” Emily said.
    “I am not following at all,” I said.
    “He was trying to make you jealous. ” Emily shook her head. “Seduction 101. Seriously.”
    “You’re wrong,” I said, picking up my abandoned ca rton. Emily looked at me skeptically and I said, “I