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He opened the door She was carefully sliding her feet into ballet flats “You don’t have to go”

“I’,” she said

“When are you co back?”

“I have no idea” And she left

In the elevator, Lola checked her Facebook page Sure enough, there was a ularly, although she rarely responded Froe, he’d found out she was from Atlanta and, froirl “Hey Southern Girl,” he’d written “Let’s hook up” “Why?” she’d texted back “Because you’re crazy about irls are”

“IDTS,” she responded Which meant “I don’t think so”

Noever, ood tiet back at a h she wasn’t sure Thayer Core would , he was hot, and he was better than nothing “What are you doing?” she texted Thayer

A reply ca the rich”

“Let’s hang,” she wrote He texted back his address

His apartment was on Avenue C and Thirteenth Street, in a low brick building with a dirty Chinese restaurant below Lola rode a narrow elevator to the third floor The hallas tiled with large squares of brown linoleum A door opened at one end of the short hallway, and a bristled man in a stained wifebeater stared at her briefly and went back inside

Another door opened, and a pimply-faced kid stuck his head out “You here to see Thayer?” he asked

“Yes,” Lola said “What was that about?” She indicated the occupant of the other apartment

“Pay no attention The guy’s a drug addict Probably jonesing for his dealer to bring him a fix,” the kid said casually, as if thrilled to be in possession of such knowledge “I’m Josh,” he said “Thayer’s roo and worse A board atop two plastic crates plant-colored sheets, barely visible under a pile of clothes Pizza boxes, Chinese food containers, bags of Doritos, a bong, dirty glasses, and a bottle of vodka littered the counter that separated the tiny living roohttime emissions, and marijuana

“Are you Thayer’s new girlfriend?” Josh asked

“Hardly”