The Class of 2013 reception took place on the patio outside Fuller Dormitory. Fuller was a blocky brutalist building with a concrete façade and odd, thin windows. During Reunion & Commencement, older classes enjoyed professionally catered events at the beautiful, historic buildings on campus. As the youngest alumni in attendance this year, the Class of 2013 sat at the bottom of the food chain. The odds of wrangling generous donations out of the twenty-somethings, most of whom had yet to put a dent in their student loans, were low.
“At least they sprang for a keg,” Nina drawled, unimpressed.
Forty or so people milled about the patio clutching plastic cups of beer and rosé. Two mobbed underclassmen in bright blue staff shirts tended bar on a folding table. Some industrious member of the R&C committee had strung white fairy lights between the outdoor lamps. What was meant to feel like a garden party looked more like a sad wine tasting on a glorified sidewalk, but Charlotte admired the effort.
“So this is where our four hundred dollars went.” She smiled as Nina laughed.
They scanned the reception for familiar faces. A few members of their informal support group from back in the day hid in the crowd. Officially titled “Dead, Divorced, and Otherwise Disappointing Parents,” the 3Ds was a clique of trauma survivors and alienated queer kids. Charlotte’s homophobic mother and absent father qualified her for admission, as did Nina’s controlling dad. Charlotte recognized Jio Vargas sitting on a bench with their boyfriend Matt Larsen. Amy Rosen, Nina’s college roommate, chatted with a cluster of English majors.
Charlotte let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding when she detected no asshole exes in attendance. Then again, she still needed a drink before she ran the gauntlet of old friends.
Nina found her hand and towed her toward the bar. They took their place in line behind a trio of girls from the lacrosse team.
Nina’s eyes narrowed as she studied the crowd. “I’m glad Eliza couldn’t come. I did not want to see what shape she’s shaved into her undercut this time.”
Charlotte resisted the urge to point out that Nina’s snark suggested otherwise. They must be in an off phase again. “Is she still in Cairo?”
Nina’s ex-girlfriend worked for the Department of Defense doing something that Charlotte had never understood. It was a lucrative job that Nina disapproved of, which probably contributed to her irritated tone.
“Nah, she’s in Dubai now. She sent me a weird WhatsApp message to get nacho fries in her honor at Terry’s.”
“We can do that.”
“That’s not the point.” Nina played with her necklace, the thin gold chain catching the light.
Charlotte bit back a smile. “I’m just saying, nacho fries sound great.”
“What about your love life?” Nina asked. “How are things with Merielle?”
Charlotte’s smile wilted at the mention of her longest-lasting relationship since college. “Uh, nonexistent. That ended ages ago.”
Her ex-girlfriend frowned. “Oh. I’m sorry. I guess it’s been a while since we caught up.”
An understatement, considering Merielle dumped her over a year ago. Charlotte met the cute UX designer on a dating app and enjoyed her company, but it hadn’t stuck beyond the six-month mark. “It’s okay. My work hours were crazy. She got sick of me canceling plans.” Charlotte put on a forced smile. “Plus she lived in Queens and that’s practically a long-distance relationship in New York.”
Nina didn’t laugh, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. Then again, she wasn’t a New Yorker. That joke would have killed in Park Slope.
“Amy said she hasn’t seen much of you,” Nina said. “Isn’t she in Brooklyn with you?”
“Fort Greene, I think. Yeah, I keep missing her book launches.” Nina’s former roommate was the only other member of the 3Ds who lived in New York City. Amy worked in publishing and invited Charlotte to endless author events. During their first year out of college, Charlotte would recruit a friend from work to come with her to readings at the Bluestockings Cooperative Bookstore or signings on the third floor of the Strand. Charlotte always had a blast, and it worked in Amy’s favor to have cool young media people at her events.
She and Amy had never been close, but Amy made an effort to stay in touch. Charlotte genuinely liked her: her determined ambition and sunny sweet optimism. Charlotte just hadn’t been free in a while—work hours, exhaustion, yadda yadda.
Charlotte shrugged. “I never have time to read anymore.” That would change soon, thank goodness. Folks in the art department at Front End had much better work-life balance than she did. Once her transfer came through, she could have a social life again. She wouldn’t have to sacrifice her happiness for much longer.
Before Nina could poke at her excuse, they reached the front of the line. Nina asked the girl tending bar for two beers.
Charlotte wedged a single into the tip jar. “I like your shirt,” she told the bartender, nodding at the Reunion & Commencement staff logo on the front. The name tag beside it read Imani in poppy bubble letters. “I had one just like it.”
“Thanks!” the underclassman chirped, her baby face rosy with exertion. Imani poured them both generous cups of a frothy IPA. “I hope you enjoy the reunion!”
Charlotte winced and took a sip. “Please keep these coming, we need fortification.”
“You got it.” Their new favorite bartender beamed at them before turning to the guy next in line.
Nina licked some foam off the side of her cup. “Jeez, were we ever that young?”
Drinks in hand, they beelined to the corner of the reception where Matt and Jio sat alone. The couple leapt to their feet as they approached.
“MY GIRLS!” Jio wailed. Charlotte got a brief look at their crop top and overalls before they crushed her in a bear hug. “Charlotte Thorne, I thought you were dead! Where have you been hiding?”
“Hi, Jio,” she wheezed inside their iron grip. They let her go abruptly and engulfed Nina next.
“NINA! Did you get even taller?”
Matt chuckled at his partner’s enthusiasm before extending his hand to her. Where Jio gleamed, Matt offered warm formality. “Good to see you, Charlotte.”
She gave it a firm shake. “It’s been too long. How’s The Rock?”
Matt and Jio lived in D.C., where they both worked for nonprofits. They had an adorable French bulldog, the aforementioned The Rock, and a dozen houseplants with their own names and personality quirks. The Rock and his plant siblings were recurring guest stars on Jio’s Instagram.
Charlotte loved to imagine them in their cozy co-living house. Matt and Jio met through the support group in college and fell in love immediately. Matt’s parents were Disappointing—devout Mormons, they kicked him out as soon as he revealed he wasn’t entirely straight. Jio’s parents were Divorced but totally chill about them being nonbinary.
Charlotte had been meaning to visit them in D.C. for years, but she never got around to booking the train ticket. Leaving New York on the weekends required more energy and planning than she could summon these days.
“The Rock is an angel! Look what Matt found for him!” Jio took out their iPhone and thrust it under Nina’s nose. Charlotte leaned over to watch as they swiped through pictures of a pup wearing a black turtleneck and a silver chain collar.
“That’s amazing,” Nina laughed.
