3.Maria and Steph get brunch. It’s a Sunday morn<strong>in</strong>g andthey def<strong>in</strong>itely can’t afford brunch. Maria has been onhormones for four years but she still fl<strong>in</strong>ches at best anddissociates completely at worst if somebody touches herbelow the waist, and she still has to shave every morn<strong>in</strong>g.But still, what’s twenty dollars for vegan huevos rancherosand a mimosa?Steph is <strong>in</strong> some k<strong>in</strong>d of bad mood. She’s nervous aboutsometh<strong>in</strong>g or sad about someth<strong>in</strong>g. Maria is try<strong>in</strong>g as hardas she can to pay attention, but she’s tired. She can’t stayasleep at night. She wakes up gr<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g her teeth, orworry<strong>in</strong>g about someth<strong>in</strong>g totally productive like whethershe’s really a straight girl who should be dat<strong>in</strong>g straightboys, or else she just wakes up because there’s a cat on herface, purr<strong>in</strong>g. Whatever. There are pictures of her fromwhen she was five with bags under her eyes.There’s a waiter on the other side of the restaurant. He’snot Maria and Steph’s waiter, but he looks familiar. Mariais try<strong>in</strong>g to place him. The only place she might know himfrom is the bookstore, but it’s not click<strong>in</strong>g.The tone of Steph’s voice changes and she tunes back<strong>in</strong>. I fucked up, she’s say<strong>in</strong>g.IMOGEN BINNIE 7
You fucked up, Maria asks back.I did, Steph says. Do you remember Kieran?Maria does remember Kieran. Often.Yes, she says, I remember Kieran.Remember is k<strong>in</strong>d of a weird word, s<strong>in</strong>ce he works atthe bookstore and Maria sees him most days.She takes a deep breath, like, I’m just gonna let <strong>this</strong> allout, and says, I fucked Kieran three nights ago <strong>in</strong> a broomcloset at the gay center.Three nights ago, Maria repeats.Yeah, Steph says.Maria still don’t feel anyth<strong>in</strong>g except maybe little gl<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong> the back of her head that’s like, hey, maybe you can breakup over <strong>this</strong>. She doesn’t acknowledge it. Instead, she’s onautopilot. She can fake it. She’s try<strong>in</strong>g to remember whatthat waiter bought. Was he <strong>in</strong> history? Art?She asks, You fucked him three nights ago, but you camehome and didn’t let on at all for three nights, and you evenfucked me <strong>this</strong> morn<strong>in</strong>g without a second thought?Look, Steph says, but she doesn’t say anyth<strong>in</strong>g else.Then Maria’s bra<strong>in</strong> goes <strong>in</strong>to full shutdown <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> waywhere she’s still there, still watch<strong>in</strong>g, wish<strong>in</strong>g there weresometh<strong>in</strong>g to say, but really all she can th<strong>in</strong>k is, okay,whatever. Maybe Irish history? She th<strong>in</strong>ks, maybe I needto leave. But she can’t leave, you can’t just bail on yourgirlfriend <strong>in</strong> the middle of brunch. She’s k<strong>in</strong>d of wish<strong>in</strong>gshe were on her bike, about to be hit by a bus, swerv<strong>in</strong>gheroically out of the way at the last second. She knows,though, that she’s supposed to be th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g about Kieranand Steph <strong>in</strong> a broom closet.A broom closet, she says.Are you okay, Steph asks. You’re just be<strong>in</strong>g quiet, you’renot even mak<strong>in</strong>g a face.Maria’s bra<strong>in</strong> is shut down because she knows that there8 NEVADA