Novels by Smiley writes

LauraThe clock on my computer said 4:47 PM.Thirteen minutes.I had been staring at that clock for the last hour. Not working. Not answering emails. Not doing anything except watching the numbers change and feeling my heart beat too fast.Chloe texted me at 4:30. "how was rick's house""fine""just fine""he fell asleep during the movie""lol he always does that""i know""did you guys...""chloe""okay okay. are you coming to jake's party on saturday""maybe""you have to come""i will think about it""you never think about anything""i think about everything""you think too much"She was right. I thought too much. About him. About Rick. About the necklace. About the way Damon kissed me in the kitchen with the sun coming through the windows and Rick sleeping upstairs.I touched the star. It was warm.4:52 PM.Eight minutes.I packed my bag. Turned off my computer. Straightened my desk. Sarah walked past."Leaving early?" she said."5 o'clock. I am not early.""Your clock is fast. It

LauraThe second week of the internship was easier.I knew where the break room was. I knew how to transfer calls. I knew which printer jammed and which coffee machine made the good coffee. Leo stopped checking on me every hour. Sarah started saying good morning like I belonged there.Damon stayed in his office.I saw him sometimes. In the hallway. By the elevator. Through the glass walls of his office. He was always working. Always on the phone. Always looking at papers.He did not come to my desk. He did not text me. He did not call.The necklace was still around my neck.I told myself I wore it because it was pretty. That was a lie. I wore it because he gave it to me. Because every time I touched the star, I felt something. Anger. Want. Sadness. Hope. All of it mixed together.Chloe texted me every day."how is the old man""he is not old""he is old to us""he is forty two""that is old""you are annoying""you love me""unfortunately"She was interning at a marketing firm. She ha

LauraThe first day of my internship started with a flat tire.Not my tire. I did not have a car. Chloe's tire. She was supposed to drive me. Instead she was standing on the side of the road in her work clothes, staring at her Honda like it had personally betrayed her."I am going to be late," she said."We are both going to be late.""I cannot afford a tow truck.""Call your dad.""My dad is in another state.""Call your mom.""My mom does not know how to change a tire."I looked at the tire. It was flat. Completely flat. The kind of flat that meant we were not going anywhere."Take the bus," Chloe said."The bus does not go to his building.""Then take two buses.""Chloe.""Laura. I am sorry. I cannot fix this."She looked like she was going to cry. I hugged her."It is okay," I said. "I will figure it out."I called a car. The wait was fifteen minutes. I stood on the sidewalk in my black pants and my white blouse and my hair in a ponytail and I felt like a fraud. I was not an inter

LauraI woke up on my birthday to a text from Chloe that said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BITCH" in all caps with seventeen exclamation points.I wrote back. "thank you. why are you yelling.""BECAUSE IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY.""you are going to wake up my parents.""GOOD. THEY SHOULD BE AWAKE. IT IS YOUR DAY."I put my phone down. Stared at the ceiling.Eighteen.I did not feel eighteen. I felt the same as yesterday. Same as last week. Same as last month.My mom knocked on the door. "Wake up. Breakfast.""I am awake.""Then come downstairs."I got up. Put on a robe. Walked downstairs.The kitchen was decorated. Balloons. A banner. A pile of presents on the table. My mom was wearing a party hat. My dad was holding a camera."Happy birthday," they said together."You guys are ridiculous.""We know. Sit down."I sat down. My mom put a plate of pancakes in front of me. My dad took a picture. The flash was too bright."Dad. It is 8 AM.""You will thank me later.""I will not."He took another picture anyw

ChloeI woke up on graduation day with a text from Laura that said "I am going to throw up."I wrote back. "same."She wrote. "why are you throwing up.""because i have to sit in the sun for three hours and listen to people talk.""that is not a medical emergency.""it is to me."I rolled out of bed. My room was a mess. Clothes everywhere. Empty water bottles. A hairbrush that had been missing for a week. I stepped over everything and went to the bathroom.My graduation dress was hanging on the back of the door. Red. Short. The same one from prom. I did not have money for a new one. Laura said no one would notice. Laura was a liar. Everyone would notice. I did not care.My mom was in the kitchen. She was making pancakes. She never made pancakes."You are up early," she said."I am nervous.""Do not be nervous. You passed. You are done.""I know. But what if I trip.""You will not trip.""What if my name sounds weird when they say it.""Your name is Chloe. It is not weird.""What if I

LauraThe last week of senior year was a joke.Teachers stopped teaching. Everyone stopped caring. We watched movies in class. We signed yearbooks in the hallway. We ate lunch outside because no one wanted to be inside anymore.Chloe brought a blanket and we sat on the lawn. Mia and Jess joined us. Rick showed up with Jake and some guys from the basketball team. Someone had a speaker. Someone had snacks. It felt like a party every day."I cannot believe it is almost over," Mia said."I cannot believe we made it," Jess said."I cannot believe I am going to miss this," Chloe said.Everyone looked at her."What," she said."You are going to miss high school?""I am going to miss the chaos. The drama. The free food at events.""There is not free food at events.""There is if you know where to look."I lay back on the blanket. The sun was warm. The sky was blue. A bird was flying in circles above us. I wondered if that bird had any idea how lucky it was.My phone buzzed.Mom: "Dress fittin