Chapter 1

Should I call him?
Sitting crossed-legged on the blue shag carpet in her dorm room, Livvy Katz stared at the phone. It stared back.
This is ridiculous. I am a modern woman; I live in modern times. There is absolutely nothing wrong with picking up this phone and calling him.
She picked up the receiver; she put it back in its cradle.
He’ll be flattered.
She picked up the receiver; she put it back in its cradle.
This is it. I’m going to do it. Here I go.
She picked up the receiver; she put in back in its cradle.
Maybe he’ll call me.
Brushing a lock of mahogany hair off her forehead, she narrowed her cobalt eyes and pursed her lips, directing a telepathic message at the telephoner.
You want to call me. Pick up the phone and call me. You want to call me. Pick up?
“What are you doing?”
Thud!!
The phone tumbled out of her lap, and with it, her nerve.
In the doorway stood Livvy’s roommate and best friend since Freshman year, Rachel Levine. The two had plans to study at the library that evening. Rachel was clad in the perfect ensemble for enriching one’s mind and perhaps one’s social life: comfortable, yet figure flattering blue jeans, white T-shirt, black sweater vest, funky earrings, black ankle boots, and coordinating barrette pulling back shoulder-length curly black hair.
“Love that sweater, where’d ya get it?” Livvy hoped to divert Rachel.
But Rachel would not be diverted. “Faneuil Hall. What are you doing?”
Livvy wasn’t ready to talk about the call. “Uh, nothing. Wanna get some ice cream before heading to the library?” The campus coffee house was just around the corner, and the girls were frequent customers.
Rachel crinkled her tiny nose as if solving a complicated math problem. Shrugging she said, “Sure,” grabbed some money out of a sock in her dresser, crammed it into the back flap of her leather backpack, and flung it casually over her shoulder. She was already out the door talking over her shoulder about paper topics for their American Studies class. Livvy grabbed her keys, checked the pocket of her faded jeans for some money, and caught a last glimpse of the telephone before closing the door.