almost stepped on Bree； seated near the roof？s edge in a lotus position； eyes closed； her turquoise
gypsy skirt fanned around her。
？Bree； are you okay？？
？Dan；？ she replied calmly。 She opened her eyes and smiled up at him。 ？You？re smoking。？
Shit。
He tossed the burning butt into the night。 ？Sorry；？ he appologized sheepishly。
？You don？t need to apologize；？ she said in a voice so neutral it was condescending。
Dan took a seat next to her on the roof as darkness descended。 The backyard was so dark he
could just barely make out the sparse tops of lilac bushes and the burning embers of people？s
cigarettes。 He closed his eyes and tried to pretend they were on top of a mountain in the Pacific
Northwest； but even his poet？s imagination wasn？t quite that strong。
There？s no oxygen up here。 Not enough for two 。 。 。
？I won？t mind if you want to smoke；？ Bree continued。 ？I wish you wouldn？t； because it？s bad for
your body and it？s bad for the earth； but you？re an individual。 You can do what you like。？
Dan didn？t feel like arguing。 He shook out another cigarette and lit it。 There。 He felt better
already。
？I？m sorry you had to e up here after me；？ Bree apologized。
Dan decided not to mention that he hadn？t been looking for Bree； just a minute of peace and
nicotine。
？Anyway； I thought you？d be downstairs talking to Vanessa。 It certainly seems like you two have
a lot of things to say to one another。？
Dan didn？t know how to respond。 The truth was； he didn？t really believe he and Vanessa were
going to be living together for the rest of the summer as 。 。 。 friends。
Friends with benefits； maybe？
？I？m not mad or anything；？ Bree assured him； and she sounded like she meant it。 ？We？ve had a
nice time together these past few weeks； haven？t we？？
？Totally；？ Dan agreed； nodding。 He knew what was ing。
？I？ve really enjoyed the experience of getting to know you； getting to understand you a little； as a
person。 That？s always a magical journey； don？t you think？？
Oh boy。
？Right； right；？ Dan replied。 Her philosophy…of…life mumbo jumbo was getting kind of old。 He？d
be glad when he didn？t have to listen to it anymore。
？And it？s okay to be sad when the journey ends；？ she said。 ？But our paths are diverging。 Your
life path has taken you to a big Hollywood party。 That？s just not something that I understand。 My
path is leading me elsewhere。？
He？d gambled his education and his entire future on a romance with Vanessa； and he was
fortable with that。 But he？d gambled his entire future with Vanessa on Bree？ What had he
been thinking？
Bree stood and stretched； holding her hands high above her head and exhaling deeply。 Only her
bright white camisole and white…blond hair were visible in the dark； so she looked like she was
floating； legless。
？Oh； Dan。？ She sniffled a little。 ？Itis hard to say good…bye； isn？t it？ I try to remember what my
yogi teaches about letting go of things； but it？s hard。 I mean； I？m still just a student。？
Suddenly it didn？t seem hard to say good…bye at all。
Dan hugged her weakly because it seemed like the right thing to do； then watched her disappear
through the trap door。 He was kind of glad that they were breaking up； and he was definitely
psyched she was going to leave。 He？d learned a lot from her； about nature； about exercise； about
spirituality； but he？d reached his breaking point： he just wanted a cigarette； a minute of peace； and
then he？d head downstairs and go home with Vanessa？in a just…friends sort of way。
？Bummer；？ uttered a male voice in the darkness。
Why was it so hard to get a minute alone？
？Who？s that？？ All Dan could see was a cherry tip and the telltale scent of a joint。
？Sorry； dude。？ Nate Archibald stepped closer to Dan。 ？Didn？t mean to eavesdrop。 I guess you
didn？t realize I was up here。？
？Oh； hey。？ Dan recognized the preppy stoner guy who？d broken Jenny？s heart last fall。 Jenny
seemed to have gotten over it pretty fast； though； so there were no hard feelings。
？You？re taking it pretty well；？ Nate mented。
？Honestly； man；？ Dan replied philosophically； ？it just wasn？t meant to be。 I thought she was
someone I was interested in。 I mean； I thought I was ready for a change。 But you know what？ I
was wrong。 I think I just fell into the trap of being excited by theidea of someone new； even
though we were totally wrong for each other。？
？Really？？ Nate coughed。 The thing Dan had just described sounded sort of familiar。
？The thing is；？ Dan continued； waxing philosophical； ？there？s a girl downstairs； and she？s the
one； man。 She？s theone 。？
Which one？
？I think I know exactly what you mean；？ Nate added； his voice an octave higher than
normal。 ？And that chick was right； too？there are； like； paths； right； and sometimes they just 。 。 。
diverge。 Right？？
Whoa。
？I don？t know about paths；？ Dan replied； even though the whole paths…diverging thing was
actually borrowed from Robert Frost？s poem ？The Road Less Traveled；？ which he？d actually
quoted in his graduation speech。 ？I？m kind of sick of all this New Age bullshit； to tell you the
truth。？
？Yeah？？ asked Nate。 It sounded kind of cool to him。
Of course it did。
n exits stage left
Nate pushed past a couple of girls in fullon shimmy mode and scanned the room。 It was so
crowded he could barely find a familiar face。
Or maybe he was just too baked。
He hadn？t expected to have any kind of epiphany at this dumb Hollywood party。 This was
supposed to be the summer when he got serious； when he turned his back on parties and pot and
chasing girls who were more trouble than they were worth。 This was supposed to be the summer
he worked hard and used his hands and did some honest； challenging labor and got to know
himself and prepared for his career at Yale。 Captain Archibald and even Coach Michaels were
determined that Nate head off to Yale a different man； a new man； able to handle responsibility。
And now； suddenly； Nate felt like he alreadywas that new guy。
That was fast。
Something Dan had said really stuck with him： his life was right here； waiting for him； inside this
shitty； overcrowded apartment。 The girl he was meant to be with was right here； and the only
honorable thing to do was to break the news to the girl hewasn？t meant to be with。
But he couldn？t find Tawny？s familiar golden mane any…where： the place was that packed。 Nate
pushed his way across the dance floor； ignoring the beckoning wave of some short； overly tanned
weirdo who was wearing sunglasses even though they were inside。 There was no time for small
talk： he was a man on a mission。
Nate slipped into the tiny sliver of a kitchen and hopped up onto the countertop。 From that
vantage； he surveyed the apartment； looking for Tawny。 The apartment was pletely packed。
There were faces he recognized？Isabel and Kati huddled in a corner； whispering to each other as
usual； that pale； grim…looking bald girl was talking to some little kids？but for the most part； the
room was crowded with strangers
Then there she was： her distinct blond hair was unmistak…able。 It was fu