Love, Rosie (222 page)

dies.
Whenever
I
see
that
you’re
online
I
can
send
you
messages.

Not
unless
I
block
your
name
from
my
list.

You
wouldn’t
dare.

Why
would
you
set
up
an
instant
messaging
service
with
me
when
I

am
in
the
next
room?

It’s
what
I
do.
It
means
I
can
multitask.
I
can
speak
to
people
on
the

phone
and
also
do
business
with
you
online.
What
is
it
that
you
do,

Ms.
Casey?
All
I
see
you
doing
is
terrorizing
innocent
children
and

having
meetings
with
pissed
off
parents.

Julie:

That’s
about
all
I
do
Rosie,
you’re
right.
Believe
me
you
were
one
of

the
worst
kids
to
teach
and
one
of
the
worst
parents
to
meet
with.
I

hated
calling
you
in.

Rosie:

Julie:

I
hated
coming
in.

And
now
you’ve
added
me
to
your
messaging
list.
How
times

change.
By
the
way
I’m
having
a
little
get-together
for
my
birthday

next
week
and
I
was
wondering
if
you
would
like
to
come.

Rosie:

Julie:

Rosie:

Julie:

Who
else
is
going?

Oh
just
some
other
kids
that
I
used
to
scare
the
hell
out
of
20
years

ago.
We
love
to
gather
and
reminisce
about
the
days
gone
by.

Seriously.

No,
just
a
few
friends,
a
few
members
of
my
family
for
a
few

drinks
and
a
few
nibbles
for
a
few
minutes
to
mark
the
occasion

and
then
you
can
all
leave
me
alone.

Rosie:

What
age
will
you
be?
I
only
ask
so
I
can
buy
you
a
birthday
card

with
a
number
on
it.
Maybe
get
a
badge
for
you
too.

love,
rosie

331

Julie:

Rosie:

Julie:

Rosie:

Julie:

Rosie:

You
do
and
you’re
fired.
I’m
going
to
be
53.

You’re
only
20
years
older
than
me.
I
used
to
think
you
were

ancient.

Funny
isn’t
it?
Imagine
I
was
only
your
age
by
the
time
you
left
this

school.
The
kids
must
feel
that
you’re
ancient
now
too.

I
feel
ancient.

Ancient
people
don’t
go
on
romantic
blind
dates.
Come
on,
spill
the

beans,
what
was
he
like?

His
name
is
Adam
and
he
is
a
very,
very
attractive
man.
All
through

the
night
he
was
polite,
a
terrific
conversationalist,
and
very
funny.

He
paid
for
the
meal,
the
taxi,
drinks,
absolutely
everything
and

wouldn’t
let
me
open
my
purse
(not
that
there
was
any
money
in
it

to
spend).
He
was
tall,
dark,
and
handsome,
dressed
impeccably,

and
I
could
tell
a
lot
of
attention
to
detail
was
paid.
Plucked
eye-