Starcrossed

death.”
    “Whatever are you babbling on about?” Claire asked sweetly as she inspected her nails, feigning incomprehension.
    “God, Claire, you’re so predictable,” Helen said, laughing. “Every year you dust off those cards you bought in Salem that time on the field trip and you always predict that something amazing is going to happen. But every year the only thing that amazes me is that you haven’t slipped into a boredom coma by winter break.”
    “Why do you fight it?” Claire protested. “You know eventually something spectacular is going to happen to us. You and I are way too fabulous to be ordinary .”
    Helen shrugged. “I am perfectly happy with ordinary. In fact, I think I’d be devastated if you actually predicted right for a change.”
    Claire tilted her head to one side and stared at her. Helen untucked her hair from behind her ears to curtain off her face. She hated to be watched.
    “I know you would. I just don’t think ordinary’s ever going to work out for you,” Claire said thoughtfully.
    Helen changed the subject. They chatted about their class schedules, running track, and whether or not they should cut bangs. Helen wanted something new, but Claire was dead set against Helen touching her long blonde hair with scissors. Then they realized that they had wandered too close to what they called the “pervert zone” of the ferry, and had to hastily backtrack.
    They both hated that part of the ferry, but Helen was particularly sensitive about it; it reminded her of this creepy guy that had followed her around one summer, until the day he just disappeared off the ferry. Instead of feeling relieved when she realized he wasn’t coming back, Helen felt like she had done something wrong. She had never brought it up to Claire, but there had been a bright flash and a horrible smell of burnt hair. Then the guy was just gone . It still made her queasy to think about it, but Helen played along, like it was all a big joke. She forced a laugh and let Claire drag her along to another part of the ferry.
    Jerry joined them as they pulled into the dock and disembarked. Claire waved good-bye and promised to try to visit Helen at work the next day, though since it was the last day of summer, the outlook was doubtful.
    Helen worked a few days a week for her father, who co-owned the island’s general store. Apart from a morning paper and fresh cup of coffee, the News Store also sold saltwater taffy, penny candy, caramels and toffee in real crystal jars, and ropes of licorice whips sold by the yard. There were always fresh-cut flowers and handmade greeting cards, gag gifts and magic tricks, seasonal knickknacks for the tourists, and refrigerator essentials like milk and eggs for the locals.
    About six years ago the News Store had expanded its horizons and added Kate’s Cakes onto the back, and since then business had exploded. Kate Rogers was, quite simply, a genius with baked goods. She could take anything and make it into a pie, cake, popover, cookie, or muffin. Even universally loathed vegetables like brussels sprouts and broccoli succumbed to Kate’s wiles and became big hits as croissant fillers.
    Still in her early thirties, Kate was creative and intelligent. When she’d partnered up with Jerry she revamped the back of the News Store and turned it into a haven for the island’s artists and writers, somehow managing to do it without turning up the snob factor. Kate was careful to make sure that anyone who loved baked goods and real coffee—from suits to poets, working-class townies to corporate raiders—would feel comfortable sitting down at her counter and reading a newspaper. She had a way of making everyone feel welcome. Helen adored her.
    When Helen got to work the next day, Kate was trying to stock a delivery of flour and sugar. It was pathetic.
    “Lennie! Thank god you’re early. Do you think you could help me . . . ?” Kate gestured toward the forty-pound sacks.
    “I got it. No, don’t tug the corner like that, you’ll hurt your back,” Helen warned, rushing to stop Kate’s ineffectual pulling. “Why didn’t Luis do this for you? Wasn’t he working this morning?” Helen asked, referring to one of the other workers on the schedule.
    “The delivery came after Luis left. I tried to stall until you got here, but a customer nearly tripped and I had to at least pretend I was going to move the blasted thing,” Kate said.
    “I’ll take care of the flour if you fix me a