The People We Keep

Speaking on the phone with Margo, April learns that her father and Irene have yet to figure out what happened to the car or April. With this cushion, April has Margo promise to make her father understand that it is better to let her go. April drives for as long as she can and stops in Ithaca because of comments Margo’s boyfriend, Gary, made months ago: “He couldn’t stop talking about how much Ithaca pissed him off” (58). She finds a campsite off the highway and is let in to stay the night.

The next day, April walks into Ithaca and is shocked by how different it is from Little River. Everyone looks different from what April is used to. People seem to have a sense of fashion, and April is pleasantly surprised by “a man in a long skirt walking around like he’s nothing out of the ordinary” (62). It brings April joy to know how uncomfortable the men of Little River would be around the people of Ithaca. As April continues to explore, she worries about her funds, having already spent a decent amount to stay in the campsite. She sees many unique stores filled with items she would never find in Little River and finally stops at a café with a “help wanted” sign.