One Last Stop

August talks to her mom, Suzette, who reminds her that she doesn’t need anyone after August says that she felt like an “extra in a college movie” (22) in her first classes.

When she gets back to work, Lucie—the manager—brings over a side of bacon to a regular that August forgot. She comments that this happens often and tells Jerry, the cook, to make her the “Su Special.” It’s an off-menu item with bacon, maple syrup, hot sauce and an egg put between two slices of Texas toast. August immediately loves it.

On her walk home, she thinks about “Subway Girl,” the woman who gave her the scarf. She passes the shop where Niko does psychic readings and, when she makes it back to the apartment, realizes that she’s forgotten her keys. She uses her pocketknife to pick the lock, opening the door to find Wes home.

She introduces herself, not having met him yet, but he doesn’t say much.

The next morning, Myla, Wes, and Niko are playing “Rolly Bangs,” a game in which one person sits on a rolling chair and is pushed on the kitchen floor (which is not even) until the chair hits the lip of the threshold between the kitchen and the hallway.

August continues to get ready for school, and as she leaves, Myla asks to walk with her since she’s taking Noodles out. August thinks about how Myla “drops into your life, fully formed, and just is. A friend in completion” (31) As they walk, August learns that Myla has a degree in electrical engineering from Columbia but prefers doing art.

Settling into a seat on the train, August feels like “she’s actually a New Yorker” (32) whenever she’s on the subway. She thinks about Subway Girl, only to discover that Subway Girl is sitting across from her. She’s then surprised when the woman greets her, calling August “Coffee Girl.” To August’s surprise, their conversation continues, and she discovers that not only did Subway Girl work at Pancake Billy’s, but she’s also the inventor of the Su Special.

Subway Girl points to August’s scarf—the one she gave her. August offers to return it, but Subway Girl shakes her head. As August gets off the train, she explains that she’s working breakfast the next day at the diner if Subway Girl wants to come by. She says she’d love that and then asks August her name, saying that hers is Jane.

However, Jane doesn’t come to Pancake Billy’s the next day, and August tries—but fails—to pretend that it isn’t a big deal.

On Monday, August sees Jane on the train again, and they talk, though August doesn’t bring up being blown off. In the afternoon, she realizes that they have the same commute. She enjoys that the 8:05am train is hers, just as it is Jane’s. It also becomes a place where she sits for a moment of rest before rushing off to school or work.

Jane, she notices, seems to make friends with everyone. She talks to August every day, though August never learns much about her.

August receives an envelope from her mom, with a lead about her missing uncle. Noticing her annoyance, Myla asks if she’s alright, and August explains that her Uncle Augie went missing in 1973 and that her mother—and her, by extension—have been looking for him her whole life. August has been trying to separate herself from this, knowing that it’s consumed her mother. She still has the instinct sometimes, though, to act like a detective.

She eases in to explaining this to Myla, and Myla shows her the sculpture she’s working on. They then listen to Joy Division in Myla’s room, and Myla promises to educate her about music, since August only listens to podcasts. Myla also tells her that she and Niko adore her, and August tries to compliment her in return.

Soon, August ends up working late shifts at Billy’s, and she encounters a drag queen there one night. She recognizes August because they live across the hall from one another. Her drag name is Annie Depressant, and she confesses that she’s in love with Wes.

They walk home together, and Annie shows her the elevator, which is behind the Popeye’s that occupies the first floor of the building. Annie tells her that she goes by Isaiah when she’s not in drag. Before they say goodnight, August asks her if it makes her sad to love Wes since he seems emotionally unavailable. Annie replies that it’s good to have hope even if it’s sad sometimes.

August is surprised to find herself torn between anxiety and hope, the latter of which feels odd to her. She’s never felt like she could rely on people the way that she’s starting to with Niko, Myla, Wes, her coworkers, and even Jane.

The following Wednesday, August talks with Jane about Joy Division and is surprised when Jane asks if they’re a new band. Then, the lights go out, and she falls into Jane, who catches her. The train is delayed indefinitely, and all August can think about is kissing Jane. They take turns guessing the stories of others on the train, and August is surprised that Jane doesn’t think it’s weird how detailed she can be, drawing on years of practice in figuring out everything about the people around her.

Jane asks August to describe her, and August guesses that she works in food service. Jane tells her that she’s wrong but refuses to reveal the truth. However, as a hint, she shows August the contents of her backpack. This leads to Jane playing a Run-DMC cassette out loud, starting a party on the train, and singing along to “It’s Tricky.” They play a few cassettes until someone starts playing from a Bluetooth speaker. Jane invites August to dance, and they do.

By now, she’s missed all her classes, and she invites Jane to get a drink with her at the bar where Niko works. Jane says that she can’t and that she’s sorry.

August is mortified at having asked Jane out. She tries to focus on class and on how her growing friendship with her roommates should be more than enough since it’s making her feel less alone. At home that night, she tells her roommates about the situation with Jane.

When she goes to the fridge to get Myla onions for dinner, she notices a picture of a little girl among the pictures of a young Myla. She asks who it is, and Niko coolly says, “Oh, that’s me” (77). Realizing for the first time that Niko is transgender, August smiles, thinking, “That’s one big thing out of the way between the four of them, but it’s also a small thing. It makes a difference, but it makes no difference at all” (77).

Pancake Billy’s is the other most reliable place in August’s life, and, one day, on the wall, she discovers a photo from the diner’s opening day on June 7, 1976. In it is Jane.

She runs home and begins investigating Jane and how she could be in a photo from 45 years ago. She starts to realize how Jane never has a different outfit on and how she only plays cassettes.