"Almost," Karla said as I did math and cursed a lot. "I can hardly believe it. It can't possibly have been that long, can it?"

She looked around at the assembled people and shook her head. "Of course, it barely feels like I've been away from school that long, but seeing all these faces here reminds me how long it's been." Her expression was wistful. "I'm happy back home--happier than I ever thought possible--but I've missed this. And them. Even the people I didn't know very well."