I pulled Ms. Turner, the school counselor, aside and asked her if she'd heard anything about Rhianna, who ended up never returning to James Madison. Ms. Turner told me that after Rhonda passed away in January, Rhianna went back to being sullen and withdrawn. I hoped, once again, that she could find a way to have a happy life. Thirteen is way too young to give up.
Eve and Joshua hugged me before telling me they wanted to take a stroll around school grounds, which would include spending a few minutes revisiting their beloved Island. Kirsten decided to join them, and then they would take Eve's car back home.
After refilling my plastic cup with fruit punch, I found myself in a group made up of many of my fellow actors, including Siobhan, who was, of course, talking a mile a minute about everything that happened this year. She flitted from person to person like a hummingbird on steroids, hugging each one of us in turn before moving on to another crowd of kids. Korey and Marissa were talking and flirting with each other, as were Ayden and Rebecca. Everyone looked happy, except for Simon, who was tugging at a loose thread on his jacket, and Kayla, who seemed to be scanning the crowd.
I looked them over, these amazing people who'd made the past year the most special of my life. I spent most of the last few weeks telling them how much they all meant to me, so much so that they were probably tired of hearing it. “You guys,” I said, and one by one, they turned to face me. I raised my cup. “Best friends ever.”
Not everyone had a cup, but those that did raised theirs and repeated my toast. The rest just smiled at me, except for Simon.
“What's wrong, dude?” Ayden asked.
“I have an announcement,” he said.
As much as Ayden had changed physically in the last nine months, Simon had changed even more. He was now in decent physical shape, thanks mostly to Michelle. His arms were now well-defined, he'd gotten his braces off, and he just recently traded in his nerdy black frames for some much more stylish glasses. He and Michelle had been on-again, off-again for pretty much the whole year. Most of the time I wasn't sure if they were good friends, or best friends, or head over heels in love, it changed so much. And as for Michelle, well, no one had the guts to tease her after she took Rhianna down, no doubt afraid of getting an ass-whooping of their own.
“What is it, Simon?” Ayden asked.
“I'm … I'm leaving. I'm moving away,” he said glumly.
A sad look crossed everyone's face. Michelle was the first to step forward, looping her arm around his.
“Where?” Marissa asked.
“North Carolina. My Dad's company is opening an office in Raleigh, and he's going to be running it.”
“When are you leaving?” Ayden asked.
He looked down at the ground. “In three weeks.”
Ayden stepped forward. “I'm … sorry to hear that, man.” The rest of us just nodded.
“Me too,” I said sadly.
Ayden grinned mischievously. “Can I have your Hellfire game?”
Simon looked up, and he, too, was grinning. “Not a chance.”
They both laughed, and before long, we all were.
Ayden held out his hand, which Simon shook. “I'm gonna miss ya, Simon.”
“Miss you too, Ayden.” He turned to face the rest of us. “I'm going to miss all of you. I never thought a …” he paused, his face reddening, “a guy like me could have such amazing friends. Thank you all so much.”
And then, without warning, Michelle grabbed Simon by the back of the head, pulling his lips onto hers. Surprised at first, he eventually eased into it, folding his arms around her and returning the kiss while the rest of us provided a chorus of “Woooooooh!” and a round of applause. Even some of the jocks on the other side of the room joined in.
Now, THAT'S how you graduate.
Finally, they broke the kiss. “I'll miss ya, ya nerd.” Michelle said.
“I'll miss you too, ya hippie.” Simon smiled broadly, and they kissed again.
“Congrats on making valedictorian,” I said to Kayla, who was still scanning the room. She looked gorgeous, as always. She'd let her short, dark hair grow out, and it now hung almost to her shoulders.
“Thanks,” she said, meeting my gaze and smiling.
“Yeah, it was such a huge surprise,” Marissa said, nudging Kayla with her shoulder.
“You going to Centralia next year?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, I'm going to the Barrington Academy.”
“Really?” Michelle asked, having finally released Simon. “Congratulations!” Barrington Academy was one of the most exclusive private high schools in the state. You either had to be super-rich or super-smart to get in. “I was hoping I could go there, but I was told there just weren't enough spots.”
“Sorry, Shell, really,” Kayla said.
“Guess you're stuck with us, then,” Marissa said, smiling.
Michelle strode forward, and she and Marissa hugged. “Wouldn't have it any other way.”
“Congrats, Wisconsin,” I said to Kayla.
“Thanks, Soph,” she said. “Don't be surprised if I come by every now and then, okay?”
I laughed. “Kayla, there is no possible way you could ever surprise me again.”
“Kayla!” a voice called out, and I turned to see Autumn, her ponytail flying behind her, running toward us.
“Hey, girlfriend!” Kayla said, catching Autumn in her arms and planting a huge kiss on her lips. And then … holding it. For a long time.
“Okay, I was wrong,” I said, smiling. Kayla and Autumn had become total BFFs since they hooked up in October, and I often wondered just how deep their friendship went, but this deep? I had to hand it to them: they'd hidden their feelings very, very well.
The rest of us stood there, utterly shocked, as Kayla and Autumn continued to kiss right in front of us. As usual, it was Michelle who spoke first: “Whoa. I did not see that coming.”
Finally, the two girls broke the kiss, grinning coyly at our stupefied faces.
“Kayla?” Marissa said, finally finding her voice. “You're gay?”
“No, actually, I'm bi,” she said, curling her arm around Autumn's waist.
“How long has this been going on?” I asked.
“Since Peter Pan,” Autumn piped up. She put her arm around Kayla's shoulder, and I saw a gleam in both their eyes.
Well, how do you like that?
* * *
Over the next hour, my friends filtered out of the cafeteria for what would be, presumably, the very last time. I found myself standing outside the building, staring up at the sky. It was warm, as was typical for Phoenix in early June, but thankfully, today was cooler than most. I was not going to ruin this dress with sweat stains.
I felt someone move up beside me and slip their hand into mine. I turned to see Ayden smiling at me. I thought about the boy he was back in September, a boy who tried so hard not to belong, who could barely bring himself to speak to anyone. Now he was taller, handsomer, and absolutely, utterly happy. “Great suit,” I said, smiling.
He smiled back. “Great dress.”
“So … I guess this is it.”
“Guess so.”
I exhaled. “It's not goodbye, you know. We're still neighbors, and we'll be at Centralia next year.”
“I know.”
“You gonna ask Rebecca to be your girlfriend or not? She's waiting, you know.”
He turned away, trying to hide his blushing face. “I am. Later today.”
“Really?”
“Yup.”
“Congrats.”
“Thanks.”
“But just to be clear,” I said coyly, “you're not official yet, right?”
“No,” he replied, puzzled. “Why do you ask?”
In one motion, I placed my arms around Ayden and stepped into him, kissing him full on the lips. I thought he might pull back, but he didn't. He put his hands on my waist and kissed me right back. It wasn't a kiss of passion, but of love. No awkwardness. No pretense. Just lo
ve.
As we parted, I saw a bewildered look on his face. “Why …?”
“A person's first kiss should be with someone special,” I said. “Someone they care about, and someone they know cares about them. Because you never forget your first kiss. Your first real kiss, I mean. And I wanted to remember this for the rest of my life.”
I stared into his eyes, mentally reliving every memory we'd shared this year: our conversations at the bus stop, our performances, being with him at the hospital. Finally, I folded my arms around him, embracing him one more time. “I love you, Ayden.”
“I love you too, Sophie,” he said, returning the hug.
“I guess I'll see you in three months,” I said, facing him again.
He grinned, pulling a piece of paper from his jacket pocket. “I may see you before then.”
“What do you mean?”
He handed me the paper, which I unfolded. After reading the contents, I glanced up at him again, my eyes widening in admiration. “You're going to do this?”
“I sure am. I was hoping you could do it with me.”
I looked at the paper again, and then back at him. “I'd like that.”
“Ahem!” came a voice from down the sidewalk. I looked to see Mom and Dad, pointing at the car. Next to them were Mrs. Saunders and his sister Kim, also waiting patiently.
“Let me know, okay?” he asked.
“I will, promise.”
He walked a few paces away, but my voice stopped him in his tracks. “Ayden?”
He faced me again. “Yes?”
I gave him the most radiant, happy smile I could. “It was a grand adventure, wasn't it?”
Taking my cue, he smiled and bowed to me. “The grandest of them all,” he said before turning and walking toward his family.
I remained silent as Ayden got into his mom's SUV, watching as they drove off. I then joined my parents, looking around at the buildings of James Madison one last time.
“Ready to go?” Dad asked.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Middle school is over. Time to begin the next chapter of my life.
* * *
Later that afternoon, I changed out of my pink dress and put on a white polo shirt and some beige shorts over a dark blue one-piece swimsuit. I'd be heading over to Marissa's house shortly, where a pool party was going to be thrown for her and some of our friends. But first, I had something I had to discuss with Mom and Dad. I grabbed the piece of paper Ayden gave me and walked downstairs.
I found my parents in the living room, relaxing on the sofa. Dad was cradling Mom in his arms, something I never got tired of seeing. They both looked up as I entered.
“Hey there, Miss Graduate!” Dad beamed. “Heading over to Marissa's house?”
“In a minute.” I sat down in the chair next to the sofa. “I need to talk to you guys about something.”
Mom straightened up, smiling at me. “What is it?”
I took a few deep breaths, gathering my thoughts. Tell them, Sophie. You've chosen your path, and this is the next step. “I've been thinking a lot about … stuff,” I said nervously.
“You're moving out? Great!” Dad said in feigned surprise. “I can finally have that man-cave I've always wanted! How big is your room, anyway?”
“Daaaaaaad!” He could be so impossible sometimes.
“Steve, come on,” Mom chided him. “What kind of stuff, sweetie?”
“You know … what I'm going to do with my life.”
“Oh,” Mom said, looking sidelong at Dad. “That stuff.”
I nodded. “You guys … you're so great at what you do. And I know Eve's going to be a great lawyer, and Kirsten will be great at whatever she does, and me …” I trailed off.
“What is it, Sophie?” Dad asked.
“I've been thinking about what I want to do. And I think I know now.”
Dad smiled. “Would this have anything to do with getting on a stage?”
I handed them the paper Ayden gave me. “Well, now that you mention it …”
Mom unfolded it, scanning the page. “The Valley Youth Theater?”
I nodded. “Auditions are starting in a couple of months for the fall season. Ayden wants to try out. So do I.”
Mom pursed her lips, nodding. “I have a colleague whose son was part of the VYT a few years ago. It's one of the best venues for young actors in Phoenix. But you know, Sophie, it's a lot of work.”
“I realize that, Mom, but it'll give me a chance to see if I'm any good. You know, for real. And I know it's tough, but that's why it's so good. So can I go?”
“You're going to have to be really, really good to get in, you know.”
“I know.”
“You think you're up to it?”
“Yes I do,” I said hesitantly. “But just to, you know, improve my chances, I was also hoping maybe … you could sign me up for … acting lessons?”
“Sophie, honey,” Dad said in his most paternal voice, “this is a big step. I know how tenacious you can be, but this … this is a very big commitment you're talking about. Are you sure you can handle it?”
I squared my jaw, giving them the most determined look I was capable of. “Mom … Dad … I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”
Mom glanced over at Dad, and after a brief unspoken conversation, they nodded. Smiling, they turned back to me.
“Then we're behind you one hundred percent,” Dad said.
And off I go.
Chapter 37
~ NINE YEARS LATER ~
SOPHIE
It's almost one o'clock. I turn the TV to the appropriate station, wondering where the hell Marissa is. I flop down on her sofa, putting my feet up on her coffee table.
As if on cue, there's a knock at the door. Springing to my feet, I walk over to it, calling, “Riss?”
From the other side, I hear, “Yeah, it's me! Open the door, will ya? My hands are full!”
I open the door, and Marissa rushes by me straight to the kitchen, where she deposits onto the counter three bags of groceries and another two bags of take-out from the Chinese place down the street. After doing so, she leans against the counter, gasping for breath, her hands instinctively cradling her enormously pregnant belly.
“You okay?” I ask, rushing to her side.
“Fine,” she says, waving me off. “Just need a breather. Don't worry, I'm not due to pop for another couple of months.”
I help her put away the groceries before rifling through the bag of take-out, grinning as I find the container of Kung Pao Chicken she got for me. “You know, you really should stay off your feet. I could've done your errands for you.”
She looks shocked. “And have you mobbed by your legions of adoring fans? By the time you got back, our lunch would've been cold.” She grabs her own lunch and a fork from the silverware drawer and waddles toward the sofa. “Has it started yet?”
“Any minute now.” I plop down beside her and replace my feet on her coffee table. “So, have you and Fred come up with a name yet?”
“Almost,” she says through a mouthful of Hunan Beef. “It'll either be Marco or Ricardo.”
I try to look perturbed. “Ricardo? Seriously?”
“That's Fred's choice. It's his grandfather's name.”
“Please, go with Marco. One Ricardo in the family is enough.”
“Oh, come on, he's not so bad anymore,” Marissa says, smiling. “Did you know he's captain of the J.V. swim team at Centralia?”
“Yeah, I think you mentioned that.” Seeing the program on TV start, I unmute it. “Here we go!”
“It's Daytime in Hollywood with Debbie Rankin!” the announcer says. “Today's guests include: star of The Institution, Sophie Devereaux, celebrity chef Mary Sue Culpepper, and musical guest Cold Snap. And now, here's your host, Debbie Rankin!”
Onto the stage strides Debbie, her short brown hair perfectly coiffed, her makeup perfect, and with the stage lights perfectly hitting her unnaturally white teet
h.
I mute the TV again. “The monologue will take a few minutes. You want something to drink?”
“Sure,” she says, taking another bite. “Tequila, please, tall glass, no ice.”
“Riss!”
“What?!” she retorts, mock-shocked. “I'm old enough!”
“You're seven freaking months pregnant, for God's sake!”
She winks, smiles, and breaks out laughing. “Just kidding, Soph. Jeez. You'd think after seventeen years, you'd know when I was kidding.”
I stand up, scowling at her. “If you weren't pregnant, and my best friend, I'd totally smack you.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Iced tea, please.”
“You got it.”
I return a minute later with a bottle of tea for Marissa and a Pellegrino for myself. “Here you go,” I say, handing it to her.
“Thanks.” She picks up the remote again. “I think this is you.”
“You may know our first celebrity guest from such hit films as Azimuth and The President's Daughter. Her latest film, The Institution, is about to debut to a nationwide audience. Please give a great Daytime in Hollywood welcome for Sophie Devereaux!”
I walk out on stage, looking awesome in my white dress, which the girls at the studio had so graciously let me borrow. My face is glowing, a testament to the abilities of the makeup ladies who kept me in that damned chair for ninety minutes. I smile and wave to the audience, blowing them kisses like a pageant winner, before taking my seat next to Debbie.
“You look awesome,” Marissa says dryly. “Wish I could still fit into outfits like that.”
“I'll take you shopping once you work off that baby fat,” I say, equally drolly. “We'll stick Fred with diaper duty and hit the town like we did in college.”
“It's a date.”
“Shush.”
“Welcome to the show, Sophie!”
“It's great to be here, Debbie, thanks for having me.”
“So, what's life like for you these days? It seems like your work schedule is just non-stop!”
“Oh, it is. But I'm having the time of my life.”
“Well, you look amazing.” She beams at the audience. “Doesn't she look amazing?” Another round of applause, and I turn to the camera, drinking it all in.
Sophie's Different (James Madison Series Book 3) Page 29
