by RH Tucker
“I mean, if you don’t remember, I can say it.” I smile.
“God no. That’s even worse.” Folding her arms, I wait, staring at her as our principal continues on in front of us. “I said, ‘We’re the coolest sixth graders ever.’”
“And then,” I respond, holding up my pinky. “We pinky promised that we’d graduate high school together.”
I keep my hand out in front even though she stares at me with apprehension. I know she remembers our promise and I know she knows I’m not repeating exactly what we said. That we’d graduate high school together, as best friends. Obviously, the best friends part got screwed up along the way, but we’re still graduating together.
She looks down at her lap. “I can’t believe you still remember that.”
I want to tell her I remember all of it. All of the times we spent together growing up, the sleepovers, the summer trips her aunt and her would take with our family. I want to tell her that I couldn’t forget things we went through together, even if I wanted to. Like when I broke my leg playing football with her, my brother, and his friends. We were in fifth grade and I couldn’t keep myself from crying, my leg hurt so bad. But Jen stayed with me the entire time, even coming with my parents as they drove me to the hospital, something for which she got in trouble for later, because she never told her aunt she was leaving.
Or a year later, during our last sleepover, when we snuck outside my house and spied on my brother and his girlfriend at the time. Our backyard has a huge barbecue and fire pit area and they were hanging out around it and then, to both of our surprises, they started kissing. Jen giggled, and I tried to cover her mouth, but it was no use. Rich turned around and screamed at us, chasing us away, back into the house. We were in hysterics, laughing about it in my room, when we both looked at each other.
“I’ve never kissed anyone,” she whispered to me as we sat on the floor, next to my bed.
“Me either.” I shrugged.
“Do you think …” She trailed off, and I can still remember how red her cheeks got.
“What?” I asked, still oblivious to what she was talking about. I wasn’t oblivious to her and how I felt about her by that point.
“Do you think we should try it? You know, kiss?” She stared at me, nervously awaiting my answer before hastily adding, “We’re in middle school. I think we should probably have kissed someone.”
“Right.” I nodded but felt a bowling ball size of nerves in my stomach. “Um, yeah. If you want to.”
It was awkward. She leaned closer, so I did, too. She closed her eyes, pouting her lips out, so I followed suit, and then we kissed. We’d just watched my high school brother putting the moves on his girlfriend but looking back on it, it was obvious neither of us knew anything. We stayed there, longer than necessary, and then we both opened our eyes, our lips still together.
“Hmm.” Jen pulled away, smirking at me.
“Yeah.”
I’d like to say it was amazing or that there were fireworks, but we were sixth graders. I don’t think either of us knew what kisses could mean to someone back then. Even so, as she leaned away, still blushing, and the silence surrounded us, I remember thinking to myself, That wasn’t bad. I’d like to try it again. But I didn’t. Instead, I pulled the best Casanova move my sixth grader brain could think of and reached over, grabbed a Nintendo controller, and handed it to her.
“Wanna play Mario Kart?”
She smiled, nodded, and took the controller as I turned on the game.
That was the last sleepover we had. Not because we kissed, but because my brother told my parents that we were spying on him, leaving out the tidbit about him making out with his girlfriend. They were ‘just talking’, he told them, but I think they saw through that. And since Jen and I were in sixth grade, my mom thought it best that maybe her son and his best friend, who was a girl, probably shouldn’t be spending the nights together anymore, since we were getting older.
I’d like to tell her I remember everything when it comes to her, but I don’t. She’d either freak out or get pissed off and I’m not trying to have either of those things happen as we’re about to graduate. So, while she looks back over at me, I simply smile and reach over, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. I’m pleasantly surprised that she doesn’t immediately recoil from my touch, and that keeps my smile firmly in place for the rest of the ceremony.
Chapter 6
Jen
“Robert Garcia,” the principal calls out over the microphone. I hear the roar of a certain section and know Robbie’s family is screaming like crazy for him.
“Kelly Gustoff.”
I’m on edge. Not because my name is about to come up, but because Lucas is standing right behind me. He hasn’t said another word to me since telling me why he switched seats. Honestly, I was touched. I couldn’t believe he remembered that pinky promise we made all those years ago. It feels like a lifetime ago, so much has changed between us.
Not really.
I shake my head, fighting the thought. It’s a thought that doesn’t come often, only when I’m trying to convince myself why we’re no longer friends. Why we haven’t been friends, much less best friends, since that fateful day in middle school. Why I hate him.
No, you don’t.
I let out an annoyed grunt, blowing a piece of my hair out of my face. Okay, so maybe I don’t hate him, but I’ve wanted to. I really did hate him after he kissed Rebecca Thomas … with a passion. He was my best friend. We’d been through so much, and I confided in him about almost everything in my life. I know that’s why I’ve held this grudge against him for so long. He was supposed to be different. He wasn’t supposed to be like her.
I had a crush on him from the day I first saw him. We’d just moved into our house, my aunt and I, when I saw him outside. He was playing basketball with his brother, and his dirty blond hair was sweaty and flopping around in his face. He stood at the end of the driveway, shot the ball over Rich’s head, and made it. My eyes popped open, thinking how good he was at basketball. Then he turned around and saw me. He smiled and waved at me, and I was a goner.
From that day forward, until eighth grade, we’d done so much together. The night we both had our first kiss, my heart was beating so fast and hard, I thought for sure he could hear it.
Every Valentine’s Day he’d make me a little card and he always wrote ‘Love, Lucas’ in it. I know it’s just a thing kids do, but it meant everything to me. By the time fifth grade rolled around I was crushing on him hard. He never seemed to pay attention to other girls, and I know I only had my tween eyes set on him. A few months before our last sleepover, he’d given me another Valentine’s Day card, again writing ‘Love, Lucas’ in it. There’s no reason why that particular card should’ve meant more to me than the others, but it did. Maybe it was because we were getting older. Maybe it was because I was becoming more aware of just how much I liked him. But I prayed all night after getting that card that he’d kiss me the next day at school.
Of course, it didn’t happen. But we did have our first kiss, during our last sleepover, over spring break. I’d wanted to kiss him for so long, and after we’d caught his brother making out, I was determined to kiss him that night. Granted, I had no idea how to kiss a boy, but I’d seen it in movies. I even imagined Sebastian, from The Little Mermaid, singing “Kiss The Girl,” pretending he was singing to Lucas about me.
And then it happened. And I loved it. He’d had some Kool-Aid a little earlier and I could still taste it on his lips. I didn’t know what to say or how to act. I mean, I’d brought up the idea of kissing in the first place. He smiled at me and I was hoping he’d say he wanted to try it again, but he didn’t. He didn’t look grossed out though, so I took it as a win. Plus, he knew I loved Mario Kart, which he asked me to play afterward, so I figured he must’ve liked it, too.
“Jen.” Hearing a whisper behind me, I turn around and see his dark green eyes staring at me, and for a moment I’m transported right back to that night. Then I remem
ber what he did.
“What?” I growl at him.
He chuckles and points at the stage. “They just called your name.”
“Oh, shit!” I gasp and hurry up the stairs, as I hear him laugh.
I get to the stage and scan the crowd, searching for the area I saw my aunt sitting while I was down on the field. Our eyes finally meet, and I look back at the vice principal as he shakes my hand.
“Lucas Mitchell,” the principal says next, and I hear the eruption of his family.
Lucas has a huge extended family, and even though it’s just me and my aunt, they always included us in things like barbecues, outings, or their family summer camping trips. Of course, they’re sitting next to my aunt, who cheers wildly for Lucas as well. She knows we don’t hang out like we used to, but I never told her what happened.
I step off the stage and start to head back to my seat as we’ve been instructed. Suddenly, I feel a tug at my arm and turn around, right into a massive hug from Lucas.
“Luc, what are you doing?”
“I don’t care,” he says with a laugh.
He wraps his arms around me tighter and I stop squirming. I put my arms around his neck and a familiar scent hits me. I told him one time that I liked the body spray his brother wore, which smells of a crisp ocean breeze. I’m not sure if Lucas got jealous or was just trying to impress me, but he’d always worn it from that day forward. I grin at the happy memory.
His grip on me loosens but he keeps his arms on my hips.
“Sorry.” He looks away for a moment, before returning my gaze. “I know you hate me and everything, but we did it Jen.” He smiles. “We graduated. Together.”
“Yeah.” I smile back and suddenly realize my arms are still draped over his shoulders.
I pull them off quickly, making him laugh. “It’s okay, J-Girl. You can tell everyone I forced you to give me a hug.”
The use of the nickname he gave me when we were little makes me smile. We were playing outside, and he was a superhero, Power Boy. When I told him I wanted to play, too, he said I could be his sidekick, J-Girl.
“Okay, everyone, we’re almost done,” our principal says, trying to call all the seniors, half of which still haven’t returned to their seats.
“We better sit down,” I tell him, because I can’t really think of anything else to say.
“Yeah.”
“We did it!” Carter runs over to us and jumps on Lucas’ back.
“Yeah, man!” Lucas gives him a high five and I smile.
I wish all these years that passed could’ve been different between us. But at least we have this, today, us and our friends celebrating together.
I start to head back to my seat when Matt comes up to Carter and Lucas and they all laugh. Turning around I catch Lucas’ sight, as he watches me walk away, offering me another smile. I really want to hate him, but I can’t. So, I smile back.
Chapter 7
Lucas
Jackson’s party isn’t just a graduation party—it’s an event. The only thing signifying that the party is indeed a graduation party is the banner hanging over his front door that reads ‘Congrats Grads’. Everything else about it screams house party. And not just any house party, but probably the biggest house party I’ve ever been to, and that’s saying something, since Jeremy used to throw some ragers.
“Dude, dude,” Jackson says, swatting my arm as he hangs over a girl’s shoulder, raising up a red Solo cup. “Is this party awesome or what?!” His words are loud and slurry.
“Yeah,” I chuckle.
I have no idea if his parents are even in the house, but most of the people here are college students, since his older brother just graduated, too. I told Matt and Carter about it and they both showed up, Matt bringing his girlfriend and her friends. Carter’s without Emma, since I guess she’s out of town with her family. I don’t know if it’s because of them, but Jen’s at the party, too. I haven’t seen her since she showed up though.
Jackson’s house is pretty nice with a huge backyard, complete with a swimming pool and hot-tub, both of which are full of people.
“Hey, I’m gonna head inside and grab another drink.”
“Cool.” He smiles as the girl under his arm whispers something to him.
I’ll give Jackson credit, because for as shy or introverted as he comes across sometimes, he’s never had a problem getting a girl. I don’t think he’s actually kept a girl, but they seem to like him fine in the beginning.
I pass by Carter and Matt, who stand near a long table on the patio, playing beer pong, and give them a head nod.
Sliding a glass door open, I head inside, and the temperature immediately jumps at least ten degrees with how many people are in the house. People are yelling, trying to talk to one another over the loud music, while others dance.
When I get to the kitchen, it’s blocked by three massive guys. They don’t look like high school students, so I chalk it up to maybe being friends of Jackson’s brother. I hear a girl in front of them, singing along to the song playing, but she’s obviously wasted because she’s slurring the lyrics.
“Hey, can I slip by?” I tap one of the big guys on the shoulder.
He gives me an annoyed look but moves a step, and that’s when I see her.
The drunk girl—swaying back and forth, playfully brushing her fingers over a guy’s chest, while her free hand sloshes around a drink—is Jen.
“Jen?” I say her name, but she doesn’t notice me.
Carter and Matt are drinking themselves, which means Jen’s practically on her own and asking for trouble the way she’s flirting with the guys around her, all of which are all drinking, too.
My immediate response is to grab her by the wrist and pull her aside, but I know I need a plan. If I take her outside, she’ll just yell at me, storm off, and probably come back inside to drink more. The guys she’s dancing around don’t seem too wasted, but she’s obviously been coming on to them, albeit drunkenly, so they might have a problem with me busting up their good time. I look around and see Rich on the other side of the room, surrounded by some of his friends and a few girls.
Rich was my ride to the party, so maybe he’ll let me use his truck and get Jen out of here before she does something she’ll regret.
Walking over to Rich and his friends, I yell over the music, “Rich, I need to borrow your truck.”
“What’s up?” He looks over at me and I nod my head to the kitchen, where Jen’s now dancing on top of the counter, her arms flailing in the air. “Damn, she’s toasted.”
“Yeah.”
“You can’t take her home like that, Nancy will freak.”
“I know.” I glance back, and Jen’s now sitting on the counter, flirting with three guys around her, giggling. “I’m just gonna take her to our place. Let her sleep it off.”
“All right,” he says, digging in his pocket for his keys.
“Thanks. I’ll come back for you.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll get someone to give me a ride.”
“Thanks, bro.” I give him another nod, before making my way over to Jen, this time pushing my way past the three guys. “All right Jen, time to say bye-bye.”
“What? Nooo.” She sticks out her bottom lip, folding her arms. That’s how I know she’s drunk, because if she wasn’t she’d probably be yelling at me just because it’s me.
“Yes.” I pull her off the counter and sling her arm around my shoulders. “It’s past your bed time.”
“I don’t have a bed time,” she slurs while frowning at me.
“Yo, man.” One of the three guys stands a little taller, staring me down. “She’s a big girl. And it sounded like she said she wants to stay.”
“No,” I bite back, “it sounded like she’s drunk off her ass. Get out of my way.”
“Or what, pretty boy?”
I’m six-one but the three guys easily tower over me and outweigh me. I’m pretty sure I’m about to get my ass kicked, but I keep my
game-face on and stare at the guy challenging me. Suddenly, Rich shouts behind them. As soon as I hear his voice, it sounds like everyone stops talking and the music stops playing.
“Is there a problem here?”
All three guys turn around and I see Rich and four of his friends. Two of them I know, Dexter and Jimmy. They play for the Bruins. Linebackers. The other two I don’t know, but they’re just as big. And of course, Rich, who’s always been my big brother, in more ways than one, towering over everyone at six-nine.
The guy mean-mugging me turns back and I crack a smirk. “Yeah, is there a problem here?”
He glares at me but shakes his head. “Nah, man. No problem.”
I pull Jen alongside me as we make our way out to Rich’s truck. I’m thankful Rich walks with us and helps me buckle her in, because the three guys keep shooting death glares at me.
“Thanks, bro.”
“It’s all good,” he says, giving me a shoulder hug. “She can sleep in my room.”
“All right.”
I get in the truck and start to pull away from the house as Jen fumbles with the radio. Suddenly, she stops and turns to stare at me. “Lucas?”
“Yeah?” I glance over at her before looking back at the road.
“I don’t feel so—” Before she can finish the sentence, she drops her head between her knees and hurls.
“Shit, Rich is gonna love that.” I instinctively reach over and start rubbing her back as she dry heaves again. “Here,” I hit a button and roll down her window, “lean out the window.”
She follows my instructions, and I hear a groan come from her—one-part sickness and one-part relief.
When we get back home, I take her to the guest bathroom that’s downstairs next to my room. The other bedrooms are upstairs, my parents’ included. I can tell she’s sleepy, her eyelids heavy, and she tries telling me she can clean herself, but haphazardly swats her face as she wipes her lips with the back of her hand.
“Come here.” Pulling her closer, I grab the hand towel next to the sink, wet it, and wipe her face down. “Better?” I ask as I dab it across her forehead and she gives me a sleepy-eyed nod.
