by Seven Steps
My heart was pounding.
My breathing erratic.
Their fight. Joe’s actions. It was all starting to make sense.
Joe had feelings for me. Real feelings.
Joy burst open within, filling me from my head to my toes.
Then came the rage.
I put my pillow aside and leaned forward, fighting the urge to charge at Quincey full force.
“How could you?” I demanded.
“I was just trying to help.”
“But it wasn’t your place to interfere in my life. You’re not my dad.”
“Well, your dad isn’t here, and I was the closest thing you had. I was trying to protect you.”
“No, you were trying to control me. If you wanted to help me so bad you should have talked to me. You should have asked what I wanted to do. Not just sit up in your ivory tower with my mom and judge me for things you don’t understand. I am sixteen, not six. You have no right to say who I can and cannot date or to decide what I should and should not do, especially with what happened between you and Purity. Stop trying to protect me and start telling me the truth. That’s how you can help me. Tell me the truth. Communicate.”
Quincey’s face paled, and he pushed up his glasses.
“You’re right.”
I was ready to continue my tirade, then I paused.
“What?”
He shook his head. “You’re right. I should have talked to you before making those decisions. It wasn’t cool. I guess I just…” He sighed. “I guess I figured that if I kept the heat on you, then no one would figure out what was going on with me and P.”
“Quincey, I’m not a human shield. I’m your cousin!”
“I know. And I’m sorry, all right? I’m sorry. I just came here to speak my piece and try to make things right with you. If you hate me after that, that’s fine.” He stood. “Look, Joe’s leaving tonight. He’s going back to Texas, and I think you should go stop him.”
My eyes opened wide. “What did you say?”
“He’s leaving. And I think you should stop him from doing that.” He held out his arms wide. “Look. I’m an idiot. I should have let you and Joe be together. I can’t change the past, but maybe, if we hurry, we can change the future.”
My head felt like it was full of fog.
Joe was leaving? He was going back to Texas? He couldn’t go back to Texas.
I loved him.
I could admit that now.
I loved Joe, and he couldn’t leave without knowing that.
“What time is the flight?”
“I don’t know. But if we hurry, we might be able to find out.”
I shot out the bed and pulled on my sneakers. Then, I stopped and gave Quincey a hug for the first time in what felt like forever.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Thank you,” I whispered. Then, I kicked him hard between the legs. “And that’s for being a jerk to me for the last two months!”
He groaned and fell to the floor.
“I deserved that,” he croaked. “Yup. I did.”
I pulled on my jacket and ran out the room.
“Mom!”
I found her in the living room, watching a program about lions on the television. It was plugged in again. That was a good sign.
“Yes, baby.”
I sat next to her on the couch and took her hand in mine. “Remember how we talked about honesty?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Um-hm.”
“Well, I want to be honest with you.” I cleared my throat, trying not to wither beneath her gaze. “I’m in love with Joe.”
Her mouth formed an O. “Josiah?”
“Yes. And he’s going back to Texas right now, and I want to tell him not to. But I don’t want to do that without your blessing.”
I could see her suck in a breath and hold it, considering what to do.
“Well, this is all a surprise,” she said. “I thought you two were just friends.”
“We were. But things changed between us.”
Her mouth opened, closed, and opened again.
“I don’t know. Are you sure you love him?”
“Yes. With all my heart.”
“So, you’re saying you want to date him?”
“Yes. And I don’t want to do that without you saying it’s okay.”
She took in a big huff of air, looking more confused than I’d ever seen her.
“Well, Joe is a nice boy. Respectful, thoughtful, and kind. And his manners are excellent. And I know his family.” She paused, looking around the room as if searching for answers. “I suppose we could set up some ground rules.”
Hope blossomed in me. “Like what?”
“Well, like no being in bedrooms and no closed doors. If you’re going to go somewhere, I need to know when you’re going and when you’ll be back.”
“Yes. Done.”
“And he has to come over for dinner a few times a week. I don’t want him to be a stranger.”
“Every night.”
“And no hanky-panky. I’m too young to be a grandmother.”
I cringed but nodded.
“Definitely. Yes. Agreed.”
“Well, if those rules are abided by, and you don’t have any slip-ups, I supposed I could let you see him.”
I screamed and threw my arms around her shoulders. Once Mom got over her shock, she hugged me back.
This communication stuff was great. Why didn’t we do this before?
“Okay. Great. I have to go.”
“Go? Go where?”
“Joe’s leaving,” I said. “He’s going back to Texas. I have to stop him from getting on that plane.”
“How are you going to do that?”
I bit my lower lip. “By going to the airport.”
“Airport? What time is his flight?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know what airport he’s flying out of. I just know I can’t let him get away.”
“Flight 247,” Quincey said, limping out of my room. “Leaving out of LaGuardia. We have an hour. I just got off the phone with his uncle Bart.”
“An hour?” Mom asked. “We’ll never make it to the airport and into the terminal in an hour.”
Quincey managed a smile. “That’s why I’m going to drive.”
49
I always thought that those scenes of people running through the airport to profess their love were totally fabricated. Turns out, I was right.
Quincey got us to the Jet Blue Terminal in forty minutes. The second he pulled up to the curb, I raced out of the car and through the sliding doors.
Joe’s flight was fully booked, so I had to purchase a one-way ticket to Florida, and a speed pass to get through security without waiting in the lines. But that would only get me so far. I’d have to find the terminal and I’d have to find Joe.
That was going to be the hard part.
I hurriedly checked in at one of the kiosks by the baggage area, then ran down the crowded hall to the security lines. Fortunately for me, night flights out of LaGuardia were way less crowded than day flights. I practically sprinted through the speed pass line, checked my driver’s license with the lady behind the standing desk, and ran to a nearby wall to figure out which gate I had to go to.
Gate B7. Next to it was the word Boarding.
Crap. Where was B7? How long did I have?
I spun around in crazed circles, searching desperately for the way to go.
Finally, I spotted it. Gates B1-B10.
I ran down the hallway, dodging rolling luggage, children, people in wheel chairs, and teens with earbuds and backpacks.
The gates seemed to pass slowly.
B1.
B2.
B3.
By the time I reached B7 I was out of breath and feeling ready to vomit. But I couldn’t stop now. I had to find Joe.
I searched the seats around the gate. They were empty.
No. It couldn’t be too late.
The last few passengers were standing in a line, boarding passes ready.
I ran to the front of them, waving at the flight attendant behind the counter.
“Excuse me. I’m so sorry. There’s someone on that plane that I have to see.”
She frowned at me.
“Miss, do you have a boarding pass?”
“Not for this flight, no.”
“Then I cannot let you on this plane.”
I put my hands together, pleading with the short blond woman.
“Please. The boy I love is on that plane, and I have to tell him how I feel before he leaves.”
She put her hands up. “I understand, but our policy is that we cannot allow anyone on the flight without a boarding pass. I’m sorry. Rules are rules.”
I took a step back, defeated.
It couldn’t end this way.
I couldn’t let it end this way.
“Joe!” I called into the small walkway that led from the gate to the plane.
The woman looked like I’d just smacked her.
“Ma’am. I’m going to have to ask you to leave this area immediately.”
“Joe!” I called again, standing on my tiptoes and screaming as loud as I could.
“Ma’am, I’m going to call security if you don’t back away.”
I took a step back.
What could I do? He was already on the plane, and I was all the way out here.
He’d never hear me. Not in a million years.
What else could I do?
I pulled out my phone and sent him a quick text.
Sophia: I’m outside the plane. Please don’t go.
Then I stared at the screen, waiting.
Please answer. Please, please answer.
But the screen didn’t change.
And the last passenger boarded the plane.
A tear escaped my eye.
It couldn’t be over.
It couldn’t end like this.
“Ma’am, this is your last warning,” the flight attendant said. “Please move to your gate. Boarding is over.”
My chest shook.
My heart was racing.
Was this really it?
Was this really how it ended?
Defeated, and utterly hopeless, I walked to the empty seating area and dropped into a seat.
This couldn’t be happening.
Joe was going to Texas. Who knew when I would ever see him again?
It was last summer all over again, only this time it was me who was left at the party.
I dropped my hands, struggling to stop the tears that insisted on falling.
“Hey, Jelly Roll.”
My head shot up.
I looked to my right.
Joe was standing there, his camo hat in his hand, looking at me with an odd mixture of confusion and another emotion I couldn’t identify.
I blinked hard, assuring myself that he wasn’t a mirage.
“You heard me?” I asked.
“No. There was some old lady on the plane that said there was some girl that was screaming for a Joe. I figured I’d better come out here and see what all the noise was about.”
Relief flooded me. I wanted to run into his arms. To never let him go. But I had to say what was in my heart before I lost my nerve.
“Why are you here?” he asked. “Just to see me off?”
“No. Not see you off.” I stood, approaching him slowly. “I came to ask you…” I took a deep breath and let it out again. “I came to ask you not to go. Please.”
He shook his head. “Well, it’s hard for me to stay. Quincey hates me. You hate me.”
“No, Joe. No, I don’t hate you.”
I stepped closer to him until we were only a foot apart.
“I love you, Joe. I think I’ve loved you since junior prom last year.”
I took his hand, gazing deep into his eyes.
“Please don’t leave.”
He bit the inside of his cheek.
His body was still for a moment. Then, he laced his hands with mine and pulled me closer.
“I have a confession to make,” he said. He placed my hands behind his back, then wrapped his arms around me. “I love you too, from horn to heel. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.”
I smiled bright and wide.
“Kiss me, Joe.”
He smiled too. It was so beautiful.
“Gladly.”
And then our lips touched, and I felt whole again.
Our kiss was deep and rich. A promise that would never be broken.
Joe loved me, and I loved him.
For me, nothing else mattered.
When we finally came up for air, our breathing was ragged, and our hearts were racing. He looked into my eyes and ran a finger down my cheek. Then, he took off his hat and put it on my head.
It was still warm.
I pressed it low on my head, smiling up at him.
“It looks better on you than it did on me,” he said.
I laughed. “I guess I’ll have to get you a new hat.”
“Yeah. I think so. Maybe a cowboy hat. I left mine back in Texas.”
We both laughed, and he hugged me tight.
It was so nice to be standing next to him again. To feel his touch. I didn’t think I’d be able to keep myself from touching him for the rest of the night.
After Joe retrieved his bags from the overhead bin, we walked out of the airport hand in hand.
It took some time, but I finally found my mom’s car.
Quincey and her were standing outside. And they weren’t alone.
Purity was standing with them.
When she saw me come out of the terminal with Joe, her eyes widened, and she twiddled her fingers together.
Purity was my friend. She’d been my best friend before all of this mess started. And now that it was over, it wasn’t right to stay mad at her, just like it wasn’t right to stay mad at Quincey.
I stepped away from Joe and approached her.
“Sophia, I’m so sorry for lying,” she said.
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”
“But I should have told you about Quincey.”
“And I should have told you about Joe. We’ve all made our mistakes. But it’s okay now.” I opened my arms to her. “Forgive and forget?”
She smiled and fell into my hold. “Forgive and forget.”
We squeezed each other tight, fusing our broken friendship back together.
“No more secrets,” she said.
“No more secrets,” I agreed. “And if you want to be with Quincey, that’s fine by me. But, just give it a few years, okay?”
She nodded. “Yes. Five-hundred-and-forty-seven days to go.”
I laughed. “You’re counting?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
We hugged each other tighter and pulled apart.
Behind us, Joe and Quincey were hugging too. It felt good to have everyone back together again.
“Well,” Mom said. “Now that everyone is friends again—”
“Girlfriend,” Joe said.
Mom frowned at him.
I looked up at him.
“Girlfriend?” I asked.
“Yes. I want you to be my girlfriend. If you want to.”
My heart was so filled with joy I thought it would combust.
“Yes. I want to.”
We shared a brief kiss that left me wanting so much more.
I was Joe’s girlfriend now.
And he was my boyfriend.
I wanted to shout it to the world.
Mom cleared her throat. “House rules. No closed doors, no bedrooms, and no grandbabies. Am I clear?”
“Yes,” Joe said.
“Crystal,” I said.
“And you two”—she looked at Quincey and Purity—“will only be friends until she turns eighteen. Clear?”
&nbs
p; “Yes, Aunt Pam.”
“Good. Now let’s go back home. I’m missing my animal show.”
Purity led the way, while the rest of us piled into Quincey’s car and returned home.
I squeezed Joe’s hand the entire time.
“You think Mrs. Simpson will let me back in the play?” he asked. “I’ve been gone for a week.”
“Well, I guess we’ll find out tomorrow, won’t we, Lysander?”
He smiled. “Yes, Hermia. Tomorrow.”
50
Opening night had finally arrived, and I was a nervous wreck.
I peeked between the curtains, looking out over the packed auditorium.
My heart was racing. There were so many people out there. Including my mom, Quincey and all my friends. My gut was so tight I thought I was going to throw up.
“People, people,” Mrs. Simpson said, clapping her hands. “A word.”
We all gathered around her.
“Well, we’re here. And I can honestly say this has been a rocky road.” She looked at me and Joe, but we just smiled back. When Joe came back to the play, Mrs. Simpson couldn’t say yes fast enough. She said no one had the chemistry Joe and I did. And she was right. Peter Swift, Joe’s understudy, was nice enough, but he was definitely not Joe. Plus, Peter’s girlfriend, Wendy, kept giving me the stink eye.
“But we made it,” she said. “And I have watched you all grow from trembling little caterpillars to full-fledged butterflies.” She put her hand over her heart. “It’s been my joy and pleasure to take this journey with you, and I know you all will do great. So, break a leg out there, and I will see you for the final curtain call.”
We all hooted and cheered, ready to show the world what we’d been practicing for the last two months.
“Hey.”
I turned around to see Charlotte Coppola looking at me. What did she want?
“Hey,” I replied.
“Break a leg out there,” she said.
“You too.”
Her gaze raked over me, then she turned away.
I liked to think that was our moment of mutual respect. But who knows with Charlotte/Char-latte.
Joe squeezed my hand and I turned to him.
He looked nervous. More nervous than I’d ever seen him.
