Chapter 146
Even though I knew I was running late to find Bruce, I called the Mermaid Café as I dashed across the park. I needed to multitask here—if I waited too long, the restaurant would be closed. And I wanted to be able to tell Bryony the truth about actually applying.
I didn’t think that hearing the happy yells of the seniors behind me, or the music playing over the park’s speakers, was really helping me put forward the best impression.
But I made my pitch to the manager I’d been able to get on the phone anyway.
I told him I’d email my application as soon as possible—but that I really wanted the job.
I told him all about my knowledge of facts, which usually didn’t have any practical application—but it really would if the Mermaid wanted to start a quiz night.
The manager seemed intrigued by that, which gave me the confidence to add that if I got the job, I would really love to have the same shifts as Bryony Tsai.
He had sounded a little harried—it was a Friday night, after all—but promised that he’d do what he could.
I hung up, feeling like it was one more thing I could cross off my list as I dashed toward the Hollywood Lounge.
In my perfect version of this—the one that I’d written out in my plans—I would have already been sitting down, cool and composed, when Bruce showed up. Instead, by the time I reached the dining area, I was sweaty and out of breath, and I could see Bruce starting to walk away.
“Bruce!” I yelled as loud as I could. He stopped, and everyone else who was passing also looked over at me. “Uh—sorry,” I said as I hurried over to him.
Bruce was staring at me like he’d just seen a ghost. “Cass?” he asked faintly.
“Hi. I thought it was you.” He was wearing his SNAP CRACKLE POP CULTURE T-shirt, and I smiled.
“You recognized me from the back?” he asked, turning to look where I’d come from. “In the dark? From…far away?”
“Sure did.” I took a deep, shaky breath.
This conversation was the hardest one—there was a reason I’d left it for last. What I’d done to Bruce had been the most personal, and the most hurtful, and it was the one I was most ashamed of.
I knew that we’d probably never be friends again.
Those were the consequences of my actions, and I’d have to live with them.
Right now, though, I needed to do what I could to give us both some closure.
I twisted my hands together and jumped in.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” I could see the skeptical expression starting to form on Bruce’s face, so I took a breath and kept going. “I’m sorry for all of it. For standing you up on prom night. For not telling you I was moving. For ignoring your letter and not ever being in touch afterward…”
Saying it all out loud really brought it home—just how much I’d messed things up. I swallowed hard. “I know it’s not an excuse. But I liked you so much, and I was afraid if we started something…and then I left…” I shook my head.
The things that had made so much sense to me no longer did.
Looking back, it seemed like a stranger had made those choices.
A stranger who hadn’t been courageous enough to be honest with anyone—least of all herself.
“I wasn’t brave enough to tell you what I was really feeling.
And I derailed any chance of something happening with us.
But more than that—I lost a really good friend. And I just hope you can forgive me.”
Bruce looked at me for a long moment, then walked over to an empty table and sat down, like he needed to be sitting to process this. “Wow,” he finally said.
“I know. Sorry to throw all that on you at Grad Nite. Why are you even here, by the way?” I asked, hoping I was pulling this question off. Me not asking this had seemed to bump Bruce every time, so I wanted to make sure to address it. “It’s a long way from Seattle.”
“We won an academic award.” He still looked like he was struggling to find his bearings.
“Oh wow,” I said, trying to look like this was brand-new information. “That’s cool. Congratulations.”
“I—don’t know what to say,” he finally said, glancing over at me. “I mean—it’s not every day someone from your past shows up and says just what you’ve been wanting to hear.”
I shrugged. “Maybe anything is possible on Grad Nite.”
“We are at the most magical place on earth, right?” he asked, then frowned. “Why doesn’t that sound right?”
“Happiest,” I amended. “Happiest place on earth.”
“Right.” He glanced over at me. “Thank you for saying all that, Cass. I think the hardest thing was I didn’t understand what had happened. What I’d done…”
“Nothing,” I said firmly. “It was all me. All my fault.”
“Well, that was the conclusion I eventually came to,” he said, and I laughed.
A comfortable silence fell between us. I took out my notebook and ripped out the letter I’d written while waiting in line. It was essentially everything I’d just told him—owning up to my actions, and apologizing. “This is for you. I’m sorry it took me so long to write you back.”
Bruce looked down at the paper, then folded it up and tucked it into his pocket. “Thanks, Cass.”
“Thank you for hearing me out. I know you didn’t have to.” I stood up and looked at my watch. “Uh, but if you wanted to go by Radiator Springs Racers, I’ve heard there’s no line at ten twenty.”
Bruce pulled out his phone and frowned at it. “But that’s in fifteen minutes.”
“I know,” I said, already starting to head in that direction. “I was supposed to have been here earlier, but then Doug was in my Ferris wheel car, and he slowed everything down.”
“I…” Bruce started, then shook his head. “Wait, what?”
I waved this away. “It’s nothing. But maybe I’ll see you there?
Or not!” I didn’t want it to seem like I really needed him to show up—the last thing I wanted was for him to suspect that I had any ulterior motive.
“Bye!” I yelled as I hurried away. Bruce still looked like he wasn’t sure which way was up, but I really hoped that he’d show.
I got to Cars Land with time to spare and slowed down a little as I walked through the Route 66 replica town.
The DJ was still spinning, and I saw Sheridan in the crowd, dancing with his arms in the air.
I caught his eye and he waved, and I waved back.
While most of my friends and I had been going through emotional upheaval, Sheridan just seemed like he had an amazing night every time, and I was happy to see it.
I felt myself smiling as I looked around at the neon lights, shining brightly as ever in the dark of the California night. I took it all in—the joy that surrounded me, the music, my fellow seniors, all of us on the cusp of our next big adventure. The magic that seemed built right into this place.
I could have been stuck in a time loop anywhere. It could have been a random Wednesday in March. But I’d landed here—and now, as I looked around, really seeing it for maybe the first time, I was nothing but grateful.
Bryony was waiting for me by the line for Radiator Springs, and I smiled when I saw her. To my relief, she smiled back, even if it was a little tentative. Not that I blamed her—I’d dropped a lot of information on her, and then had literally run away.
“Hey,” I said as I reached her.
“Hey.” She gestured to the line. “There’s, like, nobody here.”
“I know! That’s why I said to come now. It’s the best time for it.”
Bryony shook her head. “I’m still wrapping my brain around this, you know.”
“That’s understandable. It took me a while, too.”
“It’s so weird.”
“I know.” I shrugged. “But like they say on Cereal, the second bowl is easier.”
Bryony laughed, her eyes lighting up. “I love that you listened to it.”
“I listened to all of it. It…took a while.”
“I can’t believe you did that.”
“Well, it was important to you.”
Something softened in her expression, and she gave me a smile. “Is this, like, the hundredth time we’ve had this conversation?”
“I’ve never told you before.”
Bryony stared at me. “Really? Why now?”
I took in a breath and then let it out. I didn’t want to jinx anything—I didn’t even want to speak it out loud. But I was also done keeping things from my best friend. “I’m thinking tonight might be the last one,” I said, and then crossed my fingers in my dress pocket.
“And if it’s not?” she asked, her brow furrowed.
“Then I’ll try again.” This was the realization that I’d come to when I was making my plans.
If there was no getting out of this—if I truly was in a Groundhog Day situation, and stuck here for decades, then so be it.
I would just do whatever I could to give everyone else their best night ever, again and again.
There were worse ways to spend eternity.
“So what have you been doing? Besides listening to the podcast, that is. Have you learned a new language or something?”
I smiled. “Something like that.” I glanced over and saw Bruce, looking a little baffled as to what he was doing there, walking toward us. “Okay, we’re back on schedule.”
“What schedule?”
“Uh, hi, Cass,” Bruce said, a question in his voice. I smiled when I saw that he hadn’t put his sweatshirt on yet—his Cereal shirt was still visible. “What are you—” Bryony turned around to look at him, and Bruce stopped talking and just blinked at her.
“Bryony, this is Bruce,” I said, and I noticed Bryony had immediately started playing with her bangs. “Bruce, Bryony. I thought as two super-fans of Cereal, you guys should meet.”
Bryony shot me a look, and I gave her a small smile, knowing she’d know what I meant by it. “It’s nice to meet you,” Bryony said, looking up at Bruce.
“You too,” he said, his voice sounding a little dazed—the same way he’d sounded every other time he’d encountered my best friend.
“How do you know each other?” Bryony asked. She widened her eyes at me in a way that I knew meant Is this your ex? Did you date? I gave her a tiny head shake, and she nodded, looking relieved.
“Bruce and I were neighbors in Seattle,” I explained.
“A couple years ago,” he added. “It was really crazy to run into Cass tonight. She recognized me right away and everything.”
“And Bryony’s my best friend,” I said, feeling my throat tighten around the words.
It was like it had taken nearly losing her for me to understand just what it meant to have a friend like her.
“She’s the greatest.” I gave her a slightly quavery smile, and she smiled back.
I cleared my throat and tried to focus. “Okay! I have to go do…things. But I just thought you guys might want to go on the best ride in the park. And there’s no line right now!
So…” I shrugged and gestured to it, and Bryony laughed.
“Real subtle, Cass.”
“What?” I asked, but I was laughing, too.
Bruce shook his head at me, then turned to Bryony. “I’m game if you are.”
“Sure,” she said, playing with her bangs again. “Why not?”
“Have fun!” I called, as I started to leave.
“Wait, Cass,” Bryony called. “Where will you be?”
“I’ll be at the Eton Mess show,” I said, choosing my words carefully. The last thing I wanted to do was lie to Bryony ever again. “I’ll see you there? Midnight?”
“Sounds good.” She gave me an eye-widen that I knew meant we will be talking about this later, and I gave her one back that meant you know it. Then she and Bruce headed toward the ride, Bryony saying something that made Bruce laugh.
I stayed there for just a moment, watching until they were out of sight. I had no idea if anything would happen here, if this would turn into anything more than just hanging out on a ride. But that wasn’t up to me any longer—they could take it from here.
I checked the time, took a deep breath, and then headed the opposite direction.
I had a show to save.