Chapter 47
Forty-Seven
TWO MONTHS LATER
Remind me why I’m doing this again?
Sweat pours down my face. I’m sitting at a table across from a girl from a rival high school, and we’re both working on the same calc problem. It’s been a grueling day of solving equation after equation, and my brain is exhausted.
The final problem is written on a pristine white paper in front of me, and I don’t immediately know how to solve it. Stress worms its way through my stomach. Everyone is counting on me, and the answer is not presenting itself.
A spotlight illuminates us on a stage at the rival team’s school, and a few people watch the event from chairs set up in the gym, including Suzy, Zeke, and my parents.
Their support helps but it also makes me horribly nervous.
They all came to watch my first mathlete competition.
After months of practicing and spending most afternoons getting to know my teammates as we worked through tough equations together, it’s been so fulfilling to get this far in the competition.
This is the deciding match. It’s me versus this other girl with Asian features and black pigtails.
If I solve this problem faster than her, my team wins.
I want to win. I want to win so bad I can taste it. I want to win this competition more than I wanted that Homecoming crown.
The bright lights of the stage shine in my eyes, and a droplet of sweat rolls down my forehead. I had no idea that math could be so hard and so rewarding. I love this. I can finally admit it to myself. I love this.
The audience is silent, and I can’t imagine how boring this must be, but they can see the problem we’re working on projected on a screen. The first person to solve it will hit a bell in between us. Every nerve is on fire, waiting for this other girl to whack it before I do.
The numbers start to swim before my eyes. Focus, Callie.
I can do this.
I scribble down the remaining derivatives and careen towards the answer.
I slam the bell, and the ding goes through the auditorium.
The girl opposite me jumps but keeps working in case I’m wrong.
I hold my breath as the judge, a woman in a pencil skirt, steps forward to take my paper.
Every nerve in my body is on fire as she scans my work.
“That is correct. Monte Ville High are the victors!”
My teammates scream and swarm the stage, and the audience erupts into cheers. Suzy and Zeke jump up and down and my parents clap. Dad lets out a shrieking whistle. My teammates crowd and jostle me before scooping me up and lifting me into the air, and I scream for joy.
The rest of the semester goes by too quickly.
Our time is filled with Korean food runs and Chick-Flick-Fridays, D&D campaigns with Will and Dan, Zeke helping me get all the way to the second divine beast in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and all of us screaming louder than anyone at Suzy’s tennis competitions, even though you’re technically supposed to be quiet.
And Zeke. Always Zeke, right there with me, holding my hand, cheering me on, bringing me pumpkin spice lattes with extra whipped cream and sprinkles. He’s the most thoughtful, wonderful person in my life.
Dad finishes the filming for his movie, and Mom offloads some of her classes onto other instructors so she can be home more often. We even start baking together, and she tells me how she used to love it as a little girl. Sometimes she joins us for Chick-Flick-Fridays (which Zeke always attends).
Halloween comes, and Dad scares the pants off of Mom by pretending to be the Scream guy and trick-or-treating at our house then refusing to leave until she gave him all the candy. I laughed until I cried. Zeke and I dress up as Zelda and Link and take Mia (a bokoblin) trick-or-treating.
Onara the Bold, my D&D character, levels up, and I start joining Dan and Will in their inside super-nerd jokes. Zeke even branches out and meets more people at school, and they start an intense weekly video-gaming session. Emma and her friends are always there.
We go to a Seahawks game, and Zeke cheers louder than anyone every time they get a touchdown.
And if I have to explain a few things about the game to him, like when he asks, “Whose punter got tackled?”, I don’t mind.
And when the kiss cam gets us and people pull out their phones to take pictures, I kiss Zeke with everything I have and ignore the rest of the world.
Zeke and I binge Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time, though he tells me that the WoT books are waaaay better than the TV show, so I start reading them.
For Christmas Zeke spoils me rotten. He buys me the whole set of books, a cute white and pink rolling pin that has been personalized with my name on it, and an apron to match Mia’s.
Before I know it, it’s a new year, and Zeke will be moving soon.
We don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I do know that I’m in this relationship for the long haul.
I rest my head on Zeke’s shoulder, pressed together on the couch, While You Were Sleeping playing on the TV. “I’m not going anywhere,” I whisper.
Zeke kisses the top of my head.
Epilogue – SEVEN MONTHS LATER
My fingers are interlaced with Zeke’s. I sit next to him in one of the chairs set up in rows on the lawn of Monte Ville High.
It’s graduation day, and everyone looks great in their robes and caps.
Our parents are there, taking pictures, cameras flashing.
Suzy is on my right, next to her tennis boy (a new one) and Dana and Troy.
It’s official. Long-distance relationships suck.
But we made it work. Through phone calls and constant texting, virtual D&D nights, and watching movies together over Zoom.
I didn’t let a day go by without reaching out and connecting with him in some way, letting him know that I never forgot about him.
Zeke flew into Seattle to watch me graduate, and this fall we’re both going to the University of Washington.
I can NOT wait. Suzy got into Princeton where she’s going to study business and dominate the world, so she’ll be moving soon, and graduation is bittersweet.
But I’ve already proved I can make a long-distance relationship work.
“We made it,” I say, and I mean more than just making it through high school, though that was an accomplishment. Zeke squeezes my hand, and he knows what I mean. He’s going to start college early and live in an apartment with Dan just so he can be close to me. No more long distance.
The year was hard, but we did it.
“Now Callie Carter will address us,” Principal Melrose says.
I stand, nerves fluttering in my stomach, and walk to the front of the crowd. My forest green robes swish about my feet, and I reach up to make sure my cap is centered on my head.
I reach the podium and turn, smiling at my fellow students and their families. The crowd looks enormous. I see Brielle examining her nails, and Noah whoops and hollers my name. I laugh.
And the nerves melt away.
“My fellow students, what an amazing few years it’s been.” I don’t even need notes. This speech is coming straight from my heart.
A few people already cheer, and I wait for it to die down.
“We’ve come so far and learned so much. Together. And now we’ll go on to other things, to change the world. Because each of us has something to give. Each of us is unique. You have something to give the world that only you can give.”
People clap, and I smile.
“Show the world who you are, not who you think they want to see. Because the truest you is the one the world needs.”
People scream and throw their hats, jumping up and down, and I throw my hat into the air as well.
We did it.
Zeke, in a burst of overcoming his usual quiet awkwardness, runs to the front of the crowd and twirls me around in his arms, spinning and laughing. He sets me down and dips me, pressing his lips to mine, and the crowd whoops and cheers.
My parents, Mom with tears in her eyes, insist on taking us all out to a special dinner at Salty’s, which I eat with relish. And when Zeke extends his hand to me and invites me to walk with him on the pier, I accept.
We leave the restaurant, hand in hand, and walk down the mostly deserted boardwalk.
I ditched my graduation robe in favor of jeans and a t-shirt that was a graduation present from Zeke.
It says across the front in big, bold letters, “Calculus will test your limits. You may even have to go to L’Hospital.
” It’s my favorite gift I’ve ever received.
“This is where we had our first kiss,” I say, squeezing Zeke’s hand. “You’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been, Zeke. I hope you know that.”
Zeke tugs on my hand and pulls me to a stop. I turn to him, and Zeke studies my face with an earnest expression. “I never knew how much you were going to change my life, Callie. I adore everything about you.”
I step in closer with a smile and press my lips to his in a kiss that fills me with warmth. I put one hand on his chest, the other curving around his back, and he wraps his fingers in my hair. My heart skips a beat. “I don’t ever want to be parted from you,” I say between kisses.
He sweeps me off my feet and lifts me in his arms. I run my hands along his shoulders, appreciating their size, before resting my grip on the back of his neck. “You’re perfect for me,” I say.
Zeke walks to the edge of the pier and sets me down. He sits next to me, and our feet dangle off the edge above the water. We stare at the red-gold sunset, the calm water sparkling, and I lay my head on Zeke’s shoulder.
“I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” Zeke puts an arm around me and pulls me close.
“I don’t care about the world.” I turn to him and meet his eyes. “I just need you.”
He leans down for a kiss.
The End