Epilogue
“Stop moving,” Nika muttered. “You’re getting it even more crooked.”
“Who knew ties could be so tricky?” Rick asked.
His uncle Vic, who had been watching the last-minute fussing with an air of amusement, raised his hand. “I did.”
“Stop being such a baby,” Martina said from her perch on the couch. “We had to put on gowns, Rick. Gowns.”
“We didn’t have to do anything,” Camryn drawled.
While Martina had worn a black sequined dress with a slit up the thigh high enough to give her mother a coronary, Camryn had gone for something different, wearing dress pants, a cream camisole, and a tailored suit jacket.
Her hair was down, her makeup on, but a cowboy hat sat firmly on her head.
She adjusted her hat. “We chose to get fancy.”
“I do like you fancy,” Martina murmured. Cam grinned, giving her a quick kiss.
Rick thought they both looked pretty great, but they didn’t care about his opinion, which was fine. Nika’s dress was emerald green, with tiny straps that had been driving Rick crazy all night and had caused more than one death stare from her father to Rick.
“Vic,” Dawson said, tossing the kitchen towel over his shoulder. “Can you watch the chicken? I’m not done marinating it, and I don’t trust Dani’s dog for a second.”
“On it.” Vic pushed himself out of his chair. “I already regret getting her that dog.”
Rick, who had seen his uncle shamelessly babying Emperor Magnificent Hammerhead the Third, or Hammy for short, decided to call him on it. “No, you don’t.”
“I really don’t,” Vic said cheerfully.
Dawson finished drying his hands and nudged Nika out of the way. “I got it.” He stepped in front of Rick and took over the tie.
Rick heard the door open, and his mom called, “Are they still here? Did I miss it?”
“Rick’s taking forever,” Martina yelled. “Boys, amirite?”
Rick snorted. “Stereotypes are hurtful, Teeny.”
“Oh good.” Daphne set down the bags and hurried over. “I wanted to get some pictures before you left.”
The door opened again, but this time it was Zara sashaying into the room wearing a sequined jumpsuit and dress sandals. The colors shifted as she moved, going through every shade in the rainbow. Zara lifted one arm dramatically. “Ta-da! I’m here. The party can get started.”
Camryn gave a wolf whistle while Martina slow-clapped. “That outfit is spectacular.”
Nika shook her head. “If I wore that, I’d look ridiculous, but on you? Showstopper.”
Zara twirled. “Dress to please yourself, and you can’t go wrong. Where’s Landon and Alexis?”
“They’re meeting us at the dance,” Rick said. “Then we’ll come back here.”
Daphne frowned, looking at her watch. “Are you still stopping by the Lopezes’?”
Martina blinked at her. “Have you met my mom? She’d kill us all if we didn’t.”
“Too soon?” Rick asked.
“Nope,” Martina said, popping the p.
Dawson stepped back, eyeing his work. “Not bad. Try not to mess it up before you get to the dance.”
Rick looked down at Nika. “What do you think, Moose? I clean up okay?”
She grinned at him. “Better than okay.”
Daphne clapped her hands sharply. “Pictures, pictures, and then you can go. Let’s take them out front—better light.”
They all dutifully tromped out the door, posing together for everyone’s phone as they took approximately eight thousand photos.
Even Vic had his out. “Okay, now pout for the camera. Really sell it.”
Daphne hit his arm. “Cut it out.”
Vic rubbed the spot she’d hit, pretending to look hurt. “I didn’t let you move in just so you could abuse me.”
“That’s right, abusing you is my job,” Shauna said as she walked up the front path, her arms full of grocery bags.
Dani hopped about alongside, excitedly clutching a stack of mail. “Rick! You got a package!”
Rick didn’t even look over. “I’ll open it later. Kinda busy here.”
“But what if it’s cooooool?” Dani said, her voice plaintive. “It feels like a book. Maybe you bought a book for me and forgot?”
Rick laughed. “Then how about you open it?”
“Yay!” Dani dropped the rest of the envelopes onto the grass, tearing into the slim package.
“Hey,” Vic said. “Maybe don’t throw all the mail on the ground, kid?”
Dani ignored him. “Oh, boo. It’s not a fun book. It’s a boring book.”
Rick frowned. “I didn’t order anything.”
Dani bounded up, the book held to her chest, bold red lettering on a silver cover. Meadowvale High scrawled across the front, the year down at the bottom. She shoved it at him.
“Oh no.” Rick dodged her like she was trying to stab him. “I do not want that.”
Nika stared at it, her hand already reaching out. “Did you order a replacement?”
“Absolutely not.” Rick’s voice was firm. “I didn’t even order the original one. What makes you think I’d do it now?”
“Then why…” Nika opened it, flicking through the first few pages. She stopped, all color leaving her face.
“What is it?” Rick asked.
“If they didn’t fix it,” Martina said, her tone ominous, “then I’m going to demolish the school.” She paused. “Allegedly.”
“They fixed it,” Nika said, her voice shaky. “It’s just…it’s already been signed.”
She handed it to Rick. At the bottom of the page, in bright pink Sharpie, in neat, curving handwriting, sat the words
Have a good summer and see you next year.
—Lauren Haysmith
She’d drawn little hearts around her name.
Everyone crowded around, trying to see it.
Martina paled. Camryn scowled, her arm going around Martina’s shoulders.
Zara hissed in a breath, stepping away from the book like it was covered in scorpions.
Nika started flipping through pages, looking for any other notes.
Rick watched it all, sound going a little funny as his pulse sped up.
For a second he could swear that he heard something dripping.
His mom put a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Rick shook his head.
Dawson placed a palm between his shoulder blades and gently pushed. “Put your head down and slow your breathing. You’re going to pass out if you keep up like that. Nika, give me that book.”
Rick did as he was told, concentrating on breathing in and out. He looked up in time to see Dawson putting it into a grocery bag, then turned to his mom. “She’s still in jail, right?”
“Yes,” Daphne said firmly. “Until the trial. She’s not getting out, Rick. They denied her bail.”
“Then how…?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, but we’ll give it to the lawyer. You don’t have to worry about it any more tonight.”
“Yeah.” Dawson smiled at them, though Rick could tell he was equally troubled. “Put it out of your minds for tonight. Go. Have fun. Enjoy prom.”
Rick nodded, taking Nika’s hand in his own. He would try, and he knew he’d have fun, but he also knew those words would be floating around at the back of his mind like angry ghosts the whole time, waiting to surface.
See you next year.
It was just something people said, right? There was no way she was getting out. They were safe.
But he could tell, as he looked around at his friends, that none of them fully believed it. None of them would ever feel completely safe ever again.
That wasn’t how life worked.
He caught Martina’s eye as she cuddled with Camryn. She gave him a half smile, then mouthed, “Be happy.”
He smiled back, giving her the second half of it. “Or die trying.”