64. Chapter 64
Chapter 64
Sloane
" I can't believe we're actually willingly going to hang out with kids from our school now that we're outta there." I say to Maggie as I open the passenger door on her brother's 1985 Mustang and take a seat next to her. "We graduated today. We don't need to hang out with these people anymore!" I joke.
Maggie smiles at me. "I know, but it's tradition." She pulls out of my driveway, and we head off to a park on the outskirts of town where graduating seniors from our school, and a couple of private schools celebrate the end of high school together.
"Did your brother tell you what we should expect at this party?" I ask Maggie as nerves fill my stomach.
"Nothing crazy," she tells me as she watches the road in front of us. "Mostly just drinking and hanging out. I think they invite some of the juniors and make them do stupid stuff, as like, a hazing ritual or something." She waves her hand like it's no big deal. "We're so good at being wallflowers, I'm sure no one will even know we're there."
I laugh at her. "The people-watching should be fun." I notice Maggie can't stop smiling. "What's up?" I ask her as we make our way the short distance to the park. "You look…so happy."
"Scott and I have kind of started dating," Maggie says about her "we're-just-friends-from-church" prom date.
"Oh my gosh, that's amazing!" I squeal. "When did this start?"
"We went out for coffee after prom and have been talking on the phone a lot." She looks at me sheepishly, then back at the road. "We went to dinner last Saturday night."
"What? Why didn't you tell me?" I'm so happy seeing her this happy.
"I wanted to make sure it was really happening, you know?" She glances at me again and bites her lip. "Also, I know you're still dealing with all the Ky stuff."
"Oh, please!" I wave her off. "Prom ended perfectly, and Ky…well, I'm over that. He acts like he still wants to be together, but I'm getting ready to go off to college. I still can't figure out if he was telling the truth about prom or not. Besides, just because I don't have someone in my life doesn't mean you can't tell me all about your new beau."
Maggie is full-on blushing now as she pulls into the dirt parking lot and parks between two cars. "Thanks, Sloane." She shifts the car into park, then gives me a hug. "Come on, let's go see what this senior party is all about."
"Wait," I grab her forearm. "Is Scott going to be here?"
Maggie nods, and I realize why she wanted to come here so badly. "Yeah,” she admits, and my heart is so happy for her.
I'm more than happy to accompany Maggie, but a thought dawns on me, and I stop in my tracks. "Shoot, I'm going to be the third wheel."
"No you're not," Maggie says as she grabs my hand and pulls me forward. "Everyone will be here, including Beth and Annalise. We'll all hang out together!"
I trudge behind her and hope she's right. "See, this is why it would have been so cool to have a boyfriend who actually went to my school or lived in my area code for that matter." When we get to the clearing by the lake, there are people everywhere, and quite a few people are already making out around the lake. "How do people just do that right out in the open with everyone watching?" I ask Maggie.
"I have no idea," she says as she scans the area, presumably for Scott as I search for Beth and Annalise.
The sun has set, so it's hard to see faces. "Is that Beth?" I ask as I see the back of a girl who is seated and kissing a boy with light-colored hair.
Maggie looks, "I don't know…" the girl stands and turns so we can see the side of her face. "No. Wait, is that-?"
My eyes go wide, and my mouth involuntarily drops open. "Sara?" I'm dumbfounded. "That's totally not Tyler she's kissing."
Maggie shakes her head, and she looks as surprised as I am. "No, that's Adam Turner, I think."
"Ho-lee crap," is all I can say.
"I wonder what happened?" Maggie says, then turns to me, her eyes lighting up. "I guess Tyler Finlay is now fair game!"
"Oh no," I shake my head. "I'm not going to be a rebound girl. You know that's totally what that would be."
"Well," Maggie smiles, "then be his friend and see where things go."
"Mags! Sloane!" We turn to see Beth and Annalise jogging toward us.
"Can you believe we're finally done," Beth hollers and raises the plastic cup in her hand.
"It feels amazing, doesn't it?" I reply.
"And we're all off to Georgia in the Fall," Annalise says referring to the state school where I swear at least half our class will be attending and where I decided to attend as well even though I really can't tell you why.
Maggie smiles nervously. "I'm so glad y'all will be there. I'm going to be so homesick."
"Not me," I say. "I can't wait to get there. I'm excited to start fresh, you know? To go where no one has already labeled you like a library book and stuck you on a shelf where you don't want to be." I'm excited merely thinking about it. "I just hope we don't run into half of these people all the time."
"I know," Annalise agrees. "We won't though. There are going to be so many cool people in Athens!"
"I can't wait for all the awesome concerts. So many cool bands go through Athens," I tell my friends.
"Hey guys, I'll catch up with you in a few," Maggie says as her eyes finally land on Scott. She practically skips over to him, and my heart swells for her.
"Are they-?" Annalise asks as her jaw is now hanging open.
I smile and nod, "Yep! I just found out. She's so happy."
"That's awesome," Annalise says, and Beth nods in agreement. "Good for her!"
"Come, on," Beth says to us. "Let's go over to the keg."
Of course, the keg is where most kids are congregating, and I wait on the perimeter while Beth and Annalise get a refill. Even though Maggie is driving, this party could get busted, and I'd rather be sober.
"Sloaner!" I hear behind me.
I turn, smiling because I know I'm going to see my marine bio buddy with the flat-top and cowboy boots. "Hill-Billy!" I exclaim, giving him a hug. When I step back, I look at his shirt. "Okay, so who are you wearing tonight?"
Billy pulls at his shirt. "The one and only."
I squint at his shirt in the dark. "What does that say? George Street?"
Billy looks crestfallen. "Sloaner, are you serious? It's George Strait! The King of Country!"
I grin at him. "Of course!" I say but really have no clue, and we both know it. "It's just so dark," I joke.
"Hey, did you hear about Tyler and Sara?" Billy asks me with a conspiratorial tone.
I cock my head, narrow my eyes, and grin. "Hill-Billy, when did you become a gossip?"
Billy's naturally pink face turns red. "I guess because I've had a couple of these." He holds up his plastic cup.
"Well, since you asked," I say quietly. "We saw Sara kissing Adam Turner when we got here, and you could have knocked me over with a feather. But, I have no idea what happened. Do you?"
Billy leans in, and I can smell the beer on his breath. "Word on the street is that they've been on-again off-again since before spring break."
"What?" I can't believe this.
"Yeah, crazy, huh?" Billy asks. "Apparently they officially broke up a few weeks after Spring Break, but still went to prom together since everyone else basically had dates. I think they tried to go as friends, but when I saw them that night, they didn't look too friendly."
"Oh, man, that sucks." I feel bad for Tyler as I think about how heartbreaking that must have been. While I had the night of my life, he was probably pretty miserable. I think back to seeing him and Sara and they had looked like they were arguing.
"She wasn't the right girl for him anyway," Billy takes a long sip out of his plastic cup.
I cock my head and look at him through narrowed eyes. "Why not?"
A sheepish grin creeps up Billy's face. "Because she's not you."
I practically recoil with surprise, "Wh-what?" I laugh nervously.
Billy has a knowing look on his face. "I've sat and watched you two all year, Sloaner. You're perfect for each other."
Now you could knock me over with something lighter than a feather. I feel my cheeks get hot, and I try to laugh it off. "Billy, that's just crazy."
"No, it's not," I freeze as Tyler's voice says these words somewhere behind me.
I turn around and the beautiful boy with the grin that melts me is standing there, and the butterflies start to take flight. I turn back to Billy who smiles and bows at me as he spins his first two fingers in the air. "I bid you adieu," he says, and I'm glad he chose to make me laugh at a time like this because the butterflies are wreaking havoc inside my stomach now.