other.
It turned out that the backstage gathering wasn’t the party Katherine had been talking about. The real cast party was where we all went next—at Alex Craft’s house, where the punch was replaced by beer, wine coolers, and hard liquor.
Usually at parties I didn’t drink more than a beer or two, but that night, because Slade had just left and I wanted to stop stressing, I let go and had a screwdriver. But the boy who mixed it made it too strong, so I went into the kitchen to add more orange juice.
I was looking in the refrigerator when I felt someone behind me. It was Dakota, holding what looked like a screwdriver in her hand. Smiling, she said, “Looking for the orange juice?”
I nodded. “Can’t find any.”
Dakota pressed in beside me and peered into the fridge. She pulled out a bottle of cranberry juice. “This will work.”
She poured some into our glasses and we raised them. “To summer, and no more school,” she toasted.
I didn’t think she’d meant it maliciously, but I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. I was dreading the end of school and the summer without Slade. Not wanting to think about that right then, I took a big gulp of my drink, even though it still tasted way too strong.
Dakota took a sip and asked, “Heard from Slade?”
I started to explain about the no-phone-calls rule and suddenly burst into tears. I’m sure it must have caught her by surprise, because I’m the last person anyone would accuse of being a drama queen. Dakota put her arms around me, and the next thing I knew, I was bawling on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry.” I sniffed, embarrassed.
“No, I’m the one who should be sorry,” she said. “It was a stupid thing to ask. I wasn’t thinking.”
When I calmed down, I went looking for a bathroom to wash my face. The downstairs bathroom was being used, so I went upstairs; only the vodka made me dizzy and I wasn’t sure which door led to the bathroom. The first one I tried was a bedroom and Jodie and Zelda were inside. They were sitting on the bed with their faces close, and when I walked in, they jumped apart and both turned red, making me wonder if they’d been talking about something they didn’t want me to hear.
I apologized for barging in, then found the bathroom and washed up. When I walked back out, the door to the bedroom was open and Jodie and Zelda were gone. Still feeling dizzy, I went downstairs and outside to get some fresh air. Alex’s parents had white wicker furniture on the porch and I sat in a wicker love seat. The air was cool and springlike, and pretty soon things stopped spinning and I began feel better. Then the front door opened and Katherine came out. “Want some company?” she asked, sounding sweet and concerned.
“Sure.”
She sat down beside me in the love seat. “How are you feeling?”
“A little better, thanks,” I said.
Katherine moved close and put her arm around my shoulders. She’d never done anything like that before. “You really love him.”
“I think so.”
“You just think so?” she asked.
“No, no, I mean yes, I really do.”
“It’s amazing, you know?” Katherine said.
“What is?”
“Just that you can be so sure. I mean, like, at our age. And you are sure, aren’t you?”
It was strange how she always seemed to know what was on my mind. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I mean, yes, I’m sure I love him, but I’m not sure what I’ll do if he gets sent overseas for a long time. I won’t be seventeen until almost July. It feels too young to have to wait so long.”
“I can imagine.”
I turned and looked at her. “You can? Really?”
Katherine nodded sympathetically and hooked her light brown hair behind her ear. She was wearing ear knots with little green whales. “Sure. Like you said, we’re sixteen. How can we really know what we want?”
I looked into her eyes, which that night were unexpectedly kind and caring. “Can I tell you a secret?”
She
It turned out that the backstage gathering wasn’t the party Katherine had been talking about. The real cast party was where we all went next—at Alex Craft’s house, where the punch was replaced by beer, wine coolers, and hard liquor.
Usually at parties I didn’t drink more than a beer or two, but that night, because Slade had just left and I wanted to stop stressing, I let go and had a screwdriver. But the boy who mixed it made it too strong, so I went into the kitchen to add more orange juice.
I was looking in the refrigerator when I felt someone behind me. It was Dakota, holding what looked like a screwdriver in her hand. Smiling, she said, “Looking for the orange juice?”
I nodded. “Can’t find any.”
Dakota pressed in beside me and peered into the fridge. She pulled out a bottle of cranberry juice. “This will work.”
She poured some into our glasses and we raised them. “To summer, and no more school,” she toasted.
I didn’t think she’d meant it maliciously, but I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. I was dreading the end of school and the summer without Slade. Not wanting to think about that right then, I took a big gulp of my drink, even though it still tasted way too strong.
Dakota took a sip and asked, “Heard from Slade?”
I started to explain about the no-phone-calls rule and suddenly burst into tears. I’m sure it must have caught her by surprise, because I’m the last person anyone would accuse of being a drama queen. Dakota put her arms around me, and the next thing I knew, I was bawling on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry.” I sniffed, embarrassed.
“No, I’m the one who should be sorry,” she said. “It was a stupid thing to ask. I wasn’t thinking.”
When I calmed down, I went looking for a bathroom to wash my face. The downstairs bathroom was being used, so I went upstairs; only the vodka made me dizzy and I wasn’t sure which door led to the bathroom. The first one I tried was a bedroom and Jodie and Zelda were inside. They were sitting on the bed with their faces close, and when I walked in, they jumped apart and both turned red, making me wonder if they’d been talking about something they didn’t want me to hear.
I apologized for barging in, then found the bathroom and washed up. When I walked back out, the door to the bedroom was open and Jodie and Zelda were gone. Still feeling dizzy, I went downstairs and outside to get some fresh air. Alex’s parents had white wicker furniture on the porch and I sat in a wicker love seat. The air was cool and springlike, and pretty soon things stopped spinning and I began feel better. Then the front door opened and Katherine came out. “Want some company?” she asked, sounding sweet and concerned.
“Sure.”
She sat down beside me in the love seat. “How are you feeling?”
“A little better, thanks,” I said.
Katherine moved close and put her arm around my shoulders. She’d never done anything like that before. “You really love him.”
“I think so.”
“You just think so?” she asked.
“No, no, I mean yes, I really do.”
“It’s amazing, you know?” Katherine said.
“What is?”
“Just that you can be so sure. I mean, like, at our age. And you are sure, aren’t you?”
It was strange how she always seemed to know what was on my mind. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I mean, yes, I’m sure I love him, but I’m not sure what I’ll do if he gets sent overseas for a long time. I won’t be seventeen until almost July. It feels too young to have to wait so long.”
“I can imagine.”
I turned and looked at her. “You can? Really?”
Katherine nodded sympathetically and hooked her light brown hair behind her ear. She was wearing ear knots with little green whales. “Sure. Like you said, we’re sixteen. How can we really know what we want?”
I looked into her eyes, which that night were unexpectedly kind and caring. “Can I tell you a secret?”
She
Similar Books
