Page 88

chapter thirty

“You gotta fight, for your right… to partayyy.’ Truer words never spoken — shout out to The Beastie Boys for understanding life, and shout out to my buddy, Jason, for taking it by the horns and making tiny little party babies with it. You know what you did, and I’m proud of you. Also, you were wrong. I looked awesome in prison, and I learned how to knit! I’m coming for you, Martha!”

~From Max Emory’s Guide to Dating and Other Important Life Lessons

Maddy

Colt texted Milo.

Jason was coming, which meant I actually had to go to the reunion. It was going to be held out on the quad of our old high school. The theme was Friends Forever, and it kind of made me want to puke in my mouth. Then again, that had been our slogan throughout senior year. Everyone had been so happy… we’d loved each other… Yay, friendship bracelets.

Our class had literally earned the most detentions in the school’s history. It had been so bad, our senior prank had been to litter the principal’s door with them. We had so many combined that we had been able to create a trail out of the office and down the hall.

Over eight hundred and seventy-two pieces of pink paper.

It had been a beautiful sight.

Until our principal’s eye had started twitching, which Jason, of course, had pointed out, earning him yet another detention — with me, since I’d laughed with him.

We hadn’t been the best kids.

But we’d sure had fun.

I wouldn’t change any of it, except for how it had ended.

Funny how people often want to change the middle of the story, the boring part, or the part that builds into this beautiful crescendo.

But me? I always hated The End.

And The End I hated the most, made me look in the mirror and realize that the reason I felt empty, was because I was afraid.

“You ready?” Milo asked once we were out of the car and walking toward the large group of old classmates.

“No,” I admitted. “The other day everyone was too drunk to even ask me a question. They’d just wanted to party. Plus, I was with Jason the whole time. This almost feels like I’m about to be naked in front of everyone.”

“While Jason would probably prefer that…” Milo laughed, “…it’s not going to be so bad. Trust me. Ten years… well, people change a lot in ten years. Add in kids, jobs, stress, family, and we’re all just trying to survive the best way we know how.”

I linked my arm in hers. “Thanks.”

My tall heels clicked against the pavement as we got closer, and my legs started to sweat beneath my skinny jeans. I’d decided to go for a simple white strappy tank, only dressing it up with my heels and a few layered silver necklaces.

Milo, however, looked dressed-to-kill in a sleek, multi-colored maxi-dress and hoop earrings. She’d always been the wild one out of all of us. It made sense that she and Colt would be a great fit.

I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans as Liza ran up to me and pulled me in for a hug. “Word on the street is that you and Jason are hooking up.”

I rolled my eyes. “Stop listening to the elderly gossip.”

“But Blanche finally stopped threatening everyone during happy hour. Get this, she doesn’t even make the busboys cry anymore! Plus, she has all the dirt on your man.”

My man.

I gulped.

My man.

Let’s hope so.

I tugged down my shirt and gave her a weak smile. “We’re just talking right now.”