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“How am I going to support myself being a photographer? Especially after my family cuts me off?”
People pass us by, on their way to the festivities. We should probably shut up and go look for Will. But we’re in it now.
“Oh my God, Max. We aren’t supposed to say stuff like that when we’re eighteen. If everybody just thought about money, and making the safe choice, there would be no art in this world, no music, nothing interesting. I’d rather starve.”
“You’re used to not having money.”
“That’s kind of insensitive.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. In a way, you’re lucky. You know you can live without it and be fine. I don’t know if I can do that.”
“You’d be fine, Max. Plenty of people are happy doing what they want and never making a gazillion dollars.”
“Listen, Kylie, you’ve given it your best shot. And maybe at a different time or place you could have convinced me, but not now. After my brother disappointed my dad, my telling him I don’t want to go to law school would kill him, sooner than already expected.”
“Okay, well, maybe after law school, then.”
I can see by her body language that Kylie is backing down. The mention of my dad’s imminent death is making her uncomfortable.
“Maybe your dad will actually be okay. And then you can do what you want. People defy the odds all the time,” Kylie says. I know she’s trying to be nice, but I’m so sick of everyone refusing to accept the inevitable. What’s the point?
“I know it’s weird to say that my dad is going to die, but, you know what? It actually makes me feel better. No one ever says it. My mom certainly doesn’t. The doctors don’t. They talk about the next step, alternative treatments, attacking it from another angle. He’s got inoperable cancer in his brain. It’s just a matter of time. I’d like someone to just say it.”
I’m suddenly fired up again without realizing how I got here. I’m breathing hard. Kylie takes a step toward me and then, tentatively, puts her arms around me. I relax into her body. It feels so good in her arms, I could stay here for a while. I put my face in her hair. My arms wrap around her body. I pull her close. Breathe her in. My cheek presses against her cheek. Her skin is sticky, warm, sweet. I turn my face, and my lips press lightly against her face…
And then, SPLASH!
Water rains down on us from out of nowhere.
Kylie and I pull apart and both turn to see Manuel’s son, Manu, standing in front of us, laughing. He holds an empty bucket. Manuel comes tearing around the corner, wearing a donkey mask, carrying two liter bottles of water like loaded pistols. He douses Manu and the two double over laughing.
Kylie and I stare at them like they’ve lost their minds. I mean, what up, people?
Manuel pulls off the donkey mask and throws a wet arm around us.
“Time to get soaking wet. Part of the tradition of St. John the Baptist is to throw water at each other, or dunk people in the sea. You two are not nearly wet enough. Manu…get ’em.”
Manu pulls out two squirt guns from his pocket and fires away. Manuel hands us each a squirt gun. Kylie turns her firepower on Manu, and I shoot Manuel straight through the heart. I don’t think I’ve used a water gun since I was ten.
The water fight has changed the mood. Kylie takes a giant step away from me. It feels like hours ago that our faces were pressed together. That moment’s gone.
“Now it’s time to get you two to the party. C’mon,” Manuel says, taking us both by the arm and dragging us down the street and into the pack of partyers. “Have fun!” Manuel tells us. It sounds like a command rather than a suggestion. And then he disappears into the crowd.
“What should we do about Will?” I ask Kylie.
“Du
“We need to get back for graduation.”
“He’ll turn up,” Kylie says as she walks toward a group of people dancing the merengue in the middle of the street.
I follow her. Kylie watches them, entranced.
“What happened to little Miss ‘We have to do Murphy’s assignment, or else’?”
“Oh my God. Murphy’s assignment. I completely forgot.” Kylie laughs. “If she only knew what that assignment did to us. For the record, I’m totally not doing it.”
“And what about your speech? You don’t care about that, either?”
“Of course I do. Will is going to turn up, trust me. We’ll get back. Let’s just enjoy the party for now.”
And with that, Kylie jumps in. She’s dancing to the music. What she lacks in style, she makes up for in enthusiasm. I watch her from the curb. She looks happy, uninhibited, free. Someone she can’t be at Freiburg.
She’s right. We’ll make it back at some point. I join Kylie, throwing myself into the mix.
ily, grab my cap, grab my cap,” Tessa Overby screams at me. “He’s going to throw it in the water and I’ll have to wear it to graduation all warped.”
I’m standing in Luca So
I wander out back to find Justin Brandt standing on the diving board, holding Ella Bing by her ankles, dangling her over the water. They’re both clearly wasted out of their minds. Ella’s always a little sloppy, but hanging upside down is really pushing things to a new level. Her shirt drapes around her neck, like a scarf, as her breasts dangle freely for everyone to see. It may be the last day of school, but, Jesus, have a little dignity.
“Should I do it?” Justin slurs.
A loud roar goes up from the crowd standing around the pool.
“Do it. Do it. Do it,” everyone chants.
Ella gives one last squeal and then Justin lets go. She drops into the pool with a splash. People cheer and hoot. A few seconds later Ella bursts to the surface, laughing and spitting out water. Justin dives in after her, fully clothed. Fifteen or so people leap in as well, all clothed.
Ella throws off her shirt and is slapping around the water, topless. A bunch of other girls toss off their shirts. Boys throw off their jeans, and soon it’s one big ski
I’ve now thoroughly scoped out the party, and Max isn’t here, which is just so infuriating. And it begs the question, where the hell is he? And why hasn’t he bothered to text me all day?
“Hey, girl, where you been? I’ve been looking all over for you,” Stokely says as she throws an arm around me and kisses my cheek.
“Just got here a little while ago.”
“It’s awesome, isn’t it?”
“Totally,” I say, trying to sound enthusiastic.
“So…Luca asked me if I was going to Charlie’s party with anyone.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I said I wasn’t going with anyone.”
“Oh, Stokes, you shouldn’t have said that. You should have let there be a little mystery. Make him want it.”
“Shit. Do you think I fucked up?”
“No. I’m sure it’ll be fine. He’s probably just waiting till the last minute to ask you. All of these guys are so lame.”
“Totally. Too bad we’re not lesbians. It would be so much easier.”
Poor Stokely. She’s hopeless at the games. I’ve tried and tried to coach her, but it’s just not sinking in, which is weird because she’s a smart girl. Just really stupid with guys. I don’t know how she’ll ever land a boyfriend. She’s had a crush on Luca forever, but she can’t seem to play it cool around him. Guys love the chase, but Stokely just wants to fall down at their feet.