From What I Remember

I have no idea what to do. I am not the guy who smoothes out these kinds of situations. I’m not a peacekeeper, like Charlie. I’m the guy who looks for the exit at times like this.

I can see Charlie standing awkwardly next to Lily.

“Dude?” I say to him.

“Sorry, man.”

Damn. I am so pissed at Charlie.

his ca

Maybe there’s some kind of logical explanation for why they’re in bed together, other than the fact that they’ve just had sex. Yeah, as if.

This is where Max has been on the last day of school? While I’ve been living in my own private hell, suffering my dad’s indignities all alone, he’s been hanging out in Ensenada? Screwing Kylie Flores, of all people?

I am so livid I can’t think straight. I want to pull my hair out. I want to pull Max’s hair out.

I mean, seriously. What. The. Fuck?

Max is such an asshole.

“Let’s give him a minute,” Charlie says. I forgot he was even here.

“Let’s not!” I insist. I mean, Max has had twenty-four freaking hours. What does he need with another minute?

see Lily Wentworth and Charlie Peters standing in the hallway as soon as Juan and I enter Manuel’s house. What are they doing here?

Lily’s ski

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

There will be blood.

Instinctively, I know I must get to Kylie, to help, protect, and serve. An invisible tether pulls me toward her. I rush past Juan, completely forgetting our discussion. Clearly, he has not. He grabs my hand to stop me. Juan has been gearing up for his big moment with Manuel for the past hour. He wants to proclaim his homosexuality, and he’s asked me to stand by his side for moral support, which I promised to do; but now my allegiance has shifted. Potential boyfriend or not, I have to get to my girl.

“I thought you were going to help me tell Manuel,” Juan says.

“Tell Manuel what?” Manuel asks, sidling up next to us.

“Juan is gay,” I blurt out. I feel bad letting the cat out of the bag like that, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion this will not come as a surprise.

“Oh, I knew that,” Manuel says. “I think everyone knows. I’m glad you’re finally ready to tell us.”

“You don’t have a problem with it?” Juan asks, shocked.

“Of course not,” Manuel says.

“Problem solved,” I say, extricating myself from Juan’s grasp and hurrying down the hall, Manuel and Juan on my heels.

“What’s she doing here?” I hear Kylie say. I can’t see her, but I can feel her. And she’s mad as hell.

“The girl says she’s here to pick up Max. I didn’t know what to do. She insisted on coming in,” Manuel says.

“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” I say, pretty sure that won’t be the case.

If only I’d gotten here a half hour earlier, when Manuel first called, I could have put Max and Kylie on a bus, and we would have avoided this little reunion. But Juan wanted to rehearse his whole coming-out speech. A lot of good that did us.

“What’s going on?” Juan asks.

“Sadly, I think this is going to mean a little change of plans, darling,” I tell him. “I’m going to have to drive Kylie back to La Jolla.”

My holiday in Ensenada has come to an abrupt end. I won’t be dropping Kylie and Max at the bus station and kicking back in Mexico for an extended vacation. I’ll be escorting Kylie to graduation because, first off, she’s going to need her best friend by her side, and second, there ain’t no way I’ll let her travel back with Lily and Max. There’s either going to be a homicide or a suicide in that car, and I don’t want Kylie involved.

“No problem,” says my perfect man. “I can come with. I love a good graduation.”

Did I actually get this lucky, or is Juan a serial killer?

already had a litany of things to worry about, like the fact that my graduation speech may totally blow despite months of work, or that my brother Jake may be lying in a ditch somewhere due to my negligence, or that I may or may not have married Max Langston last night, along with losing my virginity. I didn’t need to add a psychotic girlfriend to the mix.

“What am I doing here?” Lily barks at me. “What are you doing here?”

Max jumps out of bed so fast, he blurs by me. He’s at Lily’s side, trying to calm her down. Old habits die hard, I guess.

“Oh. My. God. Can you please put on some pants? It’s only making it worse,” Lily insists.

As Max throws on his jeans, he turns to Lily, all apologetic, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he’s just left me in bed.

“I’m really sorry, Lil. It’s kind of a long, crazy story. I can tell you all about it on the way back.” Max speaks softly, calmly. Like he cares. Like last night, with me, was just a bunch of bullshit.

“Yeah, I guess now’s not a good time, because you’re a little too busy cheating on me with Kylie Flores! I suppose that’s why you told Charlie to come alone.”

Lily is gesticulating wildy, fuming, spitting at the mouth. Max puts his arm around her, in an effort to calm her down, I assume. Still, it feels like a dagger straight to my heart.

“It’s not like that at all,” Max says. “I was going to explain everything when I saw you.”

Max shoots Charlie a look. Charlie looks sheepish. “Sorry, dude. I told her not to come. She wouldn’t get out of the car,” he says. “You know what? Think I’ll go wait in the car.” Charlie slinks out.

“Good idea,” Max says. “Listen, Lil, I called Charlie because I didn’t want you to flip out. It’s all a huge misunderstanding. Not a big deal, honestly.…”

Wait. Hold on. Rewind. There are so many things wrong with that sentence, I don’t know where to begin. Max called Charlie? When? And it’s not a big deal? Wow. What a difference a day makes. I’d love to ask Max about this little news bulletin, but the volleys are flying so fast, I can’t get a word in.

“It sure seems like a pretty big deal, Max,” Lily says.

“Just let me grab my stuff and Kylie can get dressed, and then we’ll head out and I’ll tell you what happened—”

“Kylie can get dressed? Get dressed?! Why are you doing this to me?” Lily’s voice morphs into a semi-hysterical scream.

“I’m really sorry, Lily. I didn’t mean to hurt you—”

“Rise and shine, everyone!” It’s Will, popping his head into the room.

“What the hell are you doing here, Will?” Lily yells, turning her wrath on him.

“I’m sorry, Lily, but I don’t recall sending you an invitation to our little soiree in Ensenada,” Will responds.

“Bite me,” Lily spits.

“Lovely to see you too.”

“You called Charlie?” I finally eke out. I glare at Max. The anger is building inside me, especially as I notice he still hasn’t removed his arm from Lily’s waist. The arm that was around my body just five minutes ago. I want to lop off that arm with a machete.