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“We did it!” Lincoln shouted, grabbing me up and spi
“So were you!” I said, reaching back to keep my floral wreath from slipping off my hair. “But you almost made me laugh!” I hit his arm as someone jostled me from behind trying to get to their parents.
“I know, I know! I’m so sorry!” He put his hands over his eyes for a second. “My little brother came ru
I laughed, my face stretched tight from all the smiling. I felt like I was never going to stop smiling.
Over Lincoln’s shoulder, I saw my mom, Gray, Qui
“So, where’s the crown prince of Orchard Hill High?” Lincoln asked, apparently noticing his absence as well.
“He’s here,” I said confidently, but my brow knit. “Some-where.”
“Ally!” my mom shouted, finally singling me out in the crowd.
“I better go,” I told Lincoln. “I’ll see you at the party!”
“I’ll be there,” he replied.
“Really?” I said.
He started to say “no,” but caught himself and pointed at me as he backed away. “You almost got me!”
I giggled as I slipped past him, dodged Puck’s wayward wings, ducked as Janine Cantor flung herself at her boyfriend, and found myself in my mom’s arms.
“Ally! You were unbelievable! I’m so proud of you,” she said, kissing the top of my head.
“Who knew we had two stellar actresses in the family?” Gray commented, referring to Qui
“Awesome job,” Qui
“Thanks!” I said, choosing to ignore the dig.
I turned to my father, who wrapped me up in a hug and presented me with the flowers. “You out-acted everyone else on the stage.”
“Dad!” I said, blushing. “They can hear you.”
Everyone laughed. David handed me the rose, and A
“What?” I asked, looking at the wrinkled mess.
“Can I have your autograph?” she asked, breathless.
“Ha ha,” I said drily. I tripped sideways as one of the moms shoved past me. “Have you guys seen Jake?” A
“I’m not sure he ever showed,” David said.
“Maybe he was in the back,” A
“Yeah. It’s not like he would’ve sat with us anyway,” David pointed out.
It was a nice try, but I knew he hadn’t come. If he had, A
“Ally, get together with your friends. Your mother wants a picture,” Gray said, holding his camera up with one hand and waving us together with the other.
I turned toward the lens and forced a smile, but I suddenly felt tired—exhausted. Jake was grounded. I knew this. I knew there had been a chance he wouldn’t make it. But I couldn’t help feeling like if he’d really wanted to be here, he would have found a way to be here.
“One more!” Gray said jovially.
“Can we please go?” I asked.
“What’s wrong?” my mother asked me, slipping her arm around my shoulder.
“I’m starving,” I lied. “I was so nervous I barely ate anything today.”
“Okay, then. Let’s eat!” my father said.
We walked up the steps, which let out onto the main hall. I was just slipping through into the hallway when Jake came bursting in, a smallish bouquet of red roses in his hand. For a split second my heart fluttered with relief. He hadn’t forgotten about me. But then I realized his cheeks were red with cold, and he had his jacket on. He’d just come in from outside. He had missed the entire play.
“Hey!” he said with a huge smile. He walked forward and engulfed me in a frigid hug. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks,” I said stiffly, stepping back. “You just got here?”
As soon as they heard my question, my family and friends decided it was a good idea to keep walking. They moved ahead a few paces and pretended to be fascinated by the posters advertising the names of Orchard Hill High’s National Merit Scholars.
“Yeah. I’m sorry,” Jake said, glancing back over his shoulder. “I went with Chloe to her appointment this afternoon and her parents found out about it—God knows how. But anyway there was this whole big drama and I couldn’t get out of there. But the good news is, they decided to let me see Chloe. To, like, let me be involved. So now there’ll be no more sneaking around.”
“Great,” I said, not managing to sound in the least bit happy.
Jake’s face fell. “What’s wrong?”
I knew I shouldn’t say what I was about to say. I knew it was petty and that his problems were so much bigger than mine. But I had to stand up for myself too, right? He was supposed to be my boyfriend. How long was I supposed to just take the fact that I was coming in second to Chloe all the time?
“Okay, I know this is going to sound, like, beyond selfish and everything, but how could you not be here?” I asked. “This was the one night … the one night this whole year that was supposed to be about my thing, my play. But instead you spent the afternoon with Chloe and because you did that you had to spend the night with her too.”
Jake licked his lips. “I’m sorry. I just … but it wasn’t just about Chloe. It was about the baby.”
The baby, right. And it wasn’t like I could argue with the baby. I felt sick with guilt for even thinking about trying. I took a deep breath and told myself to chill. It was over. It wasn’t like I could go back and make him be here for the performance. But he was here now. I tried to believe that was what mattered.
“Okay, well … you’re meeting me later, right?” I asked.
We were having the cast party in Faith’s basement and Jake had promised to sneak out and come with. I had a feeling I was going to need him after suffering through what was sure to be the most awkward di
Jake gritted his teeth and I took a step back.
“You’re not coming?”
“You know I’m grounded,” I said.
My face stung. “That didn’t matter when you were going to the doctor with Chloe.”
“I told my parents I had an emergency practice right after school,” he said, sounding desperate. “I can’t tell them I have another one tonight.”
“Well, where do they think you are right now?” I asked.
“Getting pizza,” he said. He glanced at his watch. “Actually, I should get over to Renato’s if I’m going to get back without them getting suspicious….”
“Okay, fine. Just go,” I said, walking past him. I was so angry I was practically shaking. I held my dad’s and David’s flowers against my chest as tightly as I could, trying not to lose it completely.
“Ally, come on,” he begged.
“No, no. You’re late to get your pizza!” I stormed right past my family and started down the stairs.