A few of her friends came up and asked for a photo, and I quietly slipped away. I understood her more now. And though I wouldn’t have called us friends, I knew we weren’t enemies.
Beck stretched his hand out to me when I got close. “Get a good photo?” he asked. His fingers wrapped around mine easily, as if they’d been itching to since I’d walked away.
I leaned into his side, soaking up his warmth. “Iprobably blinked,” I replied, taking off my graduation cap and stretching up toward him.
But Beck turned his face away. “Not in front of your parents.”
I glanced over. “My parents, who are talking to your aunt and Mrs. Johnson, and not paying attention in the slightest.”
“Your sister is, though.” Destelle stood off to the side with Jamie’s graduation cap on, stretching up to sling her arm around Jamie’s shoulders.
And Jamie, at her side, looked vaguely nauseous. “And so is your brother. Spell revolting.”
“I-M-M-A-T-U-R-E,” I spelled instead.
“Brightons!” Daisy hurried up to our group, her mom coming behind. Mrs. Carmichael held Theo’s little hand. Theo’s head was a flame of hair, even redder than Daisy’s. “I’ve been looking for y’alleverywhere. You think it wouldn’t be hard to spot the Jolly Green Giant.”
Jamie’s eyes traced her. “All my height can’t help the fact that you’re nearly as tall as your brother.”
Daisy swatted at his shoulder, readjusting her white robe. Her red hair was bright against it, wavy and falling over her shoulders. “Destelle, could you take our picture?” She offered her phone out.
Destelle swapped Daisy Jamie’s cap for her phone, and Daisy stepped up to my brother. He ducked his head low, and she pushed her fingers through his hair before pulling the white cap over it. His eyes traced her face as she was focused on getting it straight, not blinking.
“All right,” Daisy murmured, flicking Jamie’s tassel before turning to me. “Smile big.”
Daisy hooked her arm through mine but rested her head against Jamie’s shoulder, the three of us smiling at the camera. She was so much shorter than us, the top of her head only coming up to Jamie’s collarbone, and I squeezed her tight. It was crazy to think we were moving into the next phase of our lives, but we were doing it together.
Beck stood just behind Destelle, looking at the phone screen, his lips tipped up into a small, unconscious smile. Daisy noticed at the same time I did. “Come on, Beck.” She flapped her hand that was threaded through my arm. “Boyfriends, too.”
Beck stepped around my sister to come back to my side, fitting there as if he were magnetized. His hand found my lower back again, and I leaned into him. Now it wasperfect. “When’s the next convertible ride?” Beck asked Daisy.
She gasped, as if she’d only just remembered. “Soon.”
Jamie started taking photos of Daisy and Theo while Mom and Dad talked with Mrs. Carmichael, the sun creating a glow over the moment.
I shoved up before Beck had time to react, catching him off guard and kissing him. It was quick, and my heart barely had a chance to skip a beat before I was falling back off my tiptoes.
The tips of Beck’s ears grew red almost instantly, and his eyes darted to everyone who could’ve seen. He ducked his head, embarrassed, but murmured in my ear, “S-C-A-N-D-A-L-O-U-S.”
“You love it.”
“Yeah.” Beck lowered his head and voice further. “I do.”
He kissed me softly, and though it was chaste, I still melted into him, like the world immediately disappeared around us. Beck didn’t linger long, still too afraid of my parents seeing. Instead, he turned to kiss my cheek, then my temple, settling with pulling me close to him.
As I looked around at the faces of my classmates, some I’d probably never see again, I realized how content I felt. Destelle was talking with Daisy, and Jamie was crouched down to help loosen Theo’s tie, and Dad was wrapping his arm around Mom’s waist as they chatted with Ms. Jennings and Mrs. Carmichael. Everyone I loved was together, happy, and moving forward through life side by side.
“P-E-R-F-E-C-T,” I whispered to myself, in time with thethumpof Beck’s heartbeat.
Beck kissed the top of my head again. “P-E-R-F-E-C-T.”
EPILOGUE
“Come on, I bought the supplies. How hard can it be?”
“Hard, Nellie. You think I just did this myself?”
I met Beck’s gaze in the mirror. “You went to a salon and had your hair bleached?”
