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“No, you’re no
t going to talk your way out of this. Today, you’re going to listen to me.”
She rests the paper on the table, keeping her eyes locked on me.
Okay. That went a lot easier than I thought it would. I take a deep breath and dive out of my comfort zone. I put one foot on the empty chair beside her then haul myself onto the table. Stella jumps up and hisses, “What are you doing? Get down.”
“No.”
Her neck swivels like a bobble head, and she definitely notices how the entire cafeteria grinds to a standstill. “Seriously, get down. Have you lost your mind?”
“Probably.” I stop to consider “No. I’ve never seen things so clearly.”
“Get down!”
“I’m not ready yet.” And I hold my hand out to her.
The color drains from her face. “What?”
I wiggle my fingers. “Come here.”
“Nuh-uh.”
“By not cooperating you’re only making this take longer.”
“Jonah!” Her frustration is clear.
“Stella!” I mimic in return.
She crosses her hands over her chest. “Not happening.”
“Fine. Then I’ll speak louder.” Not giving her a chance to bolt, I continue, “Last night you said I proved to you that it was possible to change. Well, I have, but what you forgot to add was that you changed too. It’s not one in a million, Stella. It’s two in a million and it’s you and me. In other words...I’m not giving up on us.”
Stella glances around and I can hear her internal wish that everyone would stop staring, but we both know that won’t happen. Being the center of attention, it’s one of her fears, but Stella’s become my whole world and I want everyone to know...including her.
She touches her barrette to comfort herself. “I know.”
I pop my mouth open, ready for the next part of my speech, then pause. “What?”
She looks around again. A few teachers and security guards stand on the periphery of the lunchroom, but no one comes close. Someone starts to talk on the other side of the cafeteria and someone else shushes them.
“I know,” she repeats. “I met with Mrs. Collins today and, well...look, I don’t know what’s going to happen and it’s going to be hard, but maybe...” She shrugs and her face turns red. “If you can change, maybe I can too.”
I run through her words twice to make sure I heard her correctly. “So we’re together?”
The right side of her mouth tilts up and she lifts her eyebrows. I can’t help the goofy smile on my face. We’re together.
I hop off the table and lift Stella into my arms, her feet swinging off the ground. She weaves her arms around my shoulders and my body relaxes when she kisses the side of my neck. A few people clap, a few girls say “aww,” but all I focus on are the words Stella whispers to me. “I’m in this, Jonah.”
I lower her to the ground, take her face in my hands, and kiss those soft lips. “I’m in this, too.”
A teacher clears his throat and we both take an embarrassed step back, but she laces her hand with mine. Stella eases me into a seat at her table and her eyes shine as she begins to talk about her future...our future...
“I think I’m going to try college,” she says.
I scoot my chair closer to hers. “I think that sounds like a fantastic idea.”
It does, and for the first time since the accident, I’m living my life knowing that I’m doing it right.
