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“I bet I could get my dad’s portable gas grill into my car,” Debra said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “What’s a tailgate without the food?”
“Now we’re talking,” Judith agreed. “We just need to get the rest of the class to go along.”
“Go along with what?” Justin asked as he and Lorenzo walked up to the group of girls and set their lunches down, Justin beside Judith and Lorenzo beside Katrina.
“Our senior prank, the mastermind of our very own Trina.”
“Well...” Katrina began when Justin piped up.
“It should be the tailgate party, the one Cade suggested.”
“How did I know he was involved?” Judith deadpanned.
“It wasn’t all my idea,” Lorenzo disagreed. “Trina came up with most of it.”
“And when we’re living it up ten years from now and you two are married with kids, remember this moment,” Judith said before taking the apple from Justin’s tray.
***
There were two sharpknocks at Katrina’s door, but before she or Judith could get up to answer, Emily walked in, one hand on her hip. “What makes you think you can ignore me? Seriously. We need to talk. Oh, hi, Judith. I didn’t realize Katrina actually had company.”
“And as always, it’s such a pleasure to see you,” Judith said.
“Likewise. Trina, a word?”
“Now isn’t really a good time,” Katrina replied, and Emily’s eyebrow shot up.
“You know, seriously, he waltzes back into your life and you’re all high and mighty again.”
“And you know a thing or two about that,” Judith added before Katrina could reply.
“This isn’t any of your business, Judith.”
“How about we have this conversation outside,” Katrina suggested, walking over to the door and motioning for Emily to follow. “Our food will be here soon,” she added as the door clicked shut. The evening air still held onto the humidity for the day, but the air between Katrina and Emily ran cold.
“Two weeks I’ve been trying to talk to you.”
“I’m sorry about your father,” Katrina began, “and I hope he’s doing better. But now is not a good time for me.”
“I saw the Cade’s logo on your laptop. I saw Judith’s sketches. I know you’re ass over end over Cade all over again. And you’re an absolute idiot.”
“Excuse me?”
“Did he tell you why he was back?” When Katrina was silent, Emily continued. “I can. I can fill you in on everything, but you’re just as blind now as you were back in high school.”
“Emily—”
“You didn’t even realize he’d been cheating on you the entire time you were together, Trina. And I don’t know which part is sadder, the fact that he did, or the fact that you couldn’t see it.”
Katrina’s eyes widened for a moment before narrowing. “He was always with me, Emily. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“He wasn’t always with you,” Emily said as she stepped closer. “Not when he was under the same roof with me. Think about that while you work on your little project.”
“Hey!” Judith said as she pulled the door open. “Totally eavesdropping. What the hell are you saying, Emily?”
“Think about it,” was Emily’s only reply before she walked away, leaving Katrina in tears with her heart in shards at her feet.
“Why don’t you fuck right off?” Judith called after her, one hand on Katrina’s arm, guiding her inside.
