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Beau blows me a kiss before turning to join the rest of his line, leaving me even more confused than I was just a few minutes ago.
When it’s my turn to walk across the stage, the crowd gives me a standing ovation, screaming and cheering, as if the football team just scored a touchdown in the final seconds of a game.
Tears flow fully down my face as I feel the love this school and this town have for my father. He was like a father to so many people over the years, and they’re all cheering like I am the sister they never had.
I know he is watching down over me and the entire stadium. When the dump-truck horn blows right as the clapping calms down, I can’t help but laugh.
My dad always said he would do that as I crossed the stage, and I can’t believe someone else knew his wishes.
* * *
Aaron and I enter the grad-night festivities together since there was no reason for us to take two cars here.
The all-night event is being held in the gymnasium and is a lock-in event to protect us from any crazy things that could happen on graduation night with too much partying going on.
The gym has been transformed to a casino night environment with card tables, a dance floor, and more food than we could even imagine. Everything is free, so the kids are supposed to indulge in every way, all in an effort to keep us safe.
We’re standing and talking with friends when Beau comes strutting toward us with an expression I’ve never seen on him, but he’s ready to fight for sure.
“Hey, is everything—”
He ignores me and goes straight up to Aaron, punching him across the face without a word.
“What the fuck, man?” Aaron steps up in his face once he gets his bearings.
“You’re askingmewhat the fuck?” He pauses to let that really sink in. “How about you tell me why you kissed my girl today and why you’re trying to get her to go to Texas with you?”
Aaron looks at me, but I just stand there, wide-eyed, not having a clue how he knows.
“Maybe you shouldn’t go bragging to our friends because, yeah, they aren’t assholes like you and came and told me,” Beau spits out.
Aaron doesn’t back down, and instead, he gets in his face, ready to fight for what he wants—and what he wants is me. “Oh yeah? Did they also tell you that she got into Cal?”
Beau clenches his jaw as he looks at me for confirmation, his face going from pissed to confused to—dare I say—hurt in zero-point-two seconds.
“That’s right. She hasn’t told you. I wonder why that is,” Aaron says sarcastically.
Beau turns to fully face me with his head slightly tilted to the side. “Is this true? You got into Cal?”
I reach for his shirt, but he pushes me away, blinking and shaking his head.
“I was going to tell you. I just—”
“She doesn’t think you’re the one,” Aaron taunts. “If she did, there would be no question, and she’d be making plans to be by your side in California with zero hesitation.” He opens his arms out wide. “There’s nothing keeping her here, so why wouldn’t she want to go with you?”
“Fuck off, Aaron,” Beau yells, and then he turns to me with his eyebrows so pinched together that I can’t believe he can still see. “Are you really thinking about going to Texas with him?”
I curl my arms around my stomach. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I want to do.”
“What the fuck is stopping you then?” Beau asks, his voice wavering.
My eyes instinctively go to Aaron, and I instantly regret it.
Beau steps back. “I see you’ve made your mind up already.”
He walks away, leaving me standing here, in the middle of everyone as they stare at me, but I don’t care. All I care about is him right now, so I race after him.
“Beau!”
