Every Little Piece

Every Little Piece - By Kate Ashton



Simple reflective surfaces can be used for many complicated pursuits. Applying lipstick, checking for spinach between teeth, and spying on older brothers.

My favorite mirror sat on the nightstand next to my bed. It wasn’t your standard boring one that hung on a wall. This one tilted in a full 360-degree circle and swiveled back and forth. Lying on my bed, I could view my entire room with just slight adjustments.

One small nudge, and my perspective changed.

I usually faced it so I could see the great wall of Haley. Every happy memory covered the surface. Photos, ribbons, newspaper articles, scribbled notes, programs—my life in pieces.

One of those pieces sat sprawled on my plush pink carpet. My best friend, Brin, hunched over her knees, her long dark hair shimmering. She meticulously painted her toenails, so absorbed in the process of adding silver stripes that she didn’t hear me slide off the bed. Or tiptoe across the floor.

I popped in front of her and yelled, “Boo!”

She screamed and jumped back. After annoyance flashed across her face, she burst out laughing. “You bitch!”

I twirled my finger through the coarse black locks springing out all over my head. The wig had been part of my brother’s Halloween costume from ten years ago. Once upon a time it was in great condition but the fake hair was now matted like an old Barbie doll’s.

“Seriously, Haley, we’re graduating tomorrow. It’s the biggest event of our life after birth, and you’re still acting like a three-year-old.”

I pursed my lips together and fake pouted. She couldn’t help but forgive me even though she turned huffy and went back to the stripes. What could I say? I loved to see people smile, especially my friends. Maybe it came from living with an older brother who’s so damn serious all the time. It drove me nuts. Thank God he had me or his mouth would be stuck in a permanent frown.

If it weren’t for me, anyone who crossed onto our premises would have to be given a warning. Watch out—laughter not allowed. Or we’d have to plant a sign with a big X through a smiley face. My parents were as bad as my brother.

“Come paint your nails,” Brin said. “I’ve got the perfect color blue.”

I flounced to the spa set up all over my floor. “Well, you know darling,” I said with an English accent, “I do have a reputation to maintain. I mustn’t leave the house without my nails done.”

She ignored my comment and wiped a smear of silver from her big toe. I didn’t even get an eye roll. “Are you still going to talk like that when you get married?”

I dropped the accent. “Married? Ha! Not likely.”

She added black dots between the stripes, slow and careful. “What about Seth?”

“What about him?” I grabbed the blue bottle and unscrewed the cap. I waved it under my nose and breathed in the chemical smell.

“You’re going to die early from chemical poisoning if you don’t lay off the fumes.”

I shrugged. “Can’t help it. It’s a habit.” When opening a new book I always pressed my nose into the center of the pages and inhaled the smell too. Old or new, it didn’t matter.

Brin cleared her throat with purpose. “You avoided the question. Seth?”

“I have no plans to get married right now. Even to Seth.” I wiped off a bit of blue. I couldn’t stay within the lines if my life depended on it.

Seth and I had been going out since middle school. It started off slow and a bit awkward, dancing at school events with the zombie-sway back and forth while muttering mind-numbingly boring conversation. Somehow we stayed together and the awkward convos turned into a friendship that was more than dates eating pizza and making out in the car before my curfew. Of course, all those things were an important part of our relationship, but it was the tender moments, when he bared his heart, that I held onto. Even if I couldn’t pin them to a corkboard.

“You know how many high school sweethearts make it?” I asked.

“Your relationship with Seth is not a statistic. Where’s your sense of romance? Of adventure? You’re the one who should see you two together forever.”

She was right. But maybe she didn’t realize that behind my endless smiles, lay dreams and doubts. And maybe, just maybe, I was terrified that if I admitted my dreams of a future with Seth, then I’d be the fool. Because as much as I knew he loved me, he’d never talked about marriage or us being together forever.

“Here.” She tossed me the white. “Add some polka dots or something.”

“Thanks.” I dutifully added dots while she cranked the radio. She didn’t press me for answers. I was thankful. After a few minutes, I turned down the music. “Hey, Brin, can I ask you something?”

She tensed up beside me. “What?” Her voice was clipped and terse.

I hesitated, not wanting to bring up her dad’s passing. “How’s your mom?”

She didn’t say anything at first, and I didn’t take offense. If she didn’t answer I wouldn’t ask again. I always gave her a chance, because sometimes the bad stuff that we keep hidden will rise to the surface if someone shows they care.

Brin sighed. “The same. It was bad the other night.” Then her voice dropped to a whisper. “It was their anniversary.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. What do you say to someone who lost both her parents all in the same year? It was two years ago. Her dad died from an accident on the job, and her mom never recovered. Though they lived in the same house, her mom was a ghost, flitting in and out of her life, sometimes angry, other times depressed. Brin cooked, cleaned, and took care of both of them.

“I can’t wait to fly.” Her voice was raspy with flecks of steely resignation. “Away from here. Land someplace completely new where people don’t look at with me pity, where no one knows my mom is the town drunk. I’ll plaster a smile on my face and no one will know my past. And I’ll keep it like that.”

I wiped a silent tear from my eye before she could see it. I held back the sniffle building in my nose and stifled the ache in my chest over her grief. I could’ve told her that true friends wanted to know everything about you: the good, the bad and the ugly. If she met a guy and fell in the forever-kind-of-love, he’d need to know about this part of her life.

Brin reached out and squeezed my hand. I smiled.

We leaned against my bed with our limbs splayed out so our nails could dry. We were content to be alone with our thoughts and look back on our life reflected on the great wall of Haley.

The front door slammed and a commotion went on downstairs. Brin and I smiled at each other.

“Ready?” I asked.

Brin grabbed for my wig. “Take that ridiculous thing off.” Then we jumped into action. She scooped the polish into her bag, leaving room on the floor. We braced ourselves for the whirlwind about to enter.

My bedroom door slammed open, and Kama bounced in. Her eyes were bright and her blonde curly hair framed her face. She swayed her hips while turning in a circle. She swung her arm in the air like a lasso. “Woo hoo. Woo hoo. Time to party, sistahs!”

I flashed her a smile, but it was weak.

“Whoa!” Kama threw up her hands, palms out. “Thank God I arrived. Or you two would be digging your own graves.”

Kama’s always been the dramatic one. All those play programs on my wall? Brin and I’d watched her steal the show of every drama production. Her life was set and the path was clear. She was going to be a musical theater major and head to New York. At some point in the future, I’d be seeing her on Broadway, of that, I was sure.

“Seriously. Totally lame in here.” She held out her hand and helped Brin stand. “Let’s get outta here before I fall asleep from boredom.”

I put up a meager defense. “Hey, it’s only five in the afternoon. The party won’t be rolling until at least eight.”

“Party?” She blew air through her lips. “We’ll have time for that later.” She pulled me up too. “Tonight…we’re going on a journey.”

Brin and I rolled our eyes.

Kama swiped her arm across the front of her body like she was a movie producer trying to show us the big picture. “We’re going back…in time.”

I groaned. Brin started to get into the whole adventure thing. In fact, she squealed. Their enthusiasm was catching and my doom and gloom mood lifted. In a few seconds, we were all jumping up and down, squeeing like schoolgirls. I had no idea what she meant by going back in time but it sounded perfect for this night.

“Thank God, you arrived.” Brin winked at me. “Because I thought Haley here lost her spirit.”

We joined hands in the middle and leaned forward so our heads were all touching.

“Where we going first?” I asked.

“No clue,” Kama whispered.

We burst out laughing. Figures. My phone buzzed from the nightstand. I pulled away first and then both Brin and Kama grabbed my arms.

“No way!” Kama screeched. “No Seth!”

I fought to get free. “It could be anyone. Maybe the party was cancelled? Or moved to a different house? Or maybe it’s my brother and he’s broken down on the road somewhere.” I was about to throw out about five more plausible reasons for me to answer the phone, but they let go.

“Fine.” Brin crossed her arms.

Kama leaned against the wall, her eyes never leaving me.

I inched toward the phone and saw Seth’s name on the small screen. “Just a sec.” I grabbed the phone and darted between them into the bathroom before they could wrestle the phone from my hands. I shut the door and locked it.

They banged on the door mercilessly.

“Promise!” I yelled. “I’ll be right out! Gimme a sec.”

They stopped trying to knock the door down and must’ve headed back to my room. They’d learned to share me with Seth. I glanced in the mirror and smoothed my hair as if he could see me when I lifted the phone to my ear.

“Hey, there.” My voice came out softer than I thought it would. I sat on the toilet lid and drew my legs up so my chin rested on my knees.

“Hey, babe. Thought you could use a friend.” The rich tones in his voice always got to me.

“What’re you talking about?” Seth understood my moods. Only he knew that I got hit with a wave of sadness the night before a big event. The night before my birthday I was at home watching movies that made me cry, eating popcorn, and drinking Dr. Pepper.

“Oh, I don’t know. Thought you might want to hang out and watch a movie before the party. Or hang out in a diner and talk about all the memories over bitter coffee.”

“Sounds nice,” I said wistfully.

“But?” he asked.

“But you know. Kama has the next three hours planned. We’re going on some adventure into the past.”

“Then I must be a pit stop in there somewhere. Can we hook up later and go to the party together?”

I sighed. “I’ll try but I doubt it. Can I just see you at the party?”

“Sure thing.”

“Are you mad?” I asked, biting my lip.

“Nah, I kinda expected it.” He paused but I knew he had something to add. “I have plans to shoot pool with Carter and Jamie.”

“What?” I gasped, pretending to be mad.

He laughed and my heart beat faster. His laughter was like medicine. So cliché, but it was true.

“Gotcha!” he said.

“You jerk!” But I couldn’t help but laugh back.

Someone knocked on the door. Warning me to hurry up.

“I gotta go,” I whispered.

Suddenly I got the intense desire to see him. To wrap him in my arms and smell his hair and the cologne he splashed on his neck. I wanted to feel his fingers play with the ends of my hair while he rubbed my back. I wanted to flop down on my bed with him and make-out for hours and then fall asleep so close that nothing could tear us apart.

“Wish I could see you.” My voice was shaky, the emotion having its way with me.

He heard it. “I can ditch the guys and be over there in ten. You just say the word.”

I paused, almost ready to take his offer. The giddiness of being with my friends had already faded within the minutes I’d been on the phone.

I heard giggling outside the door and hushed whispers. I needed my friends tonight just as much as they needed me. They were just as much a part of my high school life as Seth.

“I can’t. But I’ll call if I get a chance to sneak away.”

“My phone is on and in my pocket. Love you, babe.”

“Love you, too.”

I pressed End and shoved the phone in my back pocket. I stood in front of the mirror. This one had a tiny crack in the top right corner and the tiniest of slivers that stopped right in the center. Any day, any second, it could shatter into pieces on the floor. Scattered shards. Impossible to put back together. But it had been that way for years and probably would be for another twenty.

My greenish-brown eyes stared back at me, questioning. I’d promised to spend the rest of the night in full-out party mode.

This night was for me.





I shoved my phone in my back pocket. Again she chose Brin and Kama. I got it. The whole girl thing. But what about the whole boyfriend thing? Was this her way of telling me that we were a high school fling? We weren’t one of those couples who were hooked at the hips. I should like that though, right? Wasn’t that what every guy wanted?

A girlfriend who didn’t pressure him to commit more?

I lay back on my bed and slipped in my earbuds. Jamie and Carter would be here soon. I needed to kick back and relax while figuring out what to say to Haley eventually. Maybe tonight. Should we even talk about the future? Haley couldn’t seem to take anything seriously. Would I get some flip answer if I brought up next year? Or three years from now?

I’d known since I was twelve that I wanted to be with Haley forever. It started in second grade. She wore two ponytails and mismatched clothes. She was so brave and full of life. She questioned teachers, stood up to bullies, and pulled bunny ears behind the lunch ladies. Man, I fell hard.

But for the first time, I was doubting her end of it.

My phone buzzed and I pulled it out. But it wasn’t Haley. It was Carly. I ignored her. I was sure it was about the party later, asking if I was going. She’d been subtly hitting on me for months. Good thing Haley hadn’t noticed, at least I didn’t think she had. I admit. Carly was pretty hot. Curves all in the right places. An intoxicating smell. But my heart knew and only responded to Haley.

The phone buzzed again. I didn’t even look this time.

Footsteps clomped on the stairs. Jamie and Carter would burst into my room in about one second. The door flew open and banged against my wall. A photo of Haley and I dropped to the floor.

“Watch it!” I pulled out the buds and hung up the photo again.

“Sorry, man.” Jamie flopped on the bed. As usual, his red hair stuck up in the front. Freckles smattered his nose and cheeks. “We ready for a night of booze and girls?”

I held back a retort. They were constantly trying to get me to party more, to get drunk more often, to get my mind off Haley. I’d go with them. I’d party. But my heart wouldn’t be in it. What I loved was hanging out at the pool hall. I wasn’t the big party kind of guy.

Carter leaned against the wall and dug his hands into his pockets. His dark brown hair shaded his eyes. We were the same height and teachers often confused us from the back. “What’re we going to do before the party? Where can we drink?”

“Is that all you think about?” I threw a stuffed pig at him that Haley got for me.

He smirked. “Well, no. There’s always fantasizing about Carly.” Then his eyes gazed off.

“Dude! Save it for another time.”

He fake-coughed. “What? She’s hot.”

Jamie laughed.

“I’ve got an idea.” I grabbed my jacket.

“What?” They both asked.

“Pool.”

They groaned. “Seriously?” Jamie asked. “Can we get any lamer?”

It was Haley’s influence. She celebrated after a big event, not the night before. Almost as if she was holding her breath to make sure she made it through the day. When the big day was over, she’d breathe a sigh of relief and loosen up, ready to party a little bit. Maybe she’d rubbed off on me.

“We graduate tomorrow. How many times have we played pool there over the years?” I asked.

“Fine, fine. I’ll play.” Jamie stood. “Let’s get going so I can kick your ass.”

Carter started to whine but I shut him up with a punch to the arm. “Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty time to hang with the girls later.” I was joking. None of us were really chick magnets. Carter had been crushing on Haley’s best friend, Brin, for the last year. He’d just been too chicken shit to make a move.

We gathered our stuff and I grabbed some cash from my sock drawer. My parents were in the living room in some deep discussion, and at first, they barely noticed me. When I was half way out the door, Dad called me back. Normally I’d leave my friends in the front hall, but Dad sounded serious.

“Know what,” I said to Jamie, “go on down to the hall and grab a table. I’ll drive over when I’m done.” I nodded toward the living room.

“Sure thing, man. Catch you there.”

They left in Jamie’s car. I headed back to talk with my parents. In the dining room, I breathed in the familiar apple-scented candle Mom always burned. I noticed the small things first. The way Mom played with the fringes of the antique lace tablecloth, the way Dad’s fingers tapped on the top of the oak chairs, the haphazard pile of papers scattered across the table. Mom was a neat freak and never left random piles of paper unattended to.

Then I saw their faces. A sick feeling spiraled in my gut. Dad’s face was pale and he kept smoothing his eyebrows. Nervous body language 101. Mom avoided my gaze, alternating between tugging at her short brown hair and playing with that damn fringe. All I could think was that she was trying to hide from me.

“Seth, why don’t you take a seat.” Dad’s blue eyes were a reflection of mine. Mom always told me I’d steal some girl’s heart just like Dad had hers. But tonight his eyes were glassy, missing that luster of life they always held.

My heart rate skyrocketed. I wished they’d just spit it out. I pulled out the chair and it scraped against the wood floor. Mom didn’t even shudder at the noise, or reprimand me, so something must be terribly wrong. Maybe my grandparents couldn’t make it in for graduation tomorrow. Or maybe the small party for family tomorrow night had to be cancelled.

“Can this wait until tomorrow? I’m kinda busy,” I asked, anxious to be away from this strange tension. My family wasn’t perfect. We rarely spent time together, and Dad drank a little too often. It wasn’t like he was a raging drunk who hauled off and beat his family, but tonight wasn’t the time for family bonding.

Mom lifted her head. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. The smudged eyeliner created a dramatic effect. I stopped asking if this could wait ’till tomorrow. And I waited. I was breathing faster and trying to act like I wasn’t bothered by their appearance.

Dad sighed. “I guess there’s no beating around the bush. Your mom and I have been having problems for a while.”

He continued talking but I blocked him out. This couldn’t be happening. Was he talking divorce? How many times had I joked about the number of parents who divorced the day after their kids graduated? I didn’t even get to wait until the day after. I focused again.

Mom spoke for the first time and she sounded tired. “This might not be permanent. We’re not getting a divorce right now.”

A part of me relaxed. Okay, my life didn’t just become a statistic.

Dad nodded. “Right. But I’ll be moving out tonight. I’ll be at your graduation and your party. Your mom and I just need a break.”

I stiffened. What did they want from me? My condolences? My sympathy? “Is that all? I gotta go.”

Mom pressed her lips together like she wanted to say something but didn’t.

“If you have any questions or need to talk about it, we’re here.” The crease in Dad’s forehead appeared. Something that was usually only reserved for stress over work.

I drummed the table then stood up. “I pretty much got it.” I thumbed toward the door. “But you know, it’s the night before graduation and all. Gotta live it up.” My sarcasm stung the air. I didn’t want to hurt Mom but I hadn’t been prepared for this.

“Okay, we’ll talk tomorrow,” Dad said.

I headed toward the door. “Yeah, tomorrow.”

The breeze stung my face. The mini-van blurred in front of me, and I stormed toward it. I slammed the door closed, letting the silence drown out the echo of my parents’ voices. Why tonight? My first instinct was to call Haley and tell her what happened, but she was with the girls and I didn’t want to interrupt. I hit my fist against the dashboard.

For some reason I didn’t want to tell anyone. I didn’t want any pity or sympathetic stares. I’d keep this to myself. Even though my family was falling apart and everything that was solid was now sinking mud, I didn’t need to burden others. Maybe after graduation I’d tell Haley. She’d eventually figure it out when she came over and my dad wasn’t home. I didn’t want to lie about it.

I just wanted to pretend for this one night that nothing was wrong.





Brin and Kama gossiped on my bed. I couldn’t imagine life without them—the three of us goofing off, hanging out, watching movies, texting all night. I wanted to stay in this bubble, the night before the beginning of the rest of our lives.

“I know the perfect place to start our night.” I leaned against the doorframe. I was determined to meet up with Seth, even if I had to tell some half-truths.

Kama clapped her hands. “Ooo! Share!”

I shrugged and threw them my famous smirk. “Now that wouldn’t be any fun, would it?”

We left my house and climbed into Kama’s hunk of junk, she calls the Beast. Our last night as seniors. Tomorrow night we’d be official graduates, leaving all that behind us. No more freezing in the stands at homecoming football games, sharing a thermos of hot chocolate. No more cramming for history tests with all night popcorn study parties. No more nights acting silly and carefree. Would all that change? Overnight?

The sense of foreboding fell. I desperately wanted to grasp onto this moment and freeze it. I should want to break out the wings and fly like Brin. I should have plans to bust out and leap into my career like Kama. But somehow that evaded me.

“Where we going? Time to spill.” Brin fiddled with the radio.

“Nope.” I shook my head. “Just drive toward town. I’ll tell you where to go.”

Kama pulled out of my driveway. We passed all the normal haunts. Main Street wasn’t very big or happening. We passed through it within a few minutes. I pointed for Kama to take a right. The sign of the pool hall blinked ahead of us.

Kama whipped in and parked. Before the entrance with the music drifting outside, she danced in the street, her hips gyrating. “Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. The party starts.”

Brin seemed a little more suspicious as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at me.

“What?” I asked, the picture of complete innocence.

“Oh, nothing,” Brin said. “I love a good game of pool.”

I needed to defend my choice. “Hey, remember when we snuck in with my brother?” Kama’s parents had come in for a drink and we spent the night hiding out in the bathroom. We’d told our parents we were at the movies. I don’t know why we lied. It wasn’t a big deal and they probably would’ve said yes.

“Fine, I’ll give you that.” Brin lost her suspicions, hopefully.

We swung open the door and the rock music from the old-fashioned jukebox blasted out. We walked in arm in arm, ready to conquer the world. Didn’t matter who was there. It was our night.

Kama led the way to a table in the corner. I glanced around at the groups playing pool, hoping to find familiar dark hair and faded jeans. I saw lots of jeans with rips, but none of them were the ones I wanted. We played rock, paper, scissors to see who would break. The men at the table near us scowled at our giggling game. When they went back to their beers, I flipped them off.

Brin won the game and shot first. I hadn’t played in months and quickly fell behind. “Want sodas?”

They both nodded, fierce in competition. I wove through the pool tables and then the groups of tables where all kinds of people talked over drinks and dinner. I arrived at the bar and ordered three root beers. I felt his presence behind me before he whispered in my ear. I didn’t even hear what he said but turned around. He greeted me with a hungry kiss as if he’d never see me again. He pushed me up against the bar. His hands reached down and squeezed my butt. He pressed his hips into mine.

I pushed him away. “Seth!”

“Sorry, babe.” He winked. “You’re just too hot.”

“You’re not too bad, yourself.” I let my gaze drop to his body, his blue faded T-shirt I loved, then his black jeans that made me want to take him home and make him strip. I brought my eyes back to his, and the flecks of blue that matched his shirt. I looked closer. He avoided me and instead gazed at my chest and over my body. He wasn’t smiling and tension knotted his shoulders.

I traced my fingers over his lips then pulled him close to me again. I whispered in his ear. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

I tugged at his earlobe with my teeth, trying to tease the information out of him. “Come on, you can tell me.”

He jerked away. “I said nothing.” This time his words were hard and mean. He sighed. “Sorry about that. I’m on edge.”

“Graduation tomorrow?” I asked, masking the flicker of hurt.

He nodded. “Yeah. You could say that.”

I entwined my fingers with his and leaned forward until my forehead rested in the hollow below his shoulder. The music pounded in my chest along with my heartbeat. His hand slipped underneath the back of my shirt and he rubbed the exposed skin. I smelled his shirt and snuggled into him. We’d been together so many years and had seen the best and worst in each other. Was that love? Was that enough for a life together? I wanted to ask these things. But this was the worst thing ever to ask a guy near graduation. He’d run for the first bus out of town.

“Your drinks are ready,” he whispered in the sexiest voice ever.

“You flirt,” I teased.

“Moi? Hardly.”

I leaned up and gently brushed his lips with a kiss. “Bet us girls can kick your ass in pool.”

“Is that a challenge?” he asked, his eyes glinting. His usual fun and mischievous spark was back.

This was how it should be the night before graduation. A night of fun, full of things I’d never forget. Memories that would carry me through the dark times of life. When I was eighty years old and suffering from old people problems I wanted to call Brin and complain. She could tell me about her old people problems and we’d still find a way to laugh together even if we were using walkers. Heck, we could shop for old people diapers together.

Brin and Kama came up behind Seth. Brin smirked. “So, you’ll just hop on over to the bar and get us some drinks, huh?” She nodded to Seth. “Your sudden thirst didn’t have anything to do with him, I’m sure.”

I threw up my hands, palms out, in feigned innocence. “Completely coincidental. Right, Seth?”

“Well, actually, when we talked on the phone earlier, I let her know we might be here.”

I gasped in fake surprise then lightly stomped on his foot. “Jerk!”

“Hey, just telling it how it is, babe.” He winked and my heart melted in forgiveness. His brief episode of crankiness seemed to have disappeared.

Jamie came up behind Kama and tickled her ribs. I blocked my ears before her squeal sent the patrons running for the streets. Her squeal was famous for interrupting school assemblies, lunch periods, and other quiet times. Carter leaned an elbow on Brin’s shoulder.

“Hey, Brin. Want to hook up later at the party?”

“Keep on dreaming, Carter. No way you’re ever getting into my pants.”

I scolded her. “Never say never. Anything can happen on the night before graduation. Life-changing things like hooking up with a guy who’s been a friend since Kindergarten.”

“Jeez, girl.” Kama sighed in a dramatic way. “You’re so sentimental tonight.”

Seth wrapped me in a hug. “That’s right. One reason I love her.”

Warmth spread throughout my chest. Maybe I’d make it through this night after all.

Then he said, “It’s kept me from going broke for years.”

I gasped again in fake shock but I couldn’t maintain it long because it was totally true. I wasn’t a girl who needed bouquets of roses or diamond jewelry. Make me a card with badly written poetry or frame a picture of a special moment and I was all yours. Seth had known this for years.

Seth peered over our shoulders to the pool tables. “How about a game and a little friendly wager? Unless you think we’ll whip your butts.”

Jamie and Carter started flapping their arms like they were chickens and strutted around making clucking noises.

Kama motioned us toward her and we gathered in a huddle, our arms around each other’s shoulders.

“We don’t really need to talk about this, do we, girls?” she asked.

“No way!” Brin and I said at the same time.

“Let’s just pretend we’re strategizing,” I said. “Maybe we’ll intimidate them.”

We whispered and then gazed back at them. We burst out laughing, high-fived, wiggled our butts and twirled in a circle. Then as a unit, we grabbed our drinks, and headed over to the table.

I chalked the end of the stick, ready for the first play, but I paused. “Wait a second. We never talked about stakes. What’s the bet?”

Carter spoke up. “The losers have to refill beers for the entire party tonight.” He high-fived Jamie.

Brin shot them down. “Totally lame and unfair. We don’t drink as much as you.”

Jamie’s face lit up. “The losers have to sprint through town naked at midnight after the party.”

Kama huffed and crossed her arms. “Again. Totally a guy thing. Girls don’t run naked through town. Sorry.”

Seth leaned against the table and rubbed his chin. “Okay, then let’s hear your suggestions, girls.”

“If the guys lose, we get to do their nails and make-up for the party,” Brin said.

They stared at us and laughed. Kama, Brin and I threw out suggestions and so did the boys but we couldn’t nail down a consequence that we all agreed on. Finally, Seth raised his arms as if he was some gospel preacher.

“The losers have to head out to the Raker’s Island and spend the night.”

Nobody said anything as we thought over his idea. Raker’s Island was the tiniest island ever. It wasn’t really an island, but a patch of land that the tide never quite covered, and it was quite the ride out into the ocean.

Brin puckered her lips to the side. “At midnight? No way.”

Seth defended his idea. “I go out there all the time with my grandfather. The best fish are there. We leave while it’s still dark. No problem. The losers can use my grandfather’s boat.”

I shook my head no. “We’ve all got to agree.”

“I’ve got it then. The perfect solution.” He crooked a finger and motioned us closer. We all crammed around him and he spoke in low tones. “The losers will run through town in their underwear.”

We were all quiet. We knew it was the best idea ever. The perfect compromise.

I hooked my thumbs into the belt loops of my jeans and stood with my feet shoulder distance apart like I was some cowboy accepting a duel. “You’re on.”

We played for a straight hour. Eventually the guys won by a couple points. They whooped it up and slapped backs as if they were watching football and their team scored.

Brin bit her lip. “I’m not sure about this, Haley.”

“No backing out!” Seth reminded us. “A wager is a wager.”

I jabbed a finger into his chest. “No problem, babe, but you might regret it when we’re all in jail and miss graduation.”

The girls laughed.

Kama ended the conversation and our time playing pool. “Okay, it’s time to move on to the next stage in our journey.”

Seth butted in and stood between all of us. “We might need to go with you on this journey, just in case you decide to skip out on our bet.” He winked at me and I knew he was doing whatever he could so we could be together.

Kama waggled her finger. “No way. We need time to beautify for the party.” She primped her hair and stuck her nose in the air but couldn’t maintain the attitude for long. “No seriously, we have to get ready.”

Seth held up his hands, palms out. “Fine, fine. Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

I held Seth’s hand, and we headed out the door. I loved this. Feeling that we could truly conquer the world.

Together was better than being apart.

Together we could do anything.