He gets out and slams the door, causing me to jump at the sound. He walks around to my side and leans against the SUV parked next to us, waiting and probably wishing for a more normal best friend. After about a minute, he throws his hands up in the air and opens my door. “Come on, Janie’s waiting for us.”
I take a large breath and follow him to the backyard. Bass booms through at least five huge speakers, and a DJ sits in front with a laptop, pushing on the keyboard, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Several groups of people (some I recognize, some I don’t) are gathered in the center of the yard, laughing and drinking out of red plastic cups. A group of guys are huddled near a silver car, passing a joint around.
I huddle close to Jackson. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, like he always does when I’m nervous. It makes my insides settle, but only slightly.
“Jackson! Over here!” Janie’s unmistakable, high-pitched voice barrels over to us.
We follow her voice to a circle of Janie, Dee, Kirstyn, Colter, the dude from English that Colter fist-bumps every day, and a few other people I don’t know. Jackson removes his arm from me and gives Janie a hug. I avoid Colter’s gaze.
“Ellery, I’m so glad you could come.” Janie eyes Kirstyn. “Aren’t we, Kirstyn?”
“Thrilled,” Kirstyn says in a tone that proves she’s obviously not.
“What did you have to do to get her out, Gray?” Colter asks, eyeing me suspiciously.
I feel the blush surface on my cheeks and I’m thankful no one can see it in the dark.
“Unlike some people, Ellery actually likes me,” Jackson teases.
Colter laughs. “She doesn’t like anyone.”
“She’s standing right here,” I say.
Janie eyes me carefully then walks over and weaves her arm through mine. “Let’s talk.” She glances back at a confused Jackson. “We’ll be back.”
I shove down the fear manifesting in my body and walk with Janie. We stop near a large tree with a tire swing attached to it, swaying in the breeze. Janie grabs the rope as Justin from Sociology class scoots by us and grabs a beer out of the cooler nearby before leaving to meet up with his girlfriend. “I heard you singing in choir. Your voice is really beautiful,” she says, sounding sincere.
I turn my head slowly, leaning against the bark. “Really? But yours is so dark and haunting. I’d rather have that any day.”
She laughs and it fills the yard. “I’d give anything to be a soprano, you guys get the melodies.” She sticks her foot into the tire swing and stands, holding the rope at the top. “I wish I could still fit in this thing like I did when I was little.”
I smile and remember how sad I was when I outgrew my stuffed puppy, Maynard. Mom had given him to Tate when she was little. I barely noticed it was gone until I saw Tate holding him against her chest like it was hers. The amount of anger that built up in my chest surprised me. Why did I care? She was my sister and I loved her. Even though I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually held Maynard, I didn’t want her to have it. It was mine. It sucks to outgrow stuff sometimes. “We never had a tire swing. Not enough big trees in our yard. It looks fun though.”
She hops down and wobbles a little, hanging onto the rope to keep balanced. “Yeah, it just made me dizzy. Come to think of it, I really don’t miss it all that much.” She laughs and hands me the rope with an expectant expression like she’s trying to make peace with me, and giving me permission to climb her tire swing would accomplish that. I shake my head, but smile so she knows it’s not personal.
For some reason Janie isn’t that bad. She was there when Kirstyn confronted me about Colter, but if I remember correctly she didn’t say anything. This could all be a cruel trick. She’s never talked to me before tonight.
She walks us to the cooler, submerges her hand in the ice, and yanks out a beer. She holds it out to me.
I take it, but I don’t open it.
She grabs one for herself, pops the tab, and takes a long drink. “I know we don’t know each other, but I really like Jackson and you’re . . . well, you know him better than anyone. I just thought we should get to know each other, ya know?”
I nod, and I’m sure I look confused at why she’s talking to me.
“Don’t give me that look. I have no ulterior motive. I promise.”
If Jackson trusts her, I guess I can. “Okay.”
“All right. I’ll take you back so you don’t have to hang out with me any more.” She winks at me. “I want to kiss Jackson anyway.”
I groan.
She laughs again. Even her laugh is a beautiful song.
We make it back to the group and Jackson whispers in my ear, “What was that about?”
“Girl talk,” I tease.
Jackson grins at me. “I’m going to get a drink.”
“I’ll come too,” Janie says, leaving me alone with a bunch of people I don’t know and a few I wished I didn’t.
I start biting my lip and casually try to move toward the DJ table, away from the group. I didn’t want to admit it, but I wanted to talk to Janie more. Find out what songs she likes. If they’re the same as mine.
You don’t need any friends.