They grinned at each other for a moment. Laura wondered what high school would have been like if she’d fallen for someone like Vince instead of Brian, someone who encouraged her to seek her own spotlight, though maybe the better question was who she would have been if she’d focused on herself instead of on a boyfriend. But she couldn’t dwell on questions like that. She couldn’t change her past, and as hard as this year had been, she’d come out the other side and she felt good about where she’d landed.
“I hope we can keep in touch after graduation,” Vince said. “I’d love to hang out this summer.” He looked down, his cheeks reddening slightly. “And I know you and Brian just broke up, but maybe—when you’re ready—I could take you on a date sometime.”
Laura’s heart fluttered. “Definitely,” she said with a smile. “I’d love that.”
? ? ?
THEY GOT BACK to campus with five minutes left before lunch was over, and Laura used that time to stop by the guidance counselor’s office.
“Well, hello, m’dear!” Mrs. Walker said as Laura entered her office. “What can I do ya for?”
Laura sat down in one of the scratchy chairs in front of Mrs. Walker’s desk. “I wanted to talk about college.”
Mrs. Walker’s eyes lit with excitement. “Oh, have you decided to apply to LSU? I heard that Brian was headed back—such a great idea to join him in school.” She opened up her drawer, pulling out a brochure and sliding it across the desk to Laura.
Laura stared at it for a second and then gulped. “Um, actually, I was thinking somewhere else.”
Mrs. Walker stared at her in silence for a moment, as if digesting the implications of that statement, and then clapped her hands together. “All right, sweetheart. Now, most college application deadlines have passed for a fall start, but with your grades, you can get into just about anywhere you want for spring semester. So where are you thinking?” She pulled out some more brochures from her desk drawer. “University of New Orleans, University of Lafayette, Louisiana Tech . . .” She spread the pamphlets out on the paper-covered desk. “What’s your dream school?”
Laura paused. She didn’t have a definite answer. “Somewhere far away from here.”
Mrs. Walker nodded and put together a stack of folders on various schools. Finally, she handed them to Laura—they weighed about as much as her history textbook.
“We can go over these anytime you want. I know it’s summer, but send me an email and we can set up an appointment,” Mrs. Walker said.
“Thank you,” Laura said, standing to leave. Before she headed out the door, she looked at Mrs. Walker again. “I’ll make you proud.” And as cheesy as that sounded, she was finally ready to make that happen.
As the school bell rang and Laura went back into the hall, she looked down at the informational booklets Mrs. Walker had given her. There were so many options, so many possibilities.
Laura grinned, and her smile only grew bigger as she met up with Vince, who’d waited to walk her to her next class.
“It’s so weird that this is almost over,” Vince said, sounding nostalgic.
Laura glanced around the halls, at all her excited peers. “I don’t know,” she said. “It feels like everything is just beginning.”
48
gabrielle
“WHAT’S GOING ON?” Gabby asked as Claire, Madison, and Laura sat her down on Claire’s beige couch. Sadie was staying with Gavin so Claire could host Gabby’s last night as a single lady. “Why do you guys look like you’re up to something?”
“It’s a slumber party—we have to watch a movie, duh,” Madison said casually, braiding her hair on one side. The girls were wearing matching pink short-sleeve silk pajama sets, compliments of Claire.
“Okay, popcorn’s ready,” Claire announced from the kitchen, pouring it into a mixing bowl. The scent filled the room as she brought it to the coffee table.
“So, what are we watching?” Gabby asked, throwing a piece of buttery popcorn into her mouth. The other girls stood giggling in front of the flat-screen TV. “What in the world are y’all up to?”
“We couldn’t agree on a movie to watch,” Laura said, throwing the other girls a conspiratorial grin, “so we decided to make one.”
Gabby put her hand over her mouth. “Oh. My. God.” Her stomach flipped with excitement.
“Please turn off all cell phones . . .” Madison said, funneling her voice with her hand.
“And enjoy the show!” Claire finished, pressing a button on the remote control. The overhead lights dimmed, and the girls plopped back on the couch with Gabby, scooping handfuls of popcorn as the film began.
A title card appeared:
THE YOUNG WIVES CLUB
Gabby wiggled her feet in front of her with happiness. “You guys!” she shouted as the first scene began.
It opened with the three girls sitting outside in Claire’s backyard, looking into the camera as they huddled close to one another.
Madison spoke first: “So, one of our best friends is getting married tomorrow.”
“And we’re really happy for her,” Laura said.
“But we can’t let her do it without first sharing our advice,” Claire added. They giggled, their heads pressed close together.
It cut to Claire in her home office, the one that the girls had helped her redecorate a few weeks ago. Since Claire had separated from Gavin and left her job at the church, she was now working from home on her own projects. She was finishing up the ebook she had been writing for Gavin and planned to publish it that fall—under her own name.
On-screen, she sat in her desk chair and smoothed the lapels of her black blazer. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail.
“Hottie alert!” Gabby yelled out. “Ow ow!” The girls laughed.
On-screen, Claire’s blue eyes focused in on the camera as she began her confessional. “My dearest Gabs,” she said. “I want you to know how happy I am for you. I know things with Tony had a rocky, unconventional start, but isn’t that how all the greatest love stories begin?” She winked. “I’ve known you for most of my life, and your eyes have never lit up quite like they do when you talk about him. I remember playing fairy-tale games with you when we were little—you always did believe in them—and I’m so happy that you finally found your prince.”
On the couch, Gabby reached over and squeezed Claire’s hand.
“But just like a knight wears shining armor to protect himself, I want to arm you with advice that will hopefully prepare you for what’s to come.” She took a deep breath and leaned forward on the desk. “Gabs, marriage isn’t easy, and anyone who tells you that is a liar. No one is perfect—not you, not him—and the more you live together, the more you’ll realize that.”