“I remember.”
“I wondered if you did. Or if you’d somehow blocked that whole summer out.”
“It was a good summer… mostly.”
“It was a great summer, Sid.”
I’m right behind Sidney, so when she slowly turns around, we’re practically pressed together. “I thought you had to get Todd’s present. Or was this just a trap to get me to realize how sweet and sensitive you are, with your keepsakes and your secret photos?” She sets her hands on my chest. “Because I already knew you were more sensitive and romantic than me.” One finger taps just below my collarbone, and all of this touching is a huge relief. We almost feel like the old us again. Well, thenewold us. “You’re nothing but marshmallow fluff in here, Marin.”
“I told you I brought you here for a reason.”
“And what was that again?”
Proof.“The same reason I do anything. To convince you of how awesome I am.” I stroke a finger across her forehead, pushing a loose curl aside. “You haven’t figured that out yet?”
“Even that time you put sour cream in my yogurt container and then glued it shut again?”
“Even then.”
“And when you tackled me to get to the unicorn chair?”
I grin. “Especially then.”
“Hm. I guess I’m just slow sometimes.”
“Apparently.”
Sidney thumps a hand against my chest and scowls at me. But it’s the scowl I love, the one that says she’s annoyed, but in a good way. The one that says she’s amused. And there’s nothing I like more than amusing Sidney. So I lower my head to hers, press our lips together, and wipe that scowl away completely.
Sidney
There’s something so weird about being here. It feels like we’re storybook characters who just stepped out of their story and into the real world. Like we’re watercolor, and we’re walking around in stark contrast to all of the normal Technicolor people around us. Asher clasps his hand around mine as we meet at the front of his car, and… okay… apparently we’re doing this. Like, all-in doing this. I wonder what his friends’ reactions will be. If they’ll think he’s crazy for wandering into enemy territory, only to be willingly taken prisoner.
As we walk up the driveway toward the yard, it’s easy to tell who Todd is. He feels like the epicenter of the party, with little groups of relatives scattered in his orbit. As we approach, he looks at me like I’m a zoo animal. A really exotic one he can’t believe he’s actually seeing in person. I half expect him to try to pet my head or something. His face might break in half he’s smiling so big. Asher, on the other hand, is trying not to smile and failing.
“Sid!” Todd engulfs me in a hug and it’s possible he’ll knock me off my feet with his excitement. Asher’s hand is still around mine. I can tell Todd and Asher are best friends just by being near them; there’s an almost tangible energy between them.
“Okay, okay.” Asher’s voice is 1 percent annoyed and 99 percent teasing. “Let go of my—”
Todd talks over my shoulder while still holding me in a bear hug. “Yourwhat?”
I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to hear how that sentence ends.
From behind me, Asher sighs and gives my hand the tiniest tug. “MySid.”
Todd gives me one last squeeze and whispers in my ear. “Thanks for coming. It would suck to have my best friend ditch my grad party.”
Ditch his grad party? He thinks Asher wouldn’t have come because ofme?
Todd looks at Asher. “You know the drill, the real party starts tonight.” He jerks his head behind him, but all I can see is an open field surrounded by trees. “Sid, make sure you check out the video my mom made.” The grin is back, filling his face. He turns to Asher. “You’re welcome, bruh.”
Asher groans, long and low, and shakes his head. “Seriously. Stop.”
I laugh, because I can’t help it. Asher and Todd are like one of those little old couples who bicker all the time, but are ridiculously cute with how much they love each other. And somehow, meeting Todd makes me like Asher that much more.
There’s an older couple approaching us, so we retreat to the food tent as Todd greets more of his guests, tucking an envelope into his pants pocket, where a few more are already sticking out.
Asher pulls me to a table where he introduces me to Todd’s mom, Missy. His arm is wrapped around my back, his hand on my waist, as she smiles up at me from her seat. There’s no long introduction, noThis is Sidney, our families vacation together,just… “This is Sidney.” It’s like that with all of his friends I meet. They know who I am.
