“And I’m glad you worked things out. Best twenty dollars I’ve ever lost.”
“You bet against us?” he asks.
“You two were being pretty dramatic about the whole thing,” she says, a twinkle in her eye. “Now come on. Your adoring public awaits.”
***
“You. Are. Ridiculous!” Bowie says when they spot me. But they’re smiling, and it only widens when Liam comes up beside me, now free of makeup and back in shorts and a T-shirt. He missed a few spots, but it’s cute.
“Sorry. I hope you weren’t worried.”
“I mean, I figured it was some sort of Theatre Emergency, but I didn’t expect this. Did you poison Cam or something?”
“No. His boyfriend did.”
Bowie’s brow furrows, but then they say, “Big Burger?”
“Onions in the patties.”
“Couldn’t have happened to a nicer person,” Liam says. Bowie lets out a cackle.
I spot Cam hovering by the bathroom door; he looks a little pale but otherwise fine as Philip hands him a Gatorade bottle.
Cam sees me looking and gives me a little nod. I’m not sure what for. But I don’t have time to worry about him now.
“So,” Bowie says, tapping their lip with their forefinger. “You two, huh?”
I grab Liam’s hand. “Yeah. Us two.”
“It’s about time you sorted things out.”
“Thanks.”
“So. You need a ride to Perkins, or...”
“He’s got one,” Liam says. “We’ll meet you there?”
“As long as you two aren’t gross or anything,” Bowie says, but they’re still smiling.
“Deal.”
“Come on.” I pull Liam toward the stairs. “Let’s go.”
We make it all the way to the parking lot, Liam’s hand in mine, but when we reach his car, he spins us around so he’s leaningagainst the trunk and I’m leaning against him. His hands rest at my sides; mine link behind his neck.
“I missed you,” he says.
“I missed you too.”
I’m not sure which of us starts it, but we kiss again. We kiss and kiss and kiss, right where everyone can see us, parents and teachers and friends, and I don’t care. I want everyone to know.
Liam kisses me harder, does this thing with his tongue that makes my knees go all woogedy, and I break the kiss and laugh.
“Hm, you know what I want?” he asks.
“What?”
“Mm. Onion rings.”
