Jake:
It’s practically our home away from home.
Bubba:
We need cake.
Me:
Obviously.
But I was still back atweandourplace.
Bubba:
Then count us in. We have a game this weekend, then we have the homecoming game.
Archie:
We’ll make it work.
We would. We?—
Me:
Senior skip day.
There was a beat where none of them responded. A very long beat.
Bubba:
Are we changing the subject?
Me:
No, I just remembered someone said senior skip day is coming. What if we did something then? Away from here?—
Away from the “we and our house”. Because that might involve Maddy.
Archie:
What are you thinking, babe?
What was I thinking?
Thirteen years of birthdays—well this would be our thirteenth, I guessed. We’d spent nearly every single one together except the year…
Me:
Roller coasters.
The warning bell rang and I hurried into AP Euro where Jake was waiting and thankfully, Mr. G wasn’t.
Jake flashed me a grin. “Roller coasters?”
“He loves them,” I reminded him. “Remember?”
“Huh.” Jake grunted, then tapped into his phone.
