Page 121 of I Wish You All the Best

There are nights I know I should be studying, or reviewing, or doing the practice quizzes. But I can’t. Because what’s the point? When all’s said and done, I’ll barely scrape by in English, and if I never have to write another essay in my life, I’ll be very happy. I actually thought about maybe getting Nathan’s help, but we haven’t really talked much over the last two weeks.

Actually, he’s talked to me plenty, I’ve just been too selfish to respond.

That probably isn’t how I should be thinking of it, but I can’t stop myself. I have no idea what I’m going to say to him.

The rest of my classes will be easy enough. We have to take an actual exam in Art, which sucks, but I know enough about the “history” aspect of the subject to pass. Chemistry will be the real kicker since Thomas can’t give me the exam. Something about nepotism, and it not being fair. Luckily, the test is made by the state, so all I really have to do is take it in a different room than everyone else. Just three weeks.

Three whole weeks.

Three weeks to get ready to never see Nathan ever again. He brought his letter from UCLA to lunch the other day. He got in, with a pretty big scholarship too, so he’s not even going to worry about his other choices. In three weeks he’ll be getting ready for school. In two months he’ll be touring the campus, a month after that, he’ll be one of UCLA’s newest students. And I’ll be nothing but a memory.

“Hey, kid.” Hannah knocks on my door.

“Hey.” I try my best to sound casual.

“Do you have any plans tonight?” She takes a seat right on the edge of my bed. Her usual spot.

“No.” Besides wallowing in a pool of self-pity and anxiety? I don’t know what’s hit me lately, maybe the art show is still at the back of my head, and everything that Hannah told me after. It feels like my parents aren’t the people I knew anymore.

I mean, my opinion of Dad hasn’t changed that much but Mom … I thought she was different. It makes me think about everything I ever told her. If she really went behind my back like she did to Hannah.

“Do you want to do anything?”

“Not particularly.”

“Come on!” She hops off the bed and pats at my legs. “Let’s party, let’s get loose. It takes two, come on!”

“Why are you quoting Carly Rae Jepsen to me?”

“Okay, first of all she only covered that song. Secondly—” Hannah shakes her head. “Never mind, come on, you’ve sulked enough.” She reaches for my hand before she remembers the whole touching thing.

I put down my sketchbook. Not that I’ve been working on much anyway. All my Art assignments are done, and I’ve basically been painting at school nonstop since I won’t have the art room soon. “What’s gotten into you?”

Hannah sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “Okay, guys, I tried!” she shouts to no one. Or at least, I think it’s no one, until Nathan and Meleika come down the hallway.

“You call that trying?” I hear Meleika mutter.

“What are you two doing here?” I ask.

“Well, you’ve been so down lately,” Meleika says. “So we figured we’d kidnap you and take you to senior night!”

“No, thanks,” I say.

“You mean I brought this pillowcase for nothing?” Nathan eyes the thing balled up in his hands.

“I thought it might be a good idea for you to get out.” Hannah sits back on the edge of the bed. “Go have fun, be a kid for one more night.”

“Yeah, no.” I roll over on my side.

“Come on!” Nathan hops on the end of the bed. “It’ll be fun.”

“There’s bowling.” Meleika says this like it adds some kind of incentive for me to get out of bed. “And skating.” Strike two. “And everyone’s going to be there.” Strike three.

“Okay, I’m going to talk to Ben, y’all wait downstairs.” Hannah shoos them both out of my room, closing the door behind them.

“I’m not going,” I say again.

“I heard you.”