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Luckily I didn’t need to know anything about the weird sex lives of single college girls. Because I was already engaged. I pressed my lips together. I mean almost engaged.

I was still wearing Axel’s leather jacket. I slid my hand into the pocket and felt the ring box. I’d really liked it when he’d called me his fiancée.

“As fun as this has been,” Axel said. “Do you maybe want to get out of here?”

“Yeah, you guys want to go for milkshakes or something?” RJ asked.

Everyone started to agree.

Axel leaned down to whisper into my ear. “I was really just talking to you.”

I laughed. Yeah, I’d gotten that. “But...milkshakes? It feels so on theme with the dance, you know? Doing the twist and then hanging out in a diner? This is kind of the perfect date night.” I smiled up at him. It also felt kind of 50s to be engaged at 17.

Axel put his arm around my shoulders. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “This is actually kind of our first date, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” I smiled up at him. Although we’d gone on lots of cute little dates when we were kids. “Who knew I was the type of girl to go to third on a first date?”

He just shook his head and pulled me into his chest.

I wrapped my arms around him. I couldn’t picture a better first date than this.

Chapter 30 – Bonnie and Clyde

Saturday

I was so full. We’d gotten a feast of milkshakes, chicken fingers, and tons of fries. Being this close to Axel again made me feel kind of like a kid. It reminded me of when we’d first dated. Because as much as I liked to tease him, I knew he was my first boyfriend. I remembered all of it.

Sophie sighed and leaned back in the booth. “The only thing that would have made tonight better was if Mr. Halifax had angry banged me.”

“Do you really want your first time with him to be angry?” I asked.

“I’ll take him however I can get him. You know I’ve even been fantasizing about him in the Empire High eagles mascot costume kind of incessantly.” She sighed. “Feathers really turn me on now. And just fur in general. Do you think Natalivanka’s mom would care if I borrowed her floor length fur coat?”

Liam scrunched up his face. “I don’t love your segue into that question. Absolutely not.”

I glanced at Jacob who was holding back a laugh.

He smiled at me.

I smiled back. It was strange how normal we suddenly were around each other again. This whole night felt like old times. Well, minus Liam’s date and Olivia being with us. I honestly had no idea why Olivia was still here. I would have felt very slighted if I was her. Parker being here wasn’t exactly normal either. She was trying to blow bubbles into her milkshake. The very big fact that I was finally dating Axel was certainly something new too. And yet...it still just felt like all of us hanging out. Like always.

I’d been so worried about going off to college next fall. Worried that we’d all drift apart. But I wouldn’t let that happen. It would always be the four of us against the world. Well, really the six of us. Liam and RJ had wormed their way into our four this year. I was going to miss them when we were a few states away.

I held up my almost empty milkshake. “Here’s to us. And the best senior and freshman years ever.”

“And the best fourth grade ever,” Parker said.

RJ mumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

“And whatever grade those other girls are in I guess.” Parker pointed to Liam’s date and Olivia.

“Hear hear,” Sophie said.

Everyone lifted their glasses in the air and clinked them together.

I took one last big sip through my straw, accidentally making a terrible slurping noise.

Parker laughed and did it too. “I’ve always wanted a sister. And you’re going to be the best sister ever.”