Page 81 of As You Walk On

Luca waits for my response.

If I’m being honest, I want to go home and crawl under my sheets. Stay there until graduation. Forget I just had a falling-out with my best friend. That myotherbest friend is ghosting my texts. That I might’ve thrown a major wrench in The Plan since, if Jay and I aren’t talking, there’s no chance Mr.Scott will write me a recommendation letter for Duke.

On top of the fact that prom is a lost cause.

But even after everything, I don’t want the night to end.

Ilikebeing around this group. Weird, but true.

“Fine,” I groan, unable to sell the fake annoyance in my voice when my mouth keeps ticking upward. “But I don’t want to hear a peep when I add ketchup to my hash browns.”

16

LEAN ON YOUR FRIENDS

The second Istart up Makayla’s SUV, the Bluetooth syncs with her phone and the interior is flooded with a stripped-down, emo-lite pop song. It’s just... sad. My eyes widen at Makayla in the rearview.

“What the in T. Swiftie nonsense is this?” Aleah groans from behind me, clicking her seat belt.

“Fucking Luca,” Makayla grumbles, rapidly scrolling through her phone to change the song. She leans forward, head popping between me and Luca. “Hemade that playlist.” She jabs him in the shoulder.

“Ow!” Luca flinches away. “¡Basta! You like that song too.”

Makayla flops back into the middle back seat as I ease onto the road.

I chance a glimpse at Luca. He’s pouting but blushing too. The urge to once again question his musical taste is abandoned once the GPS starts calling out directions. I’m in a foreign neighborhood,at night, and don’t want to risk ending up in Indiana or something.

“You’re dying to dunk on me, aren’t you?” Luca asks when I stop at a red light.

A laugh leaps from my mouth. He pokes my shoulder playfully.

I almost miss the light turning green, too captivated by Luca’s stare.

I want to kiss him again.

Luckily, I’m saved from accidentally blurting that out loud by the crooning coming from behind us.

A throwback Lady Gaga song is playing. Makayla and Aleah’s voices are a perfect mismatch. I’ve heard Makayla sing in school plays. She has a nice, made-for-musicals tone that could easily transition into a pop music career. But I haven’t listened to Aleah in forever. Her voice is confident. It doesn’t crack on the high notes like when she was younger. It’s this rich, full alto.

I think she’s holding back. Like she could do more.

In the rearview, Aleah leans into Makayla. Their laughter interrupts the cacophony of their harmony. I want to ask Aleah if she’s going to pursue singing after high school.

Would she be mad if I wanted her to?

We come to a four-way stop. Flashing blue lights ahead bounce off the windshield, forcing me to squint. Instinctively, my hands move into the proper positioning on the wheel. I confirm my seat belt is fastened. Sit taller, perfect posture. I have a smile at the ready if needed. In the mirror, Aleah does the same. I wonder if her heart is thumping like mine.

Never give them a reason to look at you the wrong way. To think you’ve done something, Dad’s said to me since I was oldenough to ride in the passenger seat.They’ll find a reason, but nevergivethem one.

Them. The police.

As I cruise by, staying just under the speed limit, uniformed officers circle two vehicles on the side of the road. There’s been an accident. One car crashed into a brick mailbox. The other slammed into a sugar maple tree, the front end crushed.

“Oof. That’s brutal,” comments Luca. He cranes his neck. “Hope everyone’s okay.”

Red and white lights are approaching from behind. The first blare of the ambulance’s siren is matched by a sharp inhale from the back seat. I almost swerve at the noise.

It’s River.

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