Page 125 of The Kissing Booth
‘So are you guys going to try long-distance?’
‘Yeah. At least, we think so. For now. I don’t know, Lee – we could both change our minds by the end of summer. But we said we’d try.’
‘Just remember what I told you, alright? If it doesn’t work out, I’m here to pick up the pieces.’
I reached over and squeezed his hand. He squeezed mine back.
I was glad that school was out for the summer. It meant that I didn’t have to constantly deal with questions about me and Noah. Of course, the girls called, and I spoke to them, told them the sort of details they wanted to know. I expected to get sick of it, but I didn’t – I was happy to talk about Noah. I was happy because I loved him.
Although there was another very pressing matter that everybody was talking about: our costume party.
I was on a three-way call with Karen and Olivia discussing the party.
‘If you have to,’ I told them, laughing, ‘just throw on a dress and call yourself a Bond girl.’
‘I may have to do that,’ Olivia said. ‘I ordered my costume the other day and it still hasn’t been shipped yet.’
‘What’re you and Lee going as, anyway?’ Karen asked. ‘I know you told us at some point, but I can’t remember. My internet’s been playing up all week.’
‘Robin,’ I told her, smiling.
‘Robin as in Batman and Robin?’
‘Yup. Lee’s Batman.’
‘I guessed that much,’ Karen laughed.
My cell started to vibrate in my hand, and I pulled it away from my ear to look at it. ‘Sorry, guys, I gotta go.’
‘Which one is it?’ Olivia asked.
‘Sorry?’
‘Which Flynn brother?’ Karen clarified. ‘It’s got to be one of them.’
I chuckled. ‘It’s Noah.’
They both chorused, ‘Oo-ooh!’ down the phone at me, and I laughed before saying goodbye to them. Then I nestled against the pillows on my bed and a smile spread over my face when I heard Noah’s voice. We didn’t talk about anything in particular, but that didn’t matter; as long as I was talking to him, I was happy.
So this is what love does to people, I thought as Noah told me about the football program at Harvard.It really does turn people into saps.
Because quite honestly, I couldn’t have given a damn about anything football-related; but Noah sounded so excited, I found myself hanging on his every word, wanting him to tell me more.
Love had turned me into even more of a fool than I already was.
But you know what?I thought, a smile spreading over my face.I don’t even care.
‘Wow,’ I said, getting up from my seat. ‘I can’t actually believe this year’s over.’
‘Tell me about it. Even weirder, though’ – Lee elbowed me and jerked his head toward the platform, where the teachers were clearing the chairs – ‘next year, that’ll be us graduating.’
‘Now thatisweird.’
‘Seems like only yesterday we were just little kids, huh? Going to soccer camp, baseball camp... The costume parties...’
I laughed. ‘Yeah, well, we’re kids at heart.’ I looked around, peering through the swarm of dark blue robes for the familiar dark hair and crooked nose. Lee and Noah’s parents had already gone off to find Noah and congratulate him on graduating.
‘I’m just glad he made it here,’ their mom had sighed as we’d sat down. ‘I thought he’d be expelled before we saw him graduate. And now Harvard next year...’ There was no denying the pride in her voice as she said that though.
