Page 3 of Meet Me in the Vines
“Audrey, honey!” My grandparents push through the crowd as I run towards them.
“Gran! Pop!”
“Oh honey, congratulations! We are so proud of you,” Gran beams, oozing with pride. She hugs me tight while Pop rests his hand on my shoulder and waits for his turn.
“She’s right, kid. We are so proud of you. How about we get home and dig into your favorite cake to celebrate?” Pop asks, knowing cake is my weakness. Any dessert, really. My gran is the best baker. I’d give my kidney for her chocolate cake.
My eyes light up, and I hold them both tight, my arms around their waists as we head toward the gym exit. “That sounds amazing. But after, I may have plans...” I mumble.
Pop tilts his head to the side at my words and lifts one of his eyebrows. “Plans, huh?” I look up at him, smiling.
“Mhmm.”
Gran gives me a mischievous grin. “Does this plan include a boy?” she teases. Gran and Pop raised me for as long as I can remember. My mother died giving birth to me, so Gran has always been the motherly figure in my life. She’d lend an ear when I’d talk about boys or have questions about love. She always knows the right things to say.
“Maybe,” I sing, smiling at them both. “Donovan King invited me to his grad party. I think I’m going to go.”
We pause at their car. “I never get to go to parties, and he invited me…personally.” I look down, smiling, thinking back to the moment he found me in the crowd.
My grandparents give each other a look and nod. “Well, kid, you’re eighteen after all, and it is your graduation. As long as you don’t drink and drive, you should go have fun with your classmates and celebrate,” Pop says with a smirk. He always inserts the safety quip, but it makes me love him more for it.
I give them both a kiss on the cheek and squeeze them tight. “Thank you. I’ll meet you both back at the house for cake,” I chirp. We wave each other off, and I grab my keys and head towards my car.
My phone vibrates in the pocket of my dress, and I grab it, thankful for the saint who decided women deserve pockets too. I flash a huge smile as I answer the phone. “Heyyy Tia!” I beam.My best friend screeches happily into the phone, causing me to flinch at the piercing decibel of her voice. Ever since she moved, it’s been the hardest two years without her.
“Congrats on graduating, bitch!” she shouts, grunting like a linebacker at the word bitch. I laugh, shaking my head at her crassness, but honestly? I love her special way of showing affection. “Well, thisbitchgot invited to the hottest party in town,” I say proudly, like it’s the biggest accomplishment outside of my 4.0 GPA.
“Would it happen to be Donovan King’s party?” she croons. I can hear Tia’s smile on the other end of the line.How the hell did she know about the party?She continues, as if reading my mind. “It’s all over social media, Audrey. If I lived closer, I’d totally be there! It sounds like the entire town is going.”
I feel a small pang in my chest when she says that. Like my personal invite isn’t special anymore because apparently the whole town is going to be there.
I sigh. “Oh, well, you know I don’t do social media, so I wouldn’t have known.” Trying not to sound hurt. Ever since my dad made headlines in the paper when I was thirteen, I made the choice to stay off social media once I got older. The kids at school were already whispering around me, gossiping about my family and the drama behind it all. I didn’t need to read it on the internet either. Tia knows that.
“Look, I love you and just wanted to congratulate you on finishing high school. I wish I were there to celebrate with you. I miss you so much, Auds.” My heart sinks.
I fumble with my keys and slide into the driver’s seat.
“I miss you too, bitch.”
We both laugh and sigh at the same time, which makes us laugh even harder. “I wish you were here too, T. Thank you for calling. It means the world. I have to head back to eat cake with my grandparents, but I’ll Skype you tomorrow, okay?”
“I can’t wait. And get some dick tonight at the King’s!”
She really knows how to get to the point.
“Aye aye, Captain,” I huff out a laugh, turning on the ignition.
“Love you, Auds, talk to you later.”
“Bye, T. Love you more.”
I pull out of the parking lot as the call ends and watch the grape-laden hills rise and fall outside my window as I drive back to the family winery.
It looks like a tornado went through my room. There are clothes everywhere, and it’s already 7:00 p.m., which means I am late.
“Ugh, nothing looks good on me!” I cry out in frustration and toss another not-quite-right top on the floor.
There’s a faint knock at the door. “Audrey, sweetheart, may I come in?” Gran asks sweetly.
