Page 2 of Follow the Rhythm
“Do not call me Jessie,” I snapped. “Especially not when you’re abandoning me for the entire summer.”
Ellis didn’t reply right away. I forced myself not to look at him.
“It’ll probably, hopefully, be longer than just the summer.”
I held my breath, like maybe if I didn’t move too much, I could reverse time and keep this whole conversation from happening. The taste of blood surprised me when I bit the inside of my cheek against the prickling of tears. I didnotcry, especially about a boy.
“Well, we’ll see. Maybe you won’t be the instant success you expect to be, and you’ll have to come crawling back.”
Ellis looked hurt, which had been the point, but then guilt hit me.
“Sorry,” I whispered. “That was a shitty thing to say.”
Ellis tilted his head. Twilight deepened the shadows under his cheekbones. He was so lovely it hurt to look at him. “Luckily, I know you didn’t mean it.”
I nodded and then looked down at my lap. “When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow,” he said softly.
“What? You’re not going to walk at graduation?” Panic throbbed in my chest.
“What’s the point? They’ll mail me my diploma.”
To stay with me for another week, I thought. Instead, I said, “True.”
“I am sorry to spring this on you; it all just happened in the last couple of days,” he said.
“It’s fine,” I said automatically. It wasn’t. I wassonot fine.
“Jess, darling, please look at me.”
I forced myself to meet his intense gaze.
“I’m going to miss you,” he said. “So much. You’re an incredible friend.”
I rolled my eyes to deflect. “I’m obviously going to miss you, too, you jerk.”
“No, seriously. You’ve been the one thing that kept me sane here with all these rich, entitled assholes,” he said. We were both scholarship students, which gave Ellis a huge chip on his shoulder and me a desperation to be the best at everything.
“Same, I have no idea what I’m going to do next year without you,” I said.
Ellis grabbed my hands and squeezed them. “I’ll text you all the time, every day,” he promised.
“You’re terrible at texting me now when you’re in the same time zone.”
“That’s just because I can see you whenever I want. We can video chat, I can tell you all about my successes, and you can brag about being the best at oil painting or charcoal or whatever,” he said earnestly.
“Okay,” I said. “Sure.”
“Work with me here, Jess,” he pleaded.
“Yes, FaceTiming will be good,” I said, exasperated. Ellis always wanted everyone to be as enthusiastic as he was.
He smiled, and my breath caught. I smiled back because how could I not? He was so excited about his future. I could be happy for him, too. Or at least pretend to be.
The moment lengthened. This happened sometimes, moments where I was sure Ellis would lean in and finally,finallykiss me.
Even now, his scent had intensified somehow. I breathed in deeply, closing my eyes and leaning forward.
