Page 77 of My Heart to Keep
I ignored them and opened the passenger door of Celia’s car.
“Quinn,” Trevor said.
“Really?” Claire whined.
“Babe, back the fuck off. I am not asking Quinn to the prom.”
She closed her mouth, pursing her red lips.
Trevor blew out a breath, seemingly frustrated. “I heard Maiken got into BC. Coach Dean told me Gonzaga made him an offer too. Which one did he decide on?”
“Let’s go,” Celia said. “We need to get there before the flapper dresses are picked through.”
I quickly bent my head down. “One sec.” Then I said to Trevor, “He accepted BC’s offer last week.” Maiken didn’t want to move to Washington, and he wanted to play for a school that was part of the ACC conference.
“Cool. I’ve been considering BC when I graduate next year. Noah is even talking about playing for BC too. I’ll catch Maiken when he comes home.”
Claire glared daggers at me.
I was tempted to hug Trevor to say thank you for keeping Claire off me, but that would only give Claire more ammunition to make my life hell, and I didn’t need the hassle. When it came to bullies, I’d been there, done that, and had gotten the T-shirt.
Instead, I slid into the passenger seat. “Oh, and Trevor, my mom’s making your favorite for dinner tonight.”
His green eyes lit up. “Roast beef? I’ll be there.”
Claire’s nostrils flared, as she turned ten shades of red.
I shut the door. “Let’s get out of here.”
Celia sped out of the school lot. “What was all that about?”
“You were right. Claire wants my head on a platter.”
“She better get hot, then. School is almost finished.”
I shrugged. “Whatever. I think I’m immune to bullies anyway. I hope there aren’t any at BC.”
I’d gotten accepted to BU and BC, and I had decided on BC for two reasons. Maiken was going to BC, which was one big reason. And I also liked the atmosphere of the college. I hadn’t received any scholarships, but I did qualify for financial aid, which was okay by me. My parents would help where they could, but I honestly didn’t want to take a dime from them. It was time I did things on my own.
“I’m sure you’ll have a Tessa or Claire at BC, but nothing like high school.” Celia had gotten accepted to Emerson, which was eight miles from BC. So we would be close and could hang out and do things together.
I watched the houses in Ashford tick by. “I’m counting the days until graduation.”
Celia slowed to a stop. “Forty-four days.”
Forty-four days until Kensington High was in my rearview mirror. Forty-four days until I said goodbye to my high school years, which had been good, bad, and ugly.
Music pounded from the speakers as the band played “Rollercoaster” by the Jonas Brothers. I stood near the bar, people watching. It was fascinating to see kids let loose and grope and dance.
The Cave was the venue of choice for our senior prom, the same club managed by Kade Maxwell, Maiken’s cousin. Kade didn’t looked thrilled to be working that night. He’d been trying to keep law and order, but some of the kids were getting a bit rowdy near the bar.
I ignored them. I suspected they’d been drinking. I’d seen a few boys take out flasks from their suit jackets. Our prom wasn’t the normal setup of previous proms. We didn’t have a punch bowl on a table. We actually had bartenders behind the bar, serving soda, water, and virgin drinks like piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris. However, Kade had removed all the liquor bottles that were normally displayed on a shelf behind the bar.
I watched Celia make a fool of herself with Noah on the dance floor. Her sparkly white flapper dress swung along with her hips. Noah couldn’t dance to save his life, but the two were having a good time.
The mood definitely gave me the sense that I was living in the Roaring Twenties, at least from some of the old movies I’d watched with my granny. Boys wore pinstripe suits. Like Celia and me, most girls wore flapper dresses, some long, some short. Their hairstyles fit the era along with their fancy hats and hair accessories.
My senior prom had officially begun. I couldn’t believe I was even there, and without Maiken. I couldn’t believe I was graduating in a few short weeks. My stomach churned with nerves and excitement. Memories of my high school days flashed before me as I held my virgin piña colada. I’d had some great times, but none greater than the day I met Maiken.
