Page 88 of The Backtrack
The neon guitar sign for Band Practice Brews flashed bright as Sam pulled into the parking lot with Pearl in the passenger seat and Bonnie and Jessie in the back. Fallen palm fronds were draped around the parking lot like obstacles in a game of Mario Kart, but Sam managed to find a spot close to the front that hadn’t been claimed by Hurricane fallout.
“It looks open,” Sam said, surprised.
“After a hurricane, people need somewhere to eat and drink,” Jessie said. “Smart of Damon to open the place up.”
Sam inhaled a steadying breath. She’d run from Damon once, but now it was her turn to prove she would never run from him again. She opened the mirror on her visor. Heavy black eyeliner? Check. Purple shimmer eyeshadow? Double check. Black lipstick? Check, check, check. “Okay, let’s go, Letos.”
Sam opened the car door and, in some ways, felt like the cooler version of her high school self. She’d parsed through her throwback closet and put on a pair of fishnet tights, a black pleated miniskirt and white button-down shirt with a plaid vest. She’d topped her look off with a skinny tie, Doc Marten combat boots and a skull necklace.
As she walked to the entrance with her mom, grandma and her grandma’s new roommate, she felt confident. Like the lead of a teen rom-com who’d taken off her glasses to reveal how hot she was. Only, in Sam’s version, she’d basically done the opposite, reverting to who she’d been in high school. But those were just details.
“Vampire girl!” Myles called out as Sam walked through the door of the bar.
Sam definitely felt like she was back at Tybee High. But now she knew who she was, and where she was going. So no assholes were about to stop her. “This vampire bites!” Sam called back, and hissed as she walked right by him.
Myles held up his hands in surrender, but Sam didn’t really care what he did, because the person she wanted to see wasn’t in the room.
“He’s not here,” Pearl said.
“He’s probably outside.” Jessie glanced out the back.
“He’ll be here,” Bonnie reassured Sam. And she smiled back at her mom.
“Is everything ready?” Sam asked her team of senior citizen assistants.
“The music is setting up,” Jessie confirmed.
“And I will get us the beers.” Pearl didn’t wait for further instruction as she approached the bar.
“You’ve got this, honey.” Bonnie gave Sam a little fist pump in the air.
Sam nodded to reassure herself. She hoped she did have this—thethisbeing Damon. But now it was the moment of truth, and there was only one way to find out if he’d jump out of the plane to see where they’d land.
When she went to the back patio, the tables were full of people eating and drinking, but Jessie found one empty high top and went to grab it. Sam scanned the crowd in search of a dark swoop of hair, but instead of Damon, she saw Marissa.
And Marissa mostdefinitelysaw her, as her mouth hung open at the mere sight of Sam. Sam gave a small wave. The confidence she’d had shrank a little at the sight of the in-real-life Disney Princess gaping at her. But she also realized that she owed Marissa an explanation, and maybe an apology. Sam moved through the people milling around tables until she reached Marissa’s.
Marissa sat with a handful of other women, all of whom eyed Sam like she was the most obvious Where’s Emo Waldo. Sam figured it was on her to cut the tension. “Hey, Marissa,” she said. “Good to see you.”
“I barely recognized you,” she said with a laugh. “But now I totally remember you from high school.”
“Yeah.” Sam held up her hands and let them fall down the length of her. “This is me.”
“I’m not sure where Damon is, if that’s who you’re looking for.” Marissa crossed her arms, not exactly happy about that statement.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for how that ended between you two,” Sam said. “I never meant—”
“Oh, don’t be.” Marissa took a sip from her beer. “I want to be with a guy who looks at me the way he looked at you.”
“You will,” Sam quickly said. “I’m serious. You smell like glitter, if that’s even possible.”
Marissa chuckled. “Thanks.”
And then, just behind Marissa, the dark swoop of hair appeared. Sam’s mouth opened to call out his name just as he clocked her. A surprised grin crossed his face as he came out from the bar and onto the back patio.
“Sam-Sam,” he said as he reached her. “I thought I might be having a vision there for a second.”
“I’ll take that to mean Ilooklike a vision.” She grabbed his hand and led him toward the stage where Fall Out Troy had performed. When they got in front of the stage, she turned to face him. “You asked me if history was going to repeat itself. And while I’m dressed in my old clothes, I want you to know that you’re the only person who’s ever really known me. You loved me even when I wore these stockings.” Sam pulled at a piece of the fishnets for emphasis. “You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted to be with. And when I saw you again, I realized that I’d been waiting for you all this time. We were always meant to be together, Damon. We just had to become who we are now before we ever stood a chance.”
