Page 146 of Missed Notes (Rixon High 5)

“Sofe, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I met Ashleigh’s gaze in the rearview mirror and gave her a weak smile.

“Are you excited for tomorrow? I can’t wait to see Cole play. Is he nervous?”

“I don’t think so. He’s a natural.”

“I can’t believe you’re dating a football playeranda rock star.” She chuckled, but the joke was lost on me.

Cole was… he was just Cole to me.

It didn’t matter if he played football or guitar or preferred gaming or building Legos. It was who he was inside that mattered.

“You’re falling for him,” Leigh said.

“I….”

“Oh my God.” Poppy swung around, poking her head through the gap between the seats. “Have you said it to each other yet?”

“Pops, come on,” I murmured.

“We’re your best friends, babe, you can talk to us about this stuff.”

“I know that, but it’s still new, Pops.”

“When you know, you know.” She shrugged.

“Easy for you to say, you’ve been in love with my brother forever.”

“She has a point,” Ashleigh added, taking the turn for school.

The two of them launched into a debate about the exact moment Poppy had realized she loved Aaron, but I tuned them out. Everything was happening so fast, and I was trying to enjoy it. I was. But it was so hard not to look ahead, to think about all the what-ifs and maybes.

Before I knew it, Ashleigh had found a parking spot and cut the engine. “I’m so glad it’s Friday, senior classes are no joke.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her if she remembered anything from her first time around in senior year, but Ashleigh had decided not to dwell on what she couldn’t remember, choosing to only look forward.

I admired her. Her resilience and strength. The way she’d chosen not to live in the past and to embrace her future.

“Shall we all head there together tomorrow night?”

“Actually, I’m going with Cole and the guys.”

“Quite the groupie, aren’t we?” Poppy snickered.

“We’ll meet you there,” Leigh said. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Jeez, I’m only joking,” Poppy murmured.

Ashleigh shot me an apologetic look. Did she sense it? That something was wrong with me?

That I was lying?

We all climbed out of the car. Poppy got a text and whatever was on the screen had her eyes lighting up.

“Let me guess, Aaron?” Ashleigh asked.

“They just finished practice. He wants to meet up.”

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