Page 191 of Missed Notes (Rixon High 5)

“Surprise!” The girls shrieked when I entered the kitchen.

“Why aren’t you two at the show?” I frowned.

Poppy rolled her eyes, mildly offended. “As if we’d leave you at home and all go off to the show without you.”

“But—”

“Pops is right, Sofe. We are having some quality girl time.”

“We are?”

“Yep. But we need to leave now if we want to make it in time.”

“Make it where exactly? You know I have to be extra careful—”

“Relax, we’ve got you.” Poppy smiled. “But we really do need to go.”

“You girls have fun,” Dad said. “But not too much fun.”

“Ash.” Mom rolled her eyes. “Sofia is quite capable of acting responsibly.”

“I know. It’s not Sofe I’m worried about.” He pinned Poppy with a knowing look.

“Mr. B. You wound me.” She flashed him a cheeky smile.

“We’ll see you later, bye.”

“Bye, sweetheart. Have fun.”

My parents waved me off in that embarrassing way of theirs, as if their little girl was going out into the big wide world for the first time. But I got it. Things could have ended a lot differently for me. They could have lost me. So I liked to cut them a little slack.

“Are you excited?” Poppy asked as we hopped into her car.

“I would be if someone told me what’s going on.”

“And ruin the big surprise? Cole spent—”

“Pops!” Ashleigh said.

“Oops sorry.” She grinned at me, backing out of my driveway.

I took note of the route, frowning when she headed out of town. “We’re leaving Rixon?”

Huh.

Maybe we were going to visit our friend Peyton in Halston. But we didn’t take the road for Halston. Instead, Poppy turned down a dirt road.

“A drive-in movie?” I asked, realizing where we were.

“You could say that,” she murmured.

But then something caught my eye, and my frown deepened.

“Uh, why is your sister and her boyfriend here?” I asked Poppy, staring at Lily and Kaiden as they stood talking to some of our other friends. Peyton. Carrie-Anne and her boyfriend Bryan. His friend Gavin and his girlfriend Pen. Ashleigh and Ezra were there too, and my brother.

“But… I don’t understand.” I scanned the field half-expecting Cole to emerge from somewhere, only he didn’t.

“Come on.” Poppy cut the engine and climbed out. Ashleigh too. But I was too confused to move.

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