Wednesday, May 11th, Afternoon: Olivia

While day two wasn’t as strenuous as day one, it was still a longday. Especially spending as many hours as I did in Mr. Williams’s presence. I’m not sure which was the most oppressive, him or the heat. I saw Leo a few times during the day but never had a chance to talk to him again, and I’m surprised by how bummed out that makes me.

I’m dying to retrieve my phone from Charlie. He’s got some explaining to do.

Almost every social media post shows him riding a mechanical bull and screaming Yeehaw! I mean, it’s everywhere! So much for him staying in the car in front of Danlee’s house.

But I’m also dying to see if Leo texted me. If Charlie had figured out L was Leo instead of Locke, I definitely would have heard about it by now.

Nonna sent out a text to everyone this morning about family dinner, since Uncle Michael is in town, and then Wes reminded us about Judd’s musical debut at Superior, and I could cry just thinking about how long it’ll be before I get to go to bed.

Family dinner. Don’t know if I have the energy for that. But Leo will probably be at dinner, too, since he’s staying with the Evil Joes, and that makes me feel…excited? Nervous? A little of both?

But then, the Evil Joes will be there, and Charlie, Sophie, and Wes, and I’m back to wanting to crawl into bed until tomorrow. How did everything get more complicated?

Charlie is waiting for me at my house when I pull up. He’s on the front porch and meets me at my car the second I put it in park.

“Take it. I’m done. Out. Off the clock.” He’s shoving my phone in my hand before I’m even out of the car. “I love Aunt Lisa, I really do, but I need to be done for the day.”

I roll my eyes, trading phones with him. “Lightweight.”

His shrugs, shaking his head. “I’ll take it. I’m a lightweight. You’re the queen.”

“Looks like you put on quite the show at the party,” I say.

He’s beaming. “That was insane! Did you see it?” He’s bouncing up and down, he’s so excited.

I punch him in the arm. “Of course I did! Everyone did! Your phone has been blowing up all afternoon.”

He swipes it open and starts checking his messages as he walks away. His laugh floats down the street as he reads them all, and I’m afraid his head is going to be too big to make it through Nonna’s back door by dinnertime. “Bianca definitely looked five-flame-emojis hot! Good call!” he calls over his shoulder. “Heading to Wes’s, then going to Nonna’s. Don’t forget about family dinner!”

“Apparently, you’re the one who needs reminding! The other half of your texts today were from every family member telling you not to forget about tonight,” I yell back.

All he does is wave his hand in the air and keep walking.

Dragging myself inside, I collapse on the couch in the den. I may never leave this spot.

My phone vibrates. It’s Mom. She’s actually calling instead of texting and I’m thankful I got here when I did.

“Hey,” I say when I answer.

“You sound tired,” she says.

If she only knew. “Not too bad. How’s it going down there?”

“Oh, fine. Just a lot of long days staring at numbers. Hoping to wrap it up Friday morning and head back.”

I’m glad she can’t see my expression because…Friday morning?! If she leaves too early, I may not be done at the course before she pulls into town.

“That’s great,” I say, with as much enthusiasm as I can muster.

She talks and talks and I reply when an “Uh-huh” isn’t enough.

“Well, I’m about to jump in the shower and then head to Nonna’s,” I say.

“I heard Michael has brought a special someone to town! Can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks about him!”

Poor Uncle Michael’s boyfriend. He has no idea what he’s getting into.

Once I finally get off the call with Mom, I check my phone for texts I missed today, of course starting with Leo.

There are a couple of texts back and forth before Leo came and found me during my lunch break, but nothing new since then, and that’s more disappointing than I thought it would be. Ignoring the rest, I head up to my room for a shower. Within thirty minutes, I’m on the way to Nonna’s, and by the line of cars down the street, most everyone is already here. My mom should be the only sibling missing tonight, and Jake, Graham, and Margot should be the only cousins not here.

Chaosis the only word to describe my grandparents’ house on family dinner night. And Nonna loves every minute of it.

I sneak in the back door…or at least I think I sneak in, but I hear a chorus of greetings the second I’m inside.

Nonna makes a beeline to me, squeezing me tight in a big hug. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”

So dramatic.

“I saw you on Sunday night,” I answer as I hug her back. “And I was here the other day, but you were out. We had pizza!”

“Yes, I know, I heard all about it. We usually don’t go so long between visits, though. I missed you.”

She’s laying it on thick. Sophie clued me in that Nonna knows something is going on, so I’m not surprised by the attention right now. Nonna’s a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out the truth in this family.

“It’s a crazy week! So many parties.” And then I pry myself away from her by saying, “Oh! There’s Uncle Michael!”

Uncle Michael is the only one of Mom’s siblings who hasn’t gotten married yet, and in my family that is A BIG DEAL, all caps. Nonna lets me go and I head straight toward him. I am really happy to see him, since he hasn’t been to town in forever. He throws open his arms when he spots me heading his way. I don’t play favorites with family members, but if I did…Wait, I take that back. Who am I kidding? Of course I play favorites. And he’s one of my top picks.

“Olivia!” he says as he wraps me in a hug. “I was about to walk down to your house and drag you back here.”

I take a minute or so longer than necessary holding him close. “I’m glad you’re here.” My voice breaks on the last word.

He pulls back and looks at me, concern on his face. And I’m shocked by the water gathering in my eyes.

“Everything okay?” he whispers. “Want to go find a spot to talk?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m good. Just happy to see you.” I can tell he knows there’s more, but he doesn’t push. It’s one of the reasons I love him. Whenever he’s in town, we go to movies or grab dinner or hang out here at Nonna’s. He’s more like a big brother than an uncle to me.

He pulls me to the side, keeping his arm around me. “Olivia, I want you to meet Tim. Tim, this is my niece, Olivia.”

I can tell by Uncle Michael’s face that Tim is someone special. I like him immediately.

“He’s told me all about you! Salutatorian! Congrats,” Tim cheers. And now I could really cry.

Uncle Michael and Tim are getting pulled away by Aunt Ayin to meet my cousin Sara, but Uncle Michael squeezes my hand before he goes and says, “Come find me later so we can talk.”

I give him a small smile and he’s gone.

Okay. Time to snap out of it. This is not the place to get emotional. Nonna can sniff that out like a shark with blood in the water. And no matter what, I can’t tell Uncle Michael what’s going on, because as much as I don’t want to disappoint Mom and Dad, I don’t want to disappoint him either.

Nonna yells above the chatter, “Everyone make a plate and find a seat!”

I let the crowd thin out before moving down the buffet Nonna has set out on the counter. My hands full with my plate and a bottle of water, I spy Charlie, Wes, and Sophie across the room at one of the folding tables that gets dragged out when everyone is here.

Charlie is waving me over. “Hurry up. We need to fill this table before the Evil Joes get here,” he says, then calls out to his sister, Sara, and our cousins Banks and Hannah.

Finally, every seat is taken and Charlie lets out a sigh of relief just as the Evil Joes march in through the back door. They are always late and Sophie swears they just like making an entrance.

Leo is right behind them.

Wes leans to the left so he can see past Sophie. “He’s still in town?”

Sophie turns around. “Well, I guess so. There he is.”

Wes throws his roll at her and she throws it right back, hitting him square in the forehead.

I act like Leo and I haven’t been texting, and like we don’t talk every chance we get when we’re at the golf course. I act like I don’t know exactly where he is at any given moment in this crowded room.

Leo and the Evil Joes end up at one of the tables on the other side of the room, but he’s sitting directly in my line of vision.

It is unsettling!

And when we do make eye contact, I think he’s trying to hide as much as I am.

He’d get as much pushback from the Joes as I would from my side, and he knows it. They didn’t want to share him with us back then, so there’s no way they want to share him with us now.

My phone on the table vibrates with a text. Charlie’s eyes go straight to it and I’m thankful it’s facedown.

I slide it toward me, not turning it over until it’s in my lap.

“Who’s that?” he asks.

If the heat coming off them is any indication, my cheeks are in full bloom when I see the letter L on the screen.

“Bailey,” I say.

He gives me an “Uh-huh” like he doesn’t believe me.

I swipe open the message, making sure no one else can read it.

L:Hey! What’s up? I’m eating dinner with my host family and they are much louder than I remember

I can’t stop the laugh that pops out.

“I don’t remember Bailey being that funny,” Charlie says. He’s got his eagle eye on me, watching my every move.

“She’s hilarious,” I say. Then I text Leo back.

ME:How strange! I’m eating with my family and they are also very loud!

Since Charlie is watching me, I don’t look up at Leo but instead watch those three dots move and wait for his next text.

L:We have so much in common it’s unreal

ME:How did you finish today? I thought I would see you but you were gone when I made the final round with Williams.

L:Holding my same place but I need to improve tomorrow

ME:I feel like you can do it!

I can’t help it. I find him across the room and he’s looking my way, too. Charlie is still watching me, but from where he’s sitting, Leo is blocked by Uncle Sal and Uncle Marcus.

“It looks like Uncle Michael is really happy,” Sophie says. “Hopefully we won’t scare Tim off.”

“Nonna would drag him back by his ear if he tries to run away,” Charlie says.

Wes checks his watch. “We need to leave in about thirty minutes to catch the opening of Judd’s band.”

I chuckle. “Judd’s band. I can’t believe that’s even a thing.”

Hannah leans closer. She’s Uncle Sal’s oldest daughter and just graduated from college last year. “Where are y’all going? To listen to a band?”

“Yeah, you want to come?” Wes asks. “The more people we bring, the better.”

“Sure, I’m in. I’ll see if Uncle Michael and Tim want to come, too. They may need a breather from Nonna.”

She gets up with her empty plate and takes it to the sink before heading to the table across the room. Uncle Michael and Tim are sitting with the Evil Joes and I can tell the moment Charlie realizes what’s about to happen.

“No. No. No. No, Hannah, no,” he whispers. And sure enough, she has the entire table’s attention. And they’re all nodding along. Hannah turns back to Wes and calls from across the room, “They’re all in!”

It’s like a caravan from Nonna’s to Superior. Even a few of my other uncles and aunts are joining us. Judd is going to be thrilled.

It takes a few laps around the parking lot before we can find a spot, and I’m wondering if this crowd knows what’s in store. I mean, I’m not saying Judd can’t play the drums, but I’ve known him a long time and I’ve never even seen him beat a pencil against his desk with any kind of rhythm.

Our group walks in and Judd jumps up and yells “Messina family! Yes!” He gestures us to a table he reserved for us on the patio near the stage, but it’s clear there aren’t enough chairs. He should have known better.

Charlie and Wes help him drag more over, and now there are about twelve chairs around a table built for six. It’s tight.

And of course, Leo ends up right across from me. Except this time, there’s only about five feet separating us. I bet if I slid my foot forward, it would run right into his.

Charlie pulls up one more chair and boxes me in with it.

“Who’s this for?” I ask, since everyone has a seat. “Bianca?”

He has a weird expression, then jumps up and drags an additional chair to the table, so now there’s two of them. “I don’t know. In case extras show up.”

A waitress quickly puts chips and salsa on the table and takes our order. Since we just ate, we stick to drinks, with those who are old enough getting the margaritas this restaurant is famous for.

Bianca shows up just as the first round is served and slides into the chair right next to Charlie. She eyes the empty chair and starts to push it away so she has a little more room, but he stops her.

“We may need it,” he shouts over the band’s warm-up.

The band is ready to start, and Judd beats his drumsticks together, counting them down to the opening of their first song. He looks very professional and we are all duly impressed.

The band is…not good. But they aren’t horrible either. Given a few more weeks of practice, they could actually be decent. I feel sure one of the other members of the band must have a relative who owns this place and that’s how they got the gig.

But Charlie and Wes cheer for them like it’s the Jonas Brothers up there, loud squeals and all.

“How’d they get the name Wilder Blue?” Hannah asks.

Charlie rolls his eyes. “The lead singer lives in a blue house on Wilder. They practice in the garage.”

After the first couple of songs, they seem to settle down a bit and it’s a little better. Or we’ve gotten used to them.

Charlie keeps checking out the door where we came in. Enough so that it’s obvious.

“Who are you waiting for?” I ask.

He shakes me off, but his gaze keeps bouncing from the stage to the door and back again.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” I say to no one in particular, and head to a back hall in the main restaurant. There’s a line, but it moves pretty fast. When I come out of the ladies’ room, Leo is right there. I do a quick check but don’t recognize anyone around him.

“Don’t worry, no one on the off-limits list is nearby,” he says. It was so loud on the patio that it seems weird to be able to hear him so clearly right now.

I move away from the line, farther down the hall, and he follows right behind me.

“I was looking forward to running into you here. But I was hoping for a little less of a crowd.” His grin is a little lopsided and my heart goes to fluttering. I’m leaning against the wall and he’s close. Close enough that I can see little specks of gold in those brown eyes.

“Yeah, it seems I’m always surrounded by family.” Is my voice breathless? Oh God, I think it is.

“That’s the main thing I remember about you. Always with…Look at me about to go off-limits.” He jokes and I swear he’s an inch closer.

A loud group of women turns the corner, headed for the bathroom, and we both jump. Leo’s hand grips the back of his neck and he looks a little frustrated. Then that one eyebrow rises, so of course I have to match it.

The look he gives me is worth the risk of being discovered by my family.

I’m still staring into his eyes when his hand slides into mine and he pulls me down the hall and out the side door. It’s dark and quiet out here. Judd’s band is muffled and it makes them sound better than they are. And once again, my back is to the wall and he’s standing in front of me. But this time not as close as I’d like.

“Look,” I say, blowing out a long breath and a ton of my own frustration. “I know you probably think it’s dumb that I want to…not hide this…that’s not what I’m trying to do. I mean, whatever this is…and I’m not saying it’s anything…it’s just so much easier if…you know who…we keep them out of it. I mean, you know what I mean.”

He’s laughing. Hard. I hang my head because I’m embarrassed by the flood of nonsense that just poured out of my mouth.

But then he’s there. Arms around me, the top of my head resting against his chest. And he’s talking quietly in my ear.

“I’ve never been around you without them. Any of them. Except for this week. And I like it. I like that I don’t have to share you right now. I like that this is just ours and not theirs, too. Whatever this is. It doesn’t have to be anything. Or it can be something.”

My hands come up and I grab on to his biceps, making sure he doesn’t step away too soon. Because I like this. A lot. But I’m also still a little embarrassed and it’s easier to have him this close and not have to look at him.

“Okay,” I mumble. I want to say more, but then I also want to keep everything I’m feeling to myself.

“Do you have to stay? Or could we leave?”

I finally pull back and meet his gaze. “Where would we go?”

He checks his watch. “I have about an hour before I need to get some sleep so I’m ready for tomorrow. And if I have a choice, I’d rather spend that hour somewhere a little quieter talking to you than in there listening to that band with half your family.”

I’m chewing on my bottom lip, trying to figure out how we can both leave here without anyone knowing.

And as if he can read my mind, he says, “I already told the girls I was leaving. They know I wouldn’t stay here long since I have to play tomorrow. You could go make an appearance at the table while I wait out here for an Uber. I’ll text you when it gets here.”

When I think about what I would like to do for the next hour, hanging out with Leo sounds like a pretty good choice.

“I drove, so I’ll meet you at my car. Give me five minutes.” I don’t stay long enough to hear his answer or change my mind.

Judd’s band is taking a break and Judd is sitting in the extra chair Charlie pulled up earlier.

“I don’t know him and I’m not texting him,” Judd says to Charlie as I walk up to the table.

“I can’t believe he’s not here,” Charlie says, then jumps when he sees me. “Oh, hey!” And then he looks at the door again. I’m clearly missing something, but with Charlie, I don’t even try to figure it out.

“Y’all sound so good!” I say to Judd. “I had no idea you could play the drums.”

He wiggles his eyebrows. “Just wait until the next set. I have a solo.”

“You’re singing?” Sophie yells.

Judd holds up his drumsticks. “No. A drum solo.”

“Oh, that’s good,” she says, and relaxes back in her seat.

I lean forward so Wes and Sophie can hear me, too. “I’m heading out. I’m so tired and have to do it all again tomorrow.”

Wes is shaking his head. “This is the second night in a row you’re bailing on us.”

I shrug. “Sorry. Can’t do it.”

Charlie looks really torn. “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. Can y’all catch a ride?”

“Yeah, for sure,” Sophie answers.

Uncle Michael gets up from his seat and comes around the table. “Are you leaving?”

“Yes, I’m tired. Heading home.”

He puts an arm around me and pulls me close. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I give him a big hug. “I swear. All good.” And then I get out of here before he offers to ride home with me.

“Text me that you made it home!” Sophie yells as I walk away from the table.

Leo is leaning against my car when I make it to the parking lot. “I thought for a second you’d changed your mind.”

“You know how hard it is to break away from that group. Lots of good-byes.”

I unlock my car and we slide inside. “So where to?” I could offer for us to go back to my house since no one’s there, but that seems a little more than what we are right now.

“Ice cream?” he asks.

“Oh, that sounds good.”

There’s a Baskin-Robbins not far from here. They have bright pink metal picnic tables out front and my absolute favorite flavor—peanut butter and chocolate.

Once we’re inside and it’s our turn to order, Leo has to try three or four samples before deciding what he wants. And he doesn’t even pick one of the flavors he taste-tested.

“Weirdo,” I say, and I swear the girl behind the counter wants to agree with me.

After a short back-and-forth between us, he pays for the ice cream after he reminds me I paid for the Uber last night so it’s only fair.

Luckily there’s an empty picnic table, and we sit across from each other.

“I’m guessing you’re the kind who thinks he’s going to get something different but always ends up with the same flavor every time,” I tease.

He’s smirking. It’s cute. “I definitely like trying new things,” he says. And then adds, “But I also like coming back to one I know is a favorite. Makes me appreciate it more.”

And I’m not 100 percent sure we’re still talking about ice cream.

“You’re in Baton Rouge now?” I need to steer us to a safer subject.

“Actually, St. Francisville.”

“Do you like it?”

A big spoonful of ice cream disappears into his mouth, and he shrugs instead of answering. Then he says, “I would have rather we’d stayed here. I liked it here, liked our house, my friends, my school. It’s okay down there, but even after all these years, I still feel like the new kid. I guess that’s why I really got into golf. It became my thing. And if I do well in this tournament, it will make a huge difference for me, since a spot on the team would also include help with tuition. I really need that.”

I think about how important my own scholarships are to my family. It does make a huge difference.

“I can’t even imagine what it would be like moving somewhere I didn’t know anyone,” I say. “My entire life I’ve been surrounded by family. Not a day goes by that I don’t see at least half a dozen of them. Sometimes I think it might be nice to get away. Go where everyone doesn’t know everything about you.”

He rests his elbows on the table, his hands stretching out close to mine with his huge cup of mint chocolate chip between them. “And I just wish I could come back.”

“But I guess change is coming for both of us. By fall, we’ll all be somewhere new,” I say, twirling my spoon through my ice cream.

“You know, the other night at Nonna’s, I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was when I heard all of you are headed to LSU. I thought at least one of you would go somewhere else just to be different. My money was on Sophie, actually.”

I laugh. “Yeah, she has a whole list of places she applied to. Charlie still gives her a hard time about it.”

“So even though you’re headed off to college, the gang will all be there,” he says.

I lift one eyebrow, going for my sternest look. “We’re not talking about the gang, are we?”

He tries not to smile but fails miserably. “No. We are not.”

“Tell me some inside golf stuff. Something juicy,” I say.

“Oh, the tales I could tell.”

“Spill it!”

“Okay, so, this one time in eighth grade…”

We sit here for another hour while he tells me story after story. With the same group of people all showing up at the same tournaments over and over, of course there would be stories. Stories of parents cheating by throwing their kid’s ball back in from the out-of-bounds areas, stories of hookups between players from different schools and the not-so-private locations these hookups took place. Stories of tantrums and runaway golf carts and fights. But also stories of nail-biting finishes and pranks at hotels and sneaking into country-club pools after hours.

“I think you found your family,” I finally say. “Even though some of them sound like complete lunatics, they’re your people. I mean, I’m surrounded by a few lunatics, too. Nothing wrong with it.”

He seems to consider this a minute. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Never really thought about them like that. Just thought about all the things I missed at my school, like football games and parties on the weekends.”

My face scrunches up. “Oh yeah, that’s a little rough.”

“Weekends are prime golfing time,” he says, but doesn’t look too torn up about it. “It’s one reason I agreed to go to that party last night. I didn’t want to miss out on everything.”

“But you left early!”

He shrugs. “I’d been there long enough.” Now he won’t look at me. Instead he checks his phone and notices the time. “As much as I hate it, I really need to call it a night.”

I’m standing up, grabbing my empty cup and spoon and taking them to the nearby trash can. “No, I’m with you. I have to be there at seven thirty in the morning.”

Back in my car, we pull up in front of the Evil Joes’ house.

“Thanks for the ice cream,” I say.

“Thanks for ditching the band with me.”

I gesture toward the house. “I could say something really funny right now, but I’m refraining, since it would break the off-limits rule.”

Leo chuckles. “I can only guess…. Welcome to the gates of hell?”

“You said it! Not me!” I lean toward him and push his arm, laughing, and he catches my hand in his. He holds it there and then tugs me closer.

My heart is beating out of my chest when we meet in the middle, his lips on mine. He kisses me softly once, twice, three times before pulling away. I stop myself from grabbing him by the front of his shirt and kissing him again.

“Thanks for the ride home,” he says quietly. And then he’s gone. Jogging up to the front porch. I’m still sitting in my car stunned. Completely stunned. But there’s also a ridiculously big smile stretched across my face.

I realize where I am and where I don’t want to be caught if the Evil Joes come home, so I peel out of there like my butt is on fire.

It’s only a few blocks to my house, but I make it in record time.

“Oh no,” I mutter to myself as I pull into the driveway.

Charlie, Wes, and Sophie are sitting on my front porch, waiting for me. “Already finished watching Judd’s band?” I call out to them once I’m out of the car.

“It was the drum solo that did them in,” Sophie says, and then bursts into hysterics.

Now Wes is laughing. And Charlie, too.

“What happened?” I ask.

“Judd got a little overenthusiastic during his solo.” Wes stands up and does an imitation of someone beating the drums. “And then he kicked one—you know the big one that sits on the floor? He knocked it loose and it hit the guitar player, pushing him off the stage. He was so busy holding up his guitar that he didn’t try to break his fall.”

“They had to call the paramedics. His whole face was bleeding,” Charlie adds.

I can tell they really feel bad about finding it funny but also can’t seem to stop. And now I’m laughing because they’re laughing.

Then Charlie stops abruptly. “Wait. Where have you been? You left Superior almost two hours ago.”

Sophie and Wes are waiting for my answer, too.

“Oh,” I say, while my mind spins and spins for a believable story. “I went for ice cream.”

Sophie’s eyes narrow. “By yourself?” She knows the probability of that is low.

“No. Not by myself.”

And now we’re all staring at each other. It is a staring contest like we had when we were little. No one moves. No one blinks. They’re waiting for me to tell them who I was with, and I’m trying to decide what to actually fess up to. I don’t want to lie to them, but I also remember what Leo said outside Superior—I like that this is just ours. I’m not ready to give that up.

“You have to tell us,” Wes says, his hand gesturing to the three of them. “You know this is killing us.”

“A friend,” I answer. I’m not lying. I very much think of Leo as my friend.

“A. Friend.” Charlie enunciates each word. “What’s this friend’s name?”

“Someone I saw in the parking lot when I was leaving. We decided to go for ice cream.” They’re going to drag it out of me, but they’ll only get a little piece at a time.

For some reason, though, Charlie likes my nonanswer. He jumps up from the front steps and exclaims, “Knew it!” He really doesn’t know what he thinks he does.

My phone is vibrating in my back pocket, but I don’t dare pull it out right now. If it’s Leo, I don’t want an audience.

I start up the stairs to the front door. “I’m heading to bed, since I have to be back out there in the morning.” I stop and turn toward Wes. “Can you be here at seven?”

He groans but agrees.

“The party is a pool party at the same club as the golf tournament, so I can make an appearance there, I think. I can meet you to get my phone for a few hours, then we can swap back when the party is over,” I say.

Wes looks relieved. “Oh, that makes it easy. Thought I was going to have to go in like Charlie and Sophie did.”

“I can hang with you for a few hours until I have to head home,” Sophie says as she wraps her arms around his waist.

“Good, because I think out of all of us, I’m the least qualified to act like Olivia to her mom.”

Charlie heads down the front walk and turns toward Wes’s house. “See y’all tomorrow,” he says, leaving Wes to stay behind and say his good-byes to Sophie.

I head inside to give them a little privacy.

Once I’m in my room and in my bed, I pull out my phone and check my messages. I can’t swipe open the one from Leo fast enough.

L:I had a really good time tonight

L:Can I see you tomorrow?

I let out a squeal and I’m glad no one is inside to hear me.

ME:I had fun too and yes I’d like that

L:How about an early dinner? Or a movie?

I start to respond, then remember the invitations hanging in the kitchen.

ME:Oh wait there’s another grad party tomorrow night

L:Will everyone be there

I know who he’s talking about when he says everyone.

ME:Yep! But maybe you can come too?

L:I’ll be there

L:See you in the morning

ME:Can’t wait

I stare at the screen a few minutes longer, but he doesn’t text again. Pulling my blanket over my head, I replay tonight over and over. I fall asleep thinking about those three kisses in the car.