Chapter 28

Rory walked upto Penelope and Vanessa sitting at a table in the cafeteria, ready for the lunch crowd. She smiled at the stack of yearbooks piled next to them to hand out to students.

Penelope looked at her clipboard. "Name?"

Rory frowned. "Seriously, Penelope?"

"We have to be sure we're not handing out yearbooks to people who didn't order them," Penelope replied. "Because if we run out, we'll be screwed."

"Oh, stop that," Vanessa said, reaching into her backpack. "You of all people know that Rory ordered one."

Penelope smirked, eyes still on her clipboard as Vanessa pulled out a yearbook and handed it to Rory.

She brushed a hand over the cover. It looked the same as any other Haverport yearbook on the outside—navy leather with white stripes and Class of 2024 in bold letters across the center. It was the only request the school had for the staff—keep the outside the same. But the pages on the inside were their domain, and according to the murmurs she heard in the hallway as students retrieved their yearbooks, people were impressed at how unique this yearbook was. Like it was a yearbook just for them—a generation looking toward a bright future, instead of staying stuck in the ways of the past.

She flipped open the cover and grinned, realizing why Vanessa held her copy in her backpack. The first page on the inside of her yearbook was already covered in signatures and messages, all from the yearbook staff.

"We seriously couldn't have pulled this off without you," Penelope admitted. "Principal Barnes said this is the best-looking yearbook he's seen in his twelve years working here."

"It was a team effort," Rory said as she brushed away the tear in her eye.

"Yeah, but your vision brought it to life," Vanessa said, grabbing Rory's free hand from across the table and squeezing it tight. "You're going to absolutely kill it at Baybrook."

Rory smiled, looking down at her T-shirt. It was tan with thin white lettering. Baybrook School of Fine Arts. It was always a tradition on the last day of school for students to wear any apparel they had from the school they planned on attending, or part of a uniform if they planned on going out into the workforce. It was a fun way for the seniors to find out if anyone else was going to their same school; Rory already connected with two other art students wearing the same shirt as her.

"Thanks, guys," she replied, slipping her yearbook into her tote bag. "Got your speech ready, Penelope?"

She scoffed, brushing her sleek red hair behind her shoulder so no one missed the name on her shirt. Princeton. "Rory, who do you think I am? I've had this thing ready for two months."

Vanessa shook her head, her own UCONN shirt tucked into one of her signature neon skirts. "Valedictorian, Class President. What's next?"

"Congresswoman."

Rory chuckled. "Not even surprised. See you guys at rehearsal?"

They nodded as Rory shuffled away from the table, a line already forming behind her as students picked up their yearbooks. She climbed the stairs up to her locker, the noises getting progressively louder as students broke off from their final morning classes before lunch, last-day excitement ringing in the hallways. Rory opened her locker and grabbed her notebooks, discarded pencils, gym clothes, and folders, stuffing them into a box.

She felt a warm pair of arms brush up against her sides, grabbing the box in her hands. "Here, let me help you," he said.

Rory smirked. "Looking for any excuse to touch me, huh?"

"Can you blame me after waiting ten years?" Tyler whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek.

She smiled, closing her empty locker as she turned to face him. He placed her box on the floor and tugged on her shirt, closing the distance between them. She lifted a hand to his chest, tracing Rutgers in bold letters across the center.

"Nice shirt," she said.

He shook his head. "No, you can't have this one."

She pouted. "Why not?"

"Ry, you already stole three of my tees and two of my sweatshirts, not counting the sweatshirt I bought you."

"But that one's not as big as yours." She frowned. "Plus, won't you get all kinds of free stuff when you start playing with the team?"

"Yeah but—"

She swatted his arm. "No buts, the girlfriend of a football player gets full rights to his entire wardrobe."

His shoulders melted at her use of girlfriend. "Fine, you win."

"Did you think I wouldn't?" she teased, leaning in to give him a peck on the lips. Before she could pull back, he caught the back of her neck and let the kiss linger, a satisfied moan rumbling from his chest.

"Alright, alright, we get it, you're into each other," Blake said as he walked up with Melanie beside him.

Rory pushed back, tracing a finger down Tyler's chest. "Come on, Blake, we only get a month before Ty leaves us for camp and we have to do this long-distance thing."

"Which probably means the two of you are going to be insufferable at work this summer," Blake replied. "Mel, you should have Calvin set a rule that these two can't come within three feet of each other at Scoops."

Rory balked. "You're saying that to Melanie. She and Calvin pretty much invented workplace PDA."

Melanie blushed. "Shut up."

"We'll be polite…when people are around," Tyler said, squeezing Rory's side and kissing her cheek again.

"Gross," Blake bantered, a smile on his face.

"All seniors please report to the football field in fifteen minutes for graduation rehearsal," said a voice on the intercom.

"Wow," Melanie breathed. "It's really happening."

Rory reached for Melanie's hands. "We did it."

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you guys next year," Blake grumbled.

"We're literally going to live in town," Rory jested. "We'll still hang out all the time."

Melanie smiled, tears in her eyes as she glanced between him and Rory. "Promise?"

Rory squeezed her hands. "Always."

She watched the two of them walk off, heading for the yearbook table to grab their copies.

Tyler leaned against her locker, tugging on her shirt again. "Will you sign my yearbook, Ry?"

She batted her eyelashes. "Only if I can write something vulgar."

He rolled his eyes, handing it to her. "Menace."

"Your menace, may I remind you," she teased, opening his book. "Wow, yours is practically filled already. Pays to be the Homecoming King."

"Page three is also reserved, so don't touch it."

She turned to the third page, which was completely blank. She frowned. "Who for?"

"Me," said a soft voice next to them.

Rory stood up straight as she glanced up at Zoe. She looked nervous, her smile tight. But she stood there proud, with her fingers laced with Helen's, the two of them donning their New York school tees.

"Okay, that's fine," Rory replied to Zoe. "But only if you write something vulgar."

"I don't think Zoe knows how to be vulgar," Helen bantered. "It will only be sweet messages, probably with flowers and hearts by her name."

Zoe bumped her hip into Helen.

"As long as there are drawings then," Rory said, sneaking a quick glance at Tyler. He was still smiling down at her, completely unfazed by all the students milling around, whispering to one another.

Zoe let go of Helen's hand and gave Rory a hug. "I'm sorry, Rory. For all of it."

She hugged her back. "Why are you sorry?"

"You should have been with him from the beginning," Zoe said softly. "I feel like I really screwed up this year."

Rory took a step back. "I had things to work out too, you know."

Zoe just nodded, looking somber.

"Everything okay at home?" Tyler asked.

Zoe just shrugged. "My parents are pissed…but not because I came out. They're really mad that I lied to them, that I chose not to trust them with such an important part of who I am."

"And your dad?" Rory asked.

"He says I should have been honest about my anxiety with being in the public eye," she admitted feebly. "Refusing to go to his reelection party hurt his feelings, and he wishes we could have discussed it. I've learned…a lot the past few days. About them, about myself…" She paused, her eyes drawn to Helen. Rory watched Helen squeeze Zoe's hand.

"Have you spoken to Walker?" Tyler asked, his face pulled into a scowl.

Zoe shook her head. "I refuse to go near him."

Helen tucked a strand of Zoe's hair behind her ear in comfort.

"This whole thing made me realize that it's never worth trying to be something you're not just to appease someone else," Zoe admitted. "Because if you're not completely honest, then you're not exactly caring for others in return. Or trusting them with being your truest self."

Rory just nodded, her mind drifting to the year she'd had. When she finally allowed herself to be authentic, everything changed. With her mother. With her true feelings for Jay. With her decision about college. With her closest friendships. With the guy next to her who she was head-over-heels in love with.

"It's certainly not the easiest thing to do, but it's worth it," she replied.

Tyler squeezed her hand, a silent reminder of that conversation after prom three weeks earlier, of the words he repeated to her like a prayer. I will always choose you.

* * *

Seven of them stood there,staring out at the thirty-foot drop below.

"This is nuts," Blake said. "You guys are nuts."

Rory reached for Melanie's hand, her other laced together with Tyler's. "When has that ever stopped us before, Blakey boy?"

"Yeah but…in your graduation gowns?" Blake asked, eyeing the group.

Rory, Melanie, and Tyler were still wearing their navy-blue gowns, caps on their heads. The group drove to Sunset Rock after the ceremony at Rory's request, a hidden gem in town that was a known spot for rowdy teenagers daring to make the big leap into the ocean below. Calvin even closed Scoops for the night, all so the Scoopers could have this moment before the busy summer season ahead.

"Oh yes," Rory said, flicking her head slightly to get the tassel out of her face. "Caps and all."

"But do we really all have to?" Blake pleaded.

"Three—" Melanie started.

Tyler squeezed her hand. "Two."

Rory beamed, scanning the group she loved dearly beside her. Jess removed her glasses, tossing them next to her bag. Jay returned Rory's gaze and winked.

She grinned. "One."

They all sprinted. Jay hollered as he jumped, curling his body into a cannonball. Melanie let go of Rory's hand and screamed with delight, holding tightly to Calvin. Jess dove with the grace of an Olympic athlete, and Blake cursed loudly into the sky before his body slapped against the water beneath.

Tyler pulled Rory back before she could jump, curling his arms around her and brushing his nose against hers. "So…still best friends forever?"

She grinned, drawing close to his lips, then wrenched out of his grasp and ran to make the jump.

"You MENACE!" he yelled, chasing after her.

She laughed, holding her arms out wide. As her cap soared off her head and a smile bloomed across her cheeks, Rory finally felt ready to embrace the future that didn't feel so scary after all.