Lexi ignored him. Her gaze stayed steady on Mia. “I’ll break up with him, I will. But I can’t stop loving him. I don’t know how. I should have told you that a long time ago. ”
Mia wiped her eyes. “There was always something weird about the way you looked at each other. I thought I was being oversensitive … because of Haley. ” She sighed heavily. “I know how I feel about Tyler. If it’s like that…”
“It is,” Lexi said solemnly.
“You promise you won’t dump me for him?” Mia said.
It was an easy promise to make. Lexi let go of Zach’s hand and moved toward Mia. “I promise. And I’ll never lie to you again. I swear it. ”
“And if he breaks your heart,” Mia said steadily, “you’ll still be my best friend? Because you’ll need me then. ”
“I’ll always need you,” Lexi said. “I’d die if I couldn’t come over here. Honestly. No matter what happens with Zach and me, you and I will always be bffs. ” She stepped closer. “Say you’re okay with this, Mia. Please. ”
Mia sniffed. Lexi wanted her friend to smile, but maybe that was asking too much. “I’m scared,” Mia said.
“I know,” Lexi said. “And it sounds crazy, but you can trust me. ”
“Us,” Zach added.
“I want you guys to be happy,” Mia finally said. “What kind of person would I be if I didn’t? I love both of you. ”
“And we love you,” Lexi said. It was true; she loved Mia through and through.
Her best friend was a lioness, as all of this proved. Mia had been hurt—two people she trusted had lied to her—and still she stood here, trying to smile, caring about their happiness.
“It’ll be the three of us for senior year,” Zach said, obviously relieved. “How cool will that be?”
“I wouldn’t throw a party just yet,” Mia said, looking at her brother. “We’re gonna have to tell Mom tomorrow. ”
“She won’t care, will she?” Lexi asked, frowning. “I mean, she likes me. ”
Mia finally smiled. “Are you kidding? Our mom cares about everything. ”
* * *
The next night, the Journey Through Senior Year meeting was held at 6:00 P. M. in the high school library. Most of the island parents showed up.
“We all know how special Pine Island is,” said police officer Roy Avery from his place at the head table. “I know a lot of this year’s seniors—my own youngest son graduated two years ago—and I’ve watched this class go from Little League to varsity. I’ve watched you protect them with car seats and helmets and airbags. Some of you might think that the biggest danger facing them now is that colleges will reject them, but there’s a new threat; one some of you know all too well, and some of you know not at all.
“Partying. Some of you think that the island keeps your kids safe, away from big-city dangers. But danger is here, too. It’s in every empty house and lonely stretch of beach. It’s in bottles of beer and rum. Starting about now every year, the senior class starts to feel both edgy and bulletproof. So keep an eye on your kids. Don’t let them outsmart you. Let them know how dangerous partying can be. ”
As the crowd began to ask questions, Jude looked out at the familiar faces.
She’d driven carpool with many of these women; together, over the years, they’d sat freezing at football games, decorated gymnasiums for dances, been classroom moms. They’d joined forces to raise their children in a safe community. Now there was a new enemy: drinking. She had no doubt that the mom patrol would join forces again and be on the lookout for potential trouble.
When Officer Avery returned to his seat, Jude stood up. “Thank you to Officer Avery for that important heads-up. And thank you to Ann Morford for her insight on the college application process. I’m sure we’ll all be knocking on your door with more question as the deadlines approach. Now, as the head of the parent group, I get to talk about the fun part. Graduation night. As most of you know, Pine Island works to keep drinking and driving out of the graduation equation. To that end, we plan a fun-filled night for the senior class. They leave right after the ceremonies and board a bus. They’ll get home at six A. M. the next morning. This year’s festivities look great…”
For the next few minutes, Jude laid out the plan she and her committee had come up with. Because it was Pine Island, and everyone had an opinion, she spent another ten minutes answering questions and then sent around a sign-up sheet for chaperone volunteers. After that, she joined her best friend, Molly, and they walked out of the gymnasium in a stream of parents. As always, Molly was dressed in an effortlessly chic style—low-rise jeans, a fitted men’s-style white shirt, and a necklace of hammered copper and turquoise. Her hair, cut short and dyed platinum this year, offset her dark eyes and ready smile. She and Jude had become friends more than a decade ago. Molly’s son, Bryson, was the same age as the twins, so Molly and Jude had found themselves together at one function after another—class functions, field trips, Chuck E. Cheese birthday parties. They’d been friends ever since; Jude didn’t think she would have made it through the tough middle school years without Molly and their Thursday margarita nights.
Together, they walked into the cold evening. Jude was just about to say something to Molly, when she heard:
“The party sounds great. ”
Jude turned to find Julie Williams beside her. “Hey, Julie. ”
“I hope Zach is feeling better,” Julie said, buttoning up her coat.
Jude felt through the mess in her purse, looking for her car keys. “What do you mean?”