Night Road

“Yes, it is. ” Mia gave her a bright smile. “Forgive me?”

“No. I do not forgive you,” Jude said. “And sweet talking won’t work this time. This isn’t over. You have to think about your futures. ”

“I’m sorry, Mom, but it kinda is. Love you,” Mia gave Jude a kiss on the cheek and then ran out to the car.

“I want you home by one o’clock,” Jude said, following her daughter. It was too small, not really what she wanted to say at all, but it was all she had now. Tomorrow they would have a serious talk, all three of them. “At one-o-two, I’m calling the police or driving over. ”

At the car, Mia hugged her mother fiercely. “We’ll be home,” she promised.

“And no drinking,” Jude said. She leaned down to see her son through the car window. “Zach, you’re the designated driver. No matter what. That’s our deal. ”

“I know,” he said tightly.

She had to add: “If anything happens—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zach said. “We’ll call home for a ride. Come on, Mia. Lexi’s waiting. ”

“Be home by one,” Jude said again, stepping back, watching them drive off. “I mean it,” she said, but there was no one beside her to hear the words.

* * *

Driving too fast, music blaring through the car, Zach turned onto Night Road. Lexi slid into the car door at every hairpin turn.

“Slow down,” Mia yelled from the backseat, but Zach just cranked up the music. “Yeah,” by Usher was at the edge of pain. … got so caught up I forgot …

When they got to the party, there were already more than a dozen cars parked in the clearing.

Zach pulled the key out of the ignition and dropped it in the well between the seats. “I need something to drink,” he said, getting out of the car.

Lexi got out of the car and went to him. “But you’re the d. d. ”

“I know that. And I know my limits. You’re not my mom. ” He pulled away from her and strode toward the party.

Lexi didn’t know what to do.

Mia came up beside her. “He’s pissed. ”

“At me?”

Mia shrugged. “At you, me, my parents, himself. Everyone. He doesn’t know what he wants and it’s killing him. He’s always been like that. When things come easily, Zach’s cool. But when he’s confused or hurting, he loses it. Sometimes he yells and sometimes he shuts up. This time he’s yelling. He’s especially mad at Mom and me. ”

“You guys would be crazy to give up USC for a crappy apartment and classes at a community college. He’ll see that,” Lexi said.

Mia took her by the hand, and they headed down the driveway. Deep in the woods, they found the small log cabin that was one of the island’s original homesteads. A big bonfire danced in front of the beach. Beside it stood a pair of silver kegs. Over to the left, someone was grilling hot dogs.

Mia and Lexi stood at the perimeter of the party, talking. All around them kids were laughing and dancing and drinking. Out on the water, a pair of Jet Skis buzzed and raced. Music blared out from a boom box on the porch. The air smelled of pine trees and wood smoke and marijuana.

As they stood there, Tyler walked past them. Alaina Smith was draped all over him, hanging on him. He had his hand on her ass.

Mia drew in a sharp breath. Wiping her eyes, she walked over to the keg and got herself a beer, downing it as fast as she could.

“Are you okay?” Lexi asked.

“Just stay with me,” Mia said shakily. “Don’t let me be alone … I might make a fool of myself. ”

“I’d never let you be alone,” Lexi promised. She got a beer, and even though she hated the taste, it softened her somehow, and Mia, too, and in no time they were smiling again and making jokes.

When she finished her second beer, Mia said, “We need Zach. I have a surprise for you two. Something to tell you. Meet me on the beach. ” She headed into the crowd before Lexi could stop her, and that was cool, because Lexi didn’t want to stop her. As much as she loved being with her best friend, she wanted Zach here, too. This was their graduation party, the last one before the big day, and the three of them should be together.