Hey, Mister Marshall (St. Mary's Rebels 4)

“We were,” Callie confirms, pointing her finger at Echo first. “Geography. You lent me your notes once. I remember. You have such amazing handwriting. Did I ever tell you that? Geography felt like fun for once.”

Echo blushes. “Oh, thanks. I love taking notes so I try to do my best.” Then, “It’s so nice to meet you all. Officially.”

“And you’re Jupiter,” Callie continues, pointing at my copper-haired new friend. “I’m so sorry that we’ve never gotten a chance to talk before. But can I just say that I’ve always loved your hair? It’s the perfect shade of red and —”

A second later, she gets cut off because she’s engulfed in a sudden hug.

It happens so quickly and so unexpectedly that it takes me a second to realize that it’s Jupiter.

That Jupiter is hugging Callie.

That her arms are wound around my best friend, her copper-colored hair that Callie was just admiring flouncing behind her back. And now we’re all staring at them, at Jupiter particularly, because she’s clutching Callie like a long-lost friend. When we all know for a fact that they haven’t spoken to each other before tonight.

Um, okay.

Weird but okay.

Callie thinks so too because her eyes are startled and confused, but I know my friend. She won’t be unkind or make Jupiter feel embarrassed so she hugs her back, although slightly awkwardly. “Uh, hey. Nice to meet you too.”

It’s as if Callie’s words pull Jupiter back to the moment; she breaks the hug and steps back. “Sorry. I don’t know what happened.” She tucks her hair behind her ear. “I swear I don’t randomly attack people like that.”

Callie shakes her head, smiling. “No, it’s totally fine. You didn’t attack me.”

“Well, it’s still weird. I know. I just…” Jupiter laughs self-consciously before looking at Callie intently for a second. “It’s just that I’ve seen you being so friendly and so approachable and I’ve always admired that about you and…” She pauses to look down, at Callie’s stomach, I realize. “Things happened last year. With you. And I was so angry about them. I was so angry at how people treated you and I…” She shrugs, blushing. “I just wish I could’ve helped.”

At the mention of last year, Callie blushes too.

But she’s quick to recover and smile. “Thanks. I appreciate that. It was hard, yes. But I had my girls. They helped me through it.”

Wyn gives her a side hug and I do the same.

Because last year was hard for her. And that’s because the biggest, the most life-changing thing that could happen to a girl, happened to her.

She got pregnant.

While she was eighteen and at St. Mary’s.

A school that is known for restoring and reforming bad girls. Meaning getting pregnant is not the thing that is going to win you any favors and privileges. It not only ruffled teachers’ feathers, but also the students’, and so all throughout last year, Callie was a major target for gossip and censure and judgement. And as scary as all of that was, it was even worse because the guy she got pregnant by was the guy she never wanted anything to do with.

Reed Jackson.

Her first love and her ex-boyfriend.

Who broke her heart three years ago.

So it was a shock to her — to us too even though we always suspected there was more to their heartbreaking and painful story — when she ended up getting pregnant by the same guy.

And for a while there, we thought things wouldn’t turn out as well as they have.

But they did and now they have a baby together — a gorgeous girl named Halo. More than that though, they’re married. In fact, they got married only a week ago and every time I think of it, just like when I think about Salem and Arrow, I can’t stop smiling.

Which reminds me that I want to see pictures.

“Show me all the Halo pictures,” I tell Callie. “I’m dying to see what I missed.”

Soon we’re huddling around the high table and ooh-ing and aah-ing over Halo, because she has to be the cutest, chubbiest six-week-old baby ever. And with Reed’s dark hair and Callie’s blue eyes, she’s also the prettiest.

“Oh my God, look at Reed,” Wyn chuckles over a picture where Reed has Halo in his arms and she’s reaching up to his face with sticky, frosting-covered tiny little fingers. Actually, she has reached already because his jaw and cheeks have pink frosting on them and he’s gazing down at her like she’s the love of his life.

“He’s so adorable in this,” she continues. “Not a word I thought I’d say when it comes to him. Hot, yes. Sexy, double yes. But not adorable.”

I bump her shoulder with mine. “Sexy, huh? Don’t let your man hear you say that.”

Blushing, Wyn ducks her eyes. “Shut up. You know what I mean.”