Strings Attached

Chapter Nineteen

Louise smiled. "You're awesome. I wouldn't be able to do that."

I sighed. "It's very difficult for me, but I'm trying."

She patted me on the back. "I'm very proud of you for showing how mature you've become."

I smiled. "Thanks. Maybe this is a sign that I'm ready for college," I said.

She sighed loudly. "Don't even remind me! I don't think I'm ready to leave high school just yet."

"Why not?" I asked, surprised. "You've been talking about college since freshman year."

"I know," she said. "But... it wasn't the real thing. It was just a fantasy. This... This is the real thing. I thought I'd be very excited to enter college by now, but... I just don't feel like I am ready. I don't think I'm ready to be an adult yet."

"Why is that?" I asked.

She sighed. "I still worry about little things, like what shoes I should wear or what movie I should watch. I still behave like a little kid whenever I go to a place where there is a playground. I... I'm just not ready to let all that go."

"You don't have to," I told her, smiling reassuringly. "We can still be kids in our souls."

"It's still difficult, you know?" She sighed. "I wish I could go back to freshman year and tell myself how stressful and sad being a senior would be."

"It's bittersweet," I told her. "I hate that I will have more responsibilities, but I love that the rest of my life is ahead, waiting for me."

Louise grinned. "I guess you're right."

"Yeah," I said. I turned to see her and sighed. "I'll miss you, though."

"Me too," she said. "But we'll keep in touch, you'll see."

I smiled, but before I could say anything else, Teddy and Henry entered the living room with a big smile on their faces.

"What's up with you two?" asked Louise, raising one of her eyebrows.

Teddy grinned. "Who wants to crash a party?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Sonya is having a party tonight," said Henry. "And Theo and I were thinking we could maybe go and ruin her little party."

"Why?" asked Louise, surprised.

"Just because," said Teddy, shrugging. "Do you guys want to join us?"

"What are you planning to do exactly?" I asked.

"It's easy. We go to the store, buy eggs, confetti, and balloons, go to the party, stay there for a little bit, fill the balloons with water, and then throw everything around." Henry smiled. "It'll be a total mess."

"Wow," I said, smiling. "That sounds awesome."

"It will be," said Teddy. "But we want you guys to go with us. What do you say?"

"Hmm, what do you think, Louise? Are you in for a little fun?" I asked.

Louise frowned. "That sounds risky. We could go to jail for that!"

"It's a risk I'd be willing to take," said Henry, shrugging.

Louise sighed. "Okay, but if we get busted, I'll tell the police you guys forced us to go."

"Sounds fair," said Henry, grinning. "Let's go!"

Louise and I followed them outside, and we got in Henry's car. He drove us to the store, where we bought everything they had mentioned, and then were on our way to Sonya's house.