When we don't know who to turn to, sometimes we turn to the ones we least expect.
Luke Salazar is a senior at Bay High School, and he's been pushed, shoved, and shut out for most of his life. Miles Jefferson has been the ringleader of a lot of that...
I had started picking up in the living room when Rachel knocked on the door. "Come in," I called.
She did, and when she saw the state of the house, her jaw dropped. "Holy shit, what happened? Did you get robbed?"
I grinned. "Nope. This is the result of a police search... Rachel, they have my dad in custody. They're charging him with vehicular manslaughter."
She put her hands over her mouth and immediately began to cry. "Oh my God. Really?"
I stood up and nodded, flipping the last couch cushion back into place, then pulling her against me.
She buried her head against my chest and cried. I rested my chin on top of her head and ran my fingers through her hair. "Shhh... it's okay, baby."
She sniffled and looked up at me. "Miles. The fact that you would turn your own father in for me and my family... I just, I just cannot express to you how much that means to me."
I put my hand on her cheek and she leaned into me, closing her eyes. "I'd do anything for you," I murmured. "You're literally the most important thing in my life. You're the sun to my sky, the reason I breathe. My life, Rachel... it was a hollow shell before you came into it. You have made me better."
She looked at me then, and I've never felt more connected to another human in my life.
When I kissed her, the longing on her lips was evident, and she consumed me.
Luke
The next few days after William's arrest flew by. He was being held with no bond, which eased everyone's minds. Rachel's parents were ecstatic... and mine were too. I thought Mom was going to spontaneously combust. And when I asked her if she'd make a statement, she stunned both Dad and me by saying "Hell yeah."
With all the charges that were stacking up, it looked like it would be a long time before he saw the light of day.
"I can't believe graduation is tomorrow," I whispered, running my fingers through Brooke's hair absently.
She and I were on a giant float in the pool at Miles' house, waiting for him and Rachel to return from dinner with her parents.
"I know... It's bittersweet, ya know?" she said, lifting her head off my chest and looking at me.
"It really is. I was just thinking earlier... if it hadn't been for you, Rachel, and Miles – of all people – I would've ended high school in misery. But because of you, everything changed. I – I am eternally grateful," I said, kissing her forehead.
She beamed. "Well, I need to thank you too."
"For what?"
"For reminding me to be compassionate... and helping me to believe that I don't have to put on a show for everyone else."
"I guess we've helped each other then," I said, and she nodded.
"Definitely."
Not kissing her right then would've been a damn crime.
Rachel
"No!" I yelped, running away from Miles as he chased me around his yard with a water gun he'd found in the back of his Jeep.
"You can run, but you can't hide!" he bellowed as I ducked around the other side of the house, around back by the pool.
When I reached the privacy fence, I heard some splashing. Brooke and Luke must already be here, I thought as I ducked behind a shrub.
"Ohh, Luke," Brooke moaned, and my eyes widened. I snorted, covering my mouth and nose with my hand.
I heard Miles' footsteps coming around the house, and I had to work to contain my laughter as I heard Luke's throaty groan.
Jesus Christ, that's pretty bold – having daytime sex in the middle of someone else's pool.
When I saw Miles, he opened his mouth to yell and I put my finger to my lips quickly. He turned his head to the side and stepped closer – right then, Brooke and Luke moaned in unison and Miles wrinkled his nose.
"Ugh!" he mouthed. I snorted again and ran over to him.
He took that opportunity to squirt water on my white t-shirt, and I shrieked.
"Oh my God," I heard Brooke say – and it wasn't in the throes of passion.
"Sorry!" I called over the fence.
"Shit," Luke said. "Sorry guys!"
"No problem – thanks for the show!" Miles joked, and I punched him on the arm.
"We'll leave you guys alone now. We'll be inside when you're – ahem – done."
I shoved Miles playfully and took the water gun from his hands. We spent the next hour chasing each other around the yard – anyone looking in from the outside would never guess that we were graduating high school tomorrow – but somewhere inside us, I think we wanted to recapture our youth that seemed to be slipping through our fingers.
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