"THAT FUCKING BITCH!" Were the first words I heard the morning before prom. I was in the middle of a dream where me and Reese were somehow at an awards show where Ciara was singing to Chris Brown that he had her heart, but ultimately chose her husband Russel over him. I would have loved to see how that dream ended.
Instead I jerk up, wake Reese up in the process (we are finally allowed to sleep together, at least innocently for now) and start looking around the room to see if anything is on fire. Instead I see a very pissed off Brad pacing around the room on the verge of both crying and wanting to punch a wall.
"What the hell is going on, I was having a good dream." I say half kidding, mostly not really. I really need to re-have that dream.
"DIANA FUCKING LEAKED MY NUDES!" Brad threw his brand new phone on the floor, which shockingly didn't break. Otter boxes are a good investment after all.
"How the hell did she 'leak your nudes', it would have to be somewhere everyone can see them." Reese says, groggy but coherently.
"Oh, everyone can see them all right. Jackie Bickett." Reese and I immediately have the Oh Shit, You're screwed face going on. There's Earth's crust, purgatory, hell, and then Jackie Reese's Snapchat story, which is PUBLIC.
My family has known Jackie since he was 2, his parent's and mine went to college together so they were close. Jackie was/is mega talented, and got signed to a big recording label. But then some shit happened and he got dropped and came back here, which sort of turned him inside out for awhile. But before he got dropped, he got a shit ton of followers and now runs like a tabloid page for celebrities he used to know who screwed him over. For the outside world, no one knows Brad, but for this town he's fucked. EVERYONE here follows Jackie.
"First of all, how does Jackie even have them? Who did you send them to? Why are you sending nudes you idiot!" I say. As Brad is trying to explain I get a call from Jayna; I put it on speaker.
"HOLY SHIT JACKIE HAS BRAD'S NUDES. CAROLINE ALMOST FELL OUT OF HER CHAIR WHEN SHE SAW THEM. THE WHOLE SOPHOMORE CLASS IS RETWEETING THEM ALL." When Brad heard that he almost shut down. I pull out my phone and there are @ and hashtags galore. The trending one was #BigBrad. The second I open my Twitter I'm slapped with screenshots of Brad's appendage, which is the size of a fucking cucumber. There's also other photos in there that are more surprising to see.
"Brad, why is there a photo of you.. OH MY GOD THERE'S A VIDEO. BRAD WHAT ARE YOU.. OH MY GOD DON"T PUT THAT IN THERE, OH MY GOD." I threw my phone and went to the bathroom to emotionally get myself together. As disturbing as that was, this is leaked to the entire school, and Brad may or may not have a mental breakdown. When I come back out, Reese is looking at Brad trying to reassure him things are going to be okay. I love him so much.
"Brad, we are gonna get those taken down I swear, I'm really sorry" I say.
"I'm not even mad about them leaking really, I know I look good (I roll my eyes so hard). I'm mad at WHY she did it, it's total bullshit." Brad says.
"Why did she do it?" Reese asks puzzled.
"Because she got mad that Camille asked me to prom first and I said yes BECAUSE SHE FUCKING ASKED ME FIRST. She tried to convince me to go with her and sent me sey photos to get me going, which worked, and when I finished I still said no. I didn't even know she screenshotted all the stuff I sent her, you usually get notifications when that happens." Which is true.
"But how did Jackie get them? And why the hell did he post them? Last I checked he was straighter than a pole." I said. I did have a crush on Jackie before he went all Hollywood and invested in his face and hair too much, but now he's like a low version Ken doll.
"Gossip pages can never be run by straight guys, what straight guy gives a shit about gossip?" Brad interjects.
"I can think of six rappers off the top of my head.." I hit Reese over the head.
"We'll analyze his straightness later, we need to get the photos removed from his Snap. How long ago were they posted?" I ask.
"Like at Midnight, but really it's not a big deal, I'm not mad their out, I'm just mad she's being so childish about it. I should leak her nudes as revenge." Brad says and grabs his phone off the floor. I immediately rip it out of his hands.
"First of all, revenge porn is illegal, You'll go to jail. Even though it might be her, you sext with a lot of girls, it might not have just been her who semen fed Jackie. I'm not slutshaming you, I'm just saying you may get one but you might miss like three others. But revenge revenge porn is a no no." I say matter of factly.
"Do you even think going to school is a good idea?" Reese Says.
"Dude, our last day is today, we can't not go. It's everyone's last chance to see me in my clothed glory before I head to university. We'll be fine, I'm just glad I gave my deposit in before this happened." Brad has a point, it's the last day of school ever, and yes this is shitty as fuck, we'll only have one last day of high school. Plus we'll be with him to protect him at all costs (though the hundreds of girls he may have enticed might be enough of an army).
"you're right. If you sext again with your face in them I'll never be your friend again." I say as I head back to the bathroom to shower.
"YOU KNOW YOU WANT THIS!" As I'm closing the door I'm sure he's referencing to his package.
"That thing wouldn't go anywhere near me, but you've had some practice taking some large eggplants, maybe Reese can have some on my behalf." Reese busts out laughing, which means I won the argument.
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By the time we get to lunch (for the last time ever), every single girl (and some guys, surprisingly) have come up to Brad an us to ask him if the nudes are his. Me and the gang automatically say no, but because Brad is in IDGAF mode he admits they're his. Asshole.
"I was cleaning out my gym locker and Spencer Lilth came up to me and was like 'this might sound really gay, but can I see your dick?'" Brad starts as I pick up my last high school set of tenders.
"SHUT UP, CECE'S LITTLE BROTHER?!" Caroline screams out at the table. Brad nods, and Caroline screams again. "I always thought he might be gay, I told you that last year Mike!"
"He was fourteen when you told me that, he barely hit puberty and I was just getting comfortable being out." I say. She rolls her eyes.
"What happened after that?" Jayna asked, redirecting the conversation.
"So I showed him, and he went to poke at it, and I was like 'dude, what are you doing?' and he was like 'sorry, I've never seen something so big before'-"
"He barely has the nerve to ask for a pencil, I reallllly doubt he said that." Jayna said.
"Fine, hearsay. But he did suck it a little bit, he only stopped because coach Willerbe was coming back. He can suck a dick pretty good." Brad says suggestively.
"I officially have lost my appetite." Says Reese, and I second that motion. Caroline lights up like the fourth of July after hearing that and asks a bunch of follow up questions, which is when I zone out.
I look around the Cafeteria, and suddenly get sad. A lot of shit happened in this cafeteria, and at this school. And now it ends. It finally ends. I don't know how I should feel, we wait our whole lives to be done, and when it comes you freeze. Are we ready for real world stuff? Or will we sink and end up under McGeany bridge?
As scary as the future is gonna be, as scary as it may always be, I am sure of these people I'm with right now. The memories they've given me are eternal, and we have so many more to make. Hopefully less violent than the last year has been in the scheme of things. I'll be in NYC at NYU, Brad will officially be in Connecticut, Jayna in Sweden, Caroline in-state, and Reese in Pennsylvania (which means our relationship story never ends). But no matter where we are, we are always connected, and will literally be on the phone with each other almost every night if possible.
The school now belongs to you, young grasshoppers. Us oldies are moving on to bigger and better things.
As I'm getting my head back into the conversation, I see Dennis walking with Paul to a table in the far back. I haven't seen Paul in weeks, and Dennis in months. After the debacle we never said his name in the group again. He who must not be named is with he who broke my spirit once upon a time. I wonder if this will be the last time I ever see them.
We leave the lunch room for the last time and finish the day, returning textbooks, saying goodbye to teachers, signing yearbooks. Alice borrowed mine and wrote an entire essay in one section, which almost made me cry. She's actually moving moving to Seattle after high school; I hope to see her again someday.
As we exit the school for the last time as students, we remember the memories, the good days and bad days, and the fact that Brad will probably be a legend for every single girl here from here on out. We all took the long way back to my house today.
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As I'm getting ready for bed (with Reese next to me), I get a phone call from a very unfamiliar number. I almost ignore it, but something told me to answer it. I wish I didn't.
Me: Hello?
?: Mike?
Me: Who is this?
?: Dennis. (why is he calling me?)
Me: What the hell do you want?! (I'm whisper-yelling)
Dennis: It's about Paul.
Me: Jayna's doing great by the way, forgot all about your sorry ass. ( I had to get that jab in)
Dennis: He wants to talk to you.
Me: He's never coming anywhere near me again.
Dennis: He won't hurt you, he has something he needs to tell you.
Me: He can send it via pigeon then. I don't want to talk to him.
Dennis: Meet him after prom tomorrow, at you guys' spot.
Me: What spot?
Dennis: you know. *click*
"Reese, wake up, Dennis wants me to talk to Paul tomorrow." I shake him a little bit to wake up.
"Mike, I'm sleeping, wake me up at 6." Reese says and then snores fifteen seconds later.
I roll my eyes, I love a sleeping giant. But is that why Dennis and Paul were talking today, about me? What on Earth would Paul ever have too say to me after all he put me through, after what's happened to him? Do I even want to hear what he has to say?
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THERE WILL BE TWO MORE CHAPTERS TO END THE SERIES, AND MAYBE AN EPILOGUE (I HAVEN'T DECIDED YET). THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN IN THE MAKING FOREVER, BUT I WILL FINALLY FINISH THE SERIES. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALMOST 3K READS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!