Chapter Song: Superposition- Young the Giant
"Cal! Please just listen to me!" I cried. I sniffed wiping the snot from my nose as he brushed past me in the parking lot.
"So instead you told everyone around you except me? I mean I don't expect to be the first or even the second person you tell Ken but Jesus. When did you think the right time to tell me was? That the one person I care about, just hiding something that big," he choked on the last few words. "Why couldn't you have just told me from the start?" He looked at me patiently. "We all knew you were making a decision. I gave you so many chances to talk about it."
"I didn't know how you'd react," I squeaked.
"And you think me finding out this way was better?" After a moment of silence, he added, "I've always been supportive of you. What happened to we'll be okay? We were always there for each other when it mattered. What made you think this would have been different?"
As much as I wanted to scream and shout the words I wanted to my mouth was forming them. It was like my brain wired my lips shut and powered my whole body down.
"Right," he chucked. "Because after everything I'm still the bad guy. I'm still the one that lost your trust and broke your heart. Little did you know that the game you played with me this year was ten times worse. You pushing me away and then wanting me, that's excruciatingly painful. I watched you do it, I fucking gave you my heart on a silver platter to have your way with it. But I don't have anything, left to give you."
"I don't need you to give me anything. I am sorry. I am sorry that I kept it from you, and I didn't know how to tell you. I am sorry that I'm leaving. But we're both going somewhere. We were never going to go to the same place anyway."
"C'mon, Kenny everyone is upstairs already. Let's go," Liam groaned knocking on the doorframe.
I tried to shake off the thoughts that I couldn't get out of my head since prom. NOt the moment Cal found out, not our dance, or our screaming match in the parking lot after.
You win.
He had to keep reminding me of a game we were playing. I didn't want to play games, but somehow still kept playing.
"After all, it's your party," he shrugged giving me a small smile.
"Stop." I rolled my eyes and swatted at him. "You know it's for both of us."
"Eh, I beg to differ. You're the one leaving tomorrow."
Tomorrow.
"Yeah but you are also leaving at the end of the summer." I scoffed as we headed up the stairs to greet everyone.
Some of our family were here. All of our friends and their families were here. It was kind of a celebratory party for all of us graduating, but also a going-away party for me. Single digits now. Time certainly ticked away.
I smiled at everyone and gave hugs when needed. I even spoke to Cal'smom for a while. I was sure she knew what had happened between us or at least what was going on with Cal. She didn't mention anything, but she did mention how excited she was with me and to send her lots of postcards. I promised her I will as I kept glancing at Cal.
He was sitting on the edge of the couch with a drink in his hands talking to Mason, Ty, and Liam. My dad was with them chatting away. Livi walked over to squeeze in between Liam and Cal. I saw her whispering into Cal's ear. Occasionally he would look our way and I tried not to pay attention.
"You want to eat something? All I've seen you do is talk to people." Riley walked up to me interlocking her fingers with mine. I let her drag me to the tables of food we had set up and stocked my plate with as much as I could.
We made our way outside. No one was out there except for us. Deciding to sit down in the grass under one of our trees we dug into our food in peace. Which I was thankful for. We tried to get as much time together these days. I helped her pick out her dorm decorations while she helped me pick what t-shirts to pack. I still hadn't packed. I was supposed to start that tonight. I had to pack tonight. The task just seemed so daunting.
"Are we still doing that thing tonight?" Riley asked in between bites of food.
"Yeah," I said continuing to chew. "I mean unless you think it's stupid."
"No, no. I love it personally. Plus the boys should be used to our acts by now," she chuckled. "Ugh, I should have gotten more bread."
"Do you want mine?" I offered her a piece.
"No, I'll get some more after I eat this." She ushered to her full plate.
We continued to eat our food while going over the plan for tonight. The boys would start the fire in the back yard while we all hung out and probably share our favorite memories. We always did when we were around a fire. It has that spell on people. Then we would create our time capsule and bury it under where we were currently sitting.
It still surprised me how the boys all agreed to do it. Riley was right that they were used to our usual antics by now. At least we tried to keep things interesting.
"Riley! Kenny!" Livi called bounding down the lawn to the two of us. Somehow she tripped over her own two feet and somersaulted in front of us. "Can I have some of your macaroni?" She giggled sitting up.
Shocked that she didn't start crying I shoved the plate towards her. I brushed her hair out of her face and some dirt off her shirt. She tried to shrug me off but I didn't let her.
"Don't leave tomorrow," Livimumbled.
"We're going to hang out all summer right Livi girl?" Riley beamed at her.
"We are?" She gasped.
"Yeah of course we are squirt. Anytime you want," she smiled at Riley. Livi lept into Riley's arms squeezing her as tight as possible giving her countless thank-yous before curling up into my lap.
"Hey! Why do you girls get to hide out from everyone but we don't?" Liam yelled from the back porch.
"Sucks to suck!" I called back. Livi stuck out her tongue at him to which both Riley and I joined in. The boys all toppled onto the porch one right after the other hollering and shouting random things that I couldn't make out above the noise.
Somehow they all came to sit down in the damp grass in a full circle. We all joked a bit about how all the parents started crying anytime one of them spoke about any of us leaving the nest. They were not ready for any of us to leave as were we.
"Remember when we used to run back and forth from this backyard to Cal's backyard?" Ty laughed plucking blades of grass up.
"Oh yeah! And we would shoot nerf guns at Ken and Riley." Mason laughed.
"Yeah, but Nolan always joined our side and kicked your guys' asses," I smiled.
"Only because he felt bad for you two," Cal gave me a playful smirk. The first genuine response from him in weeks.
"He did not!" Riley laughed.
"Nah, he liked being in your side anyway. It was fun winning to him." Cal shrugged looking away from me. It was true. We usually won with Nolan. Definitely more to his doing not because of us, but we did win a lot when he joined our side.
"Or lightsaber fights in the street at night?" Liam piped up.
"I still have mine," Cal admitted.
"Same," Mason and Liam said at the same time.
"I think we all do," I looked at Riley and Ty who nodded their heads.
One summer, I think we were all ten maybe. We would have lightsaber fights anywhere and everywhere we could. Our favorite was always outside at night so the only thing we could see was our lightsabers. Though we did build quite the battlefield in our basement from time to time.
"Let's have another one tonight," Liam said.
"Yeah?" I felt my eyes grow.
"Why not?" Ty asked. "I mean unless you're scared, Parker?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me wickedly.
"In your dreams Anderson," I scoffed. "I'm in."
We all agreed that at midnight we would have a final duel. We weren't sure of the prize yet. Normally it would have been the winner got to choose the next movie, but that wouldn't work this time. We'd have to think about it.
For the remainder of the party, we hung out with just us outside under our tree. Somehow Livi convinced us of playing Duck Duck Goose with her. I think it was the way she was able to sweet talk to all the guys. They could never say no to her. Nobody ever could.
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I only have three chapters left after this one! I kind of want to post them all now so you can have them and finish them because I'm impatient. Lol. Let me know if you want that!
I hope you're liking it so far! I do have another story called- Most Likely To. So if you want to check it out I'd appreciate it ☺️
Let me know your thoughts!