The Unconditional Pledge

28 Jay

When I get Nick's call the next morning, I consider letting it go to voicemail. I had drank too much last night at the afterparty. Now that I'm sober, though, everything's rushing back: the way Hannah's questions brought up all the thoughts I've been wrestling with, the jumble of emotions I've associated with her — how I don't even know the answers to her questions myself. Finally, I had decided I couldn't keep doing that to her. I'd instantly regretted my words when I'd seen her expression, but it was too late to take it back.

I reach across my nightstand blindly, knocking over an empty water bottle and a framed photo in the process. "Hello?" My voice sounds rough and hungover, even to me.

"Hey," Nick says. "Still coming over today?"

I check the time. It's nearly two in the afternoon. "Yeah. Be there in fifteen."

I shower and get dressed, my mind completely elsewhere. Nick had answered my text from last night asking about whether he'd found Hannah only this morning, and he had sounded unexpectedly happy on the phone just now, which means everything's probably okay — more than okay. I want to be happy for him and Hannah, but somehow it's harder than I thought it would be.

I take my time on the drive to Nick's house. Today is Sunday, the day after the dance, and exactly two months and one day after the night the Pledge began. It's tradition: on this night, the original attendees of the party — that is, all those who've won — arrive and celebrate until the early hours of the morning. Those who have lost simply don't show up, making it obvious who's won and who hasn't. Nick and I always meet before then to go over what we know and what to consider when making the decisions, because as the record holders — and the creators of the game, as it has been for the last four years — we get to decide if there are exceptions. We always try to keep it fair. In the past four years, we've only made three exceptions.

Nick opens the door for me and heads to the kitchen. As soon as I'm in his living room, I plop down onto one of the sofas. I can tell his house, which is just as magnificent as any other house in Fieldbrook, is empty except for us. "Where are your mom and dad?"

"Lunch with Josh's parents," Nick says, coming back with two beers. He tosses one to me and settles himself on the sofa across from mine. "Okay. Let's discuss."

I crack open the can. "Let's discuss."

Nick looks tired, with circles under his eyes and hair that looks like he's slept on it funny, but somehow he seems relaxed. I want to bring up Hannah and ask if she's okay, but judging from Nick's mood, everything's fine. "What was your pledge?"

I take a sip of the beer and clear my throat. "I had to make out with all the girls in our grade."

Nick raises his eyebrows and lets out a whistle. "Nicole either wants you or hates you."

"Yeah," I agree, laughing. "Not the most enjoyable pledge I've had."

For a short, tense second, I wonder if Nick has just realized the reason behind my kiss with Hannah. Then he says, "We outdid ourselves with Courtney, Juliby, and Katie though."

"Right," I say, grinning when I think about last night. The plan was that Nick, Chase and I were each going to give a girl the same pledge, one that would be two-fold: During the Whooping, as soon as Mr. Stevenson appears, run to the field and do a choreographed dance in your underwear. Find out which two other girls have the same pledge without revealing yours. "That worked out really well," I say fondly. "I'm proud of them."

"We're proud parents," Nick says, taking another gulp of his beer. "Proud, evil parents."

"I'll drink to that."