Never Have I Ever (One Last Time # 1) (Wattys2017)

Strike Three, You're Out

I got a copy of the list from my brother the next day.

He explained that Abel was gone for the day with his family and told me to just do the next thing I wanted to do on the list and record it so he had proof that I had done it.

"You guys have already gone through three?" Oliver asked, pushing his dark sunglasses down the bridge of his nose so he could see the list clearly.

"I guess we have." I replied, frowning as I let my eyes roam the list again.

"Hey, Liv, can I ask you a question?" Oliver's blue eyes darted from the list in my hands to my face with a questioning look.

"You just did." I watched my brother roll his eyes in irritation, gesturing for him to go on with his actual question.

"Why are you doing this? I thought you were happy being who you were all of high school." He said. I felt my eyebrows raising as I met my brothers sparking blue eyes.

It was rare for him to try and bud in when it came to my life and the way I lived it, it was even rarer when he questioned me on what I was doing.

"You wouldn't understand." I dropped my gaze to the ground as I went on, "You had this really great high school experience. You lived like you didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow, you didn't care what life was going to throw at you, you just did what you did. But me? When people ask me what I did in high school, what is there for me to tell them?" I shrugged my shoulders, too afraid to face my brother.

"So you're making up for all the chances you passed up during high school?" Oliver laughed, "I guess that makes sense. But why did you choose to do it with Abel?" I leaned back in the lawn chair, kicking my feet back up in front of me as I stared up at the baby blue sky.

"Adrian and Lena asked the same thing." I finally whispered, "Is it really that strange?"

"Sis, you've thought Abel was a complete douche for the last five years, so yeah, it is." I sighed, just wanting to drop the subject.

Were they all right? Was it really that unusual that I agreed to do this with Abel?

Sure I had occasionally said that Abel was a player, a douchebag, but he hadn't really minded all that much. As a matter of fact, he had taken it as a compliment. So why were my friends and brother so set on thinking I hate him?

"Well, I guess graduation turned over a new leaf for you both." Oliver said after a few minutes of silence, sliding his sunglasses back on. "Just don't do something you're going to regret, Liv."

*

"Just do it! This is probably the best thing on the list." Lena said, peeking over Adrian's shoulder as he set the camera up on his phone. I sent her a quick glare before leaning down to tie my shoes, trying to stall for as long as I could.

"Why can't I just lie and say I did it?" I asked my friends, standing back up. Adrian was starting to lift his head, Lena was already sighing.

"Because you're doing this for you, to have the time of your life before you leave this town for good. Not for Abel, not for us, for you. And I'm sure as hell not going to let yourself regret not doing this later." She took my shoulders in her hands and squeezed them, a reassuring smile playing at the edges of her lips.

"Now go get kicked out of here, tiger." She bowed, as if she were in the presence of the King or Queen.

I took a deep breath and handed Adrian my bag, starting to walk backwards toward the middle of the library. My eyes immediately went to all the people around me, my heart racing.