Finding Emily

{Chapter 18}

     On the last day of school the seniors had a water balloon fight which was an old tradition, and they wore their senior t-shirts that they designed and ordered at the beginning of the year. Becca was surprised at the nostalgia and sadness she felt as they all said goodbye when the bell rang, and she hurt even more when she saw Star and Lenny walking down the hall together with their bulging backpacks of stuff from their now empty lockers. Becca wanted to run up to them and throw her arms around their shoulders like old times, but she knew she couldn't. It wasn't allowed. She saw Jamie as she and Kyle walked out arm in arm, and he looked away the second their eyes met. It hurt.

  "I'm the most popular girl around," she told Kyle.

  "I thought I was the most popular girl around."

  He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

  Along with the picnic and balloon fight there was also a bonfire the night of graduation at lake on the beach. She didn't want to go to it, but again Kyle talked her into it. He said she couldn't shy away from things just because she was having issues with a few people. He said it wasn't healthy, and besides Quinn, Lenny, Tasha, Brian and a bunch of other of their friends would be happy to see her. She ended up having a good time despite her second thoughts. They cooked marshmallows and hot dogs, and they sang 90's pop songs.

 "Not surprising since most of those songs are on your phone," Kyle joked. "You truly have terrible taste in music."

  "You listen to it more than I do."

  "Touché. Want to dance to this awesome music? I think I hear a bit of 98 degrees coming on."

  They were laughing as he led her to the area that seemed to have become the dance floor now that the cheesy late 90's ballad was on, and Kyle wrapped his arms around her. She felt content as she laid her head on his shoulder even though Star was just a few feet away. She was dancing with Lenny. Those two seemed to be spending a lot of time together these days even though Lenny said they were just friends, but Becca suspected he wanted them to be more. She hoped so. She wanted her friends to be as happy as she was now. 

  Star and Becca's eyes met, and Becca managed a shaky smile that she thought for sure would just cause Star to turn her head or give her a dirty look, but Star smiled back an equally unsure smile, but it was a smile. Becca felt a twinge of hope in her stomach. She really wanted her friend back. Star looked so innocent in her torn blue jean shorts and torn, hot pink shirt that she put over a white tank top. It was so vintage Star that it almost made Becca smile again even though she felt like crying. She wanted that crazy girl back in her life.

  "Are you doing okay?" Star asked a few moments later when Becca went to get something to drink, and Kyle went to play some night time beach volleyball with a few people. Becca was not interested. Now that she was done with high school she would never play volleyball ever again she told him, and he stuck his tongue out at her in reply.

  "Yeah," Becca said with surprise as she turned around and almost spilled her drink in shock that her once best friend was speaking to her. They hadn't exchanged words since their fight on the porch of Becca's house.

  "Are you okay?" Becca asked quickly after a moment.

 "Yeah," Star said, and she looked almost ashamed. "I've been meaning to call you... really. I'm not just saying that. I wasn't sure what to say after my blow up. It isn't as if you slept with Kyle while we were together. I had no right getting mad at you."

  "No, it was so wrong of me," Becca said as she shook her head, and felt her face grow warm as she remembered her misdeeds. "He's your ex-boyfriend, and I should have told you how I felt about him. I just... I didn't want to lose you, but I made a bad choice and did it anyway. I'm full of bad choices I'm figuring out. I didn't mean to hurt you, but it doesn't matter. I did. I hate it too."