Finding Emily

{Chapter 26}

   "Ugh, my head feels like it weighs a million pounds," Star complained as she and Becca walked through the field towards where the band were playing. It was the 4th of July, and there was always a concert of local musicians and bands that everyone attended even though it was usually just old guys with guitars and cover bands. It was tradition for Becca and her friends to attend though, and they couldn't break the habit. They settled on the blanket Star laid out as she continued to complain about her allergies and the damn summer weather that she wished would go away.

  "I want to live in a place that is winter all the time," Star said. "Then I would be happy."

  "It sounds depressing," Becca said.

 "It'd be better than this pollen filled hell hole."

  "Oh hush."

  "Oh what? Am I talking over the ninety year old men playing Shania Twain songs? I didn't know you were such a fan. Which one is your favorite? Mine is the one with the mutton chops."

  They were laughing and smacking each other when Becca caught sight of Kyle walking a few yards away, and he was holding hands with a petite brunette with a pixie cut and shorts cut up to her upper thigh and left nothing at all to the imagination. She also had a sleeve of tattoos up one arm, and a ring through her lip. Kyle looked different too. He seemed more relaxed and she noticed he had a new eyebrow ring. She guessed he wanted to fit in with his girlfriend and her crew that were nearby and looked a lot like she did. Star saw him too.

  "You okay?"

  "Yeah," Becca said honestly. "It hurts, but not as much as I thought it would. I dreaded the day when I saw him with someone else. I don't know why as he didn't even wait to start dating someone else before we broke up."

  Star smirked. "Yeah, he never waits."

  "Oh Lord, if you bring up that bullshit again-"

  Star was laughing at her now which rekindled their pretend wrestling which only ended when Quinn and her boyfriend Wesley settled down beside them with drinks and a big plate of hotdogs and burgers fresh from the grill. Becca liked Wesley. He was probably not going to last long, but he was one of the better guys that Quinn had brought around. He was two years older than her, and he was going to be a lawyer like Quinn. He was gearing up go to law school in the fall. 

  Wesley was sweet too, and he clearly adored Quinn which wasn't hard to believe since Becca thought Quinn was one of the smartest, coolest people she'd ever met. Plus Quinn seemed equally smitten with Wesley. Becca wished it would work out even though he and Quinn would be ten hours away from each other in the fall. 

  "I feel like this could actually be something," Quinn told Becca once. "And I'm not used to that feeling at all. I'm terrified though 'cause I don't know what will happen. Sometimes that just makes me want to break up with them quicker."

  It seemed like everyone was pairing off, thought Becca. Star and Richard were seeing each other a lot now. It wasn't official, but she lost her virginity to him the first week after they were back from Europe. She told Becca all about in great detail; which Becca could have done without, but Star was too excited to be stopped. She said she didn't know if she wanted things to be serious or not with Richard. Neither of them cared at the moment. Star explained they were just having a good time. She said that she usually clung to guys and wanted them to be her boyfriend right away, but she didn't want that with Richard. She wanted to find out what she wanted first and then go for it. But she was enjoying her first sexual experience.

  "I feel like I'm so behind everyone," Star admitted. "Like I know I shouldn't have done it just because everyone else was – thanks to the many after school movies my Mom made me watch, but it's nice no longer being the lone virgin in the room."