A Drop In The Lake

For Rhea

Alessa

Five months later

"Alessa Inez Klein, you better get your butt down here or we're going to be late." Yells my mother from the bottom of the stairs.

I run around my room, scrambling to make my bed and jump into my white, lace, spaghetti strap dress.

"Calm down Ale, you won't be late," begins Cameron, looking me up and down. "And you look amazing."

Cameron moves towards me in his beige dress pants and pale-blue blazer.

"Oh hush." I blush, kissing Cameron back.

After Brook's trial, Cameron helped me get back onto my feet and scrubbed my name from the media circus along with Rhea's. After the trial, Cam and his father sued Max and his father for defamation and won two million dollars from the lawsuit. Damn.

Anyways, after both trials, Max became a social pariah in LBI, and his family moved back to California. He's still in jail for now, but when he gets out, he'll be forced to move back across the country. Which means, no Max and no problems, for now.

"Alessa. What the hell is taking so long?" Booms my mother in a half joking tone.

"Just a minute, I'm putting my shoes on," I yell, sliding my feet into my sand colored strappy heels. "Now will you put your shoes on and stop staring at me so we can leave?" I ask, side eyeing Cameron.

"How did you know I was looking?" Cameron asks, blushing as he moves to the side of my bed to collect his shoes.

"Lucky guess."

"I'm going to start the car. You better be out there in five minutes." Commands my mom, playfully, as she moves from outside my door.

Cameron and I quickly move around my room, tidying up and throwing ourselves together. I take a quick look around my room, surveying it for any signs of the rendezvous session Cameron and I had last night. My cheeks flare up as I notice the discarded condom next to my trash bin.

Coughing, I ask, "Um. Cameron. Could you throw that in the bin for me?"

Cameron looks at me and follows my eyes to the floor, blushing furiously as he picks up the condom and discards it into the bin.

"You will not speak of this." I beg as Cameron moves over to me for one more kiss.

"Promise." He teases.

"Ugh." I groan as we both leave my room and head for the stairs.

"So either of you want to tell me what happened last night?" Questions my mother as we slide into the back seat of the car.

We're both silent as we ride onto campus and up to the awaiting graduation tent. Because I live so close to the school I was able to move out of my dorm on Monday and sleep at home, only returning to campus to attend my half assed classes and free-for-all practices. As a fun end to the season we raced each other in mixed boats, bobbed pumpkins out of the lake, rowed in singles, and just horsed around.

When I step out of the car it all hits me so fast. This is it. We're graduating. We'd been through so much this year and the idea that it's all over sends a tidal wave of emotions over me, almost spilling off into tears.

"Ale," screams Brook, running over to me. "Hurry up, we're lining up on the second floor of Anderson Hall."

"Coming." I reply, meeting her half way.

Brook, Cameron, and I walk into Anderson Hall and up the stairs, meeting up with Mary and Dana.

"Where Dani?" I ask, looking around and making eye contact with Tony.

"She's up at the front with the salutatorian and the class president and vice president." Answers Dana.

"Wait. She got it?" I question eagerly.

"Yup!" Squeals Dana, a smile scrunching her cheeks up into her eyes.

"Eeeeeeee. I gotta go congratulate her, I'll be right back." I reply, and then take off towards the front of the mob of students.

I quickly congratulate Dani and then rush back to my spot in the line as the headmaster calls for all of us to get ready to walk out.

This is it. It's happening. I. I can't believe this is happening.

Bubbles burst in my stomach and rain down adrenaline into my core, attempting to sedate my nerves. My hands tremble with excitement and loss as the year is finally coming to an end, and, finally, my eyes begin to tear up.

I don't even hear the call for us to exit the building, I just walk, following after the person in front of me. Each step down the math hall is my last, and, for the first time, the steps down Anderson Hall fill my heart with a tight remembrance as I recall all of the times I've had to rush up them and was winded. Who would have thought that such simple things could turn into the most profound, but when you know it's the last time, you feel this impending loss.

When the light from outside flashes into my eyes, my tears start to trickle, two at a time, as all of my time here consumes me and I realize I'm off to a new life. Then it hits me, the familiar, overwhelming sadness, but before it can consume me, Cameron comes up beside me and grabs my hand. Then he whispers, "For Rhea."

That's all it takes, her name, leaving his lips, and my teardrop stained day turns bright, with the reflection of the sun hitting the freshly green leaves, turning them yellow. It's then, too, that I notice my mother, father, and brother standing on the side of the aisle as my class flows towards the stage and cuts off to the right and left to file into their seats. Walking down the last row of chairs and settling into my seat, I let out a sigh of relief and whisper to myself, "For Rhea."

__________________________________________

Guyssssssssssssssssssssssssss

it's over!!!

:'-(

I can't even wrap my head around the fact that I was able to write a 43 chapter story and build up this beautiful escape from reality, only to have to say goodbye to it less than a year later.

It's insane to me that ya'll have read and appreciated this story as much as you do, and helped me to feel comfortable sharing my story with you all. I really don't know what to say, because this story has been my home away from home for the last 7 months, and I don't know how to say goodbye to it.

With that, I'm hoping to do a Q&A as my next upload, so ask me any questions you'd like here, and I'll answer them next week (I'll also post a question box on my Insta and Snapchat, so you can ask any questions you may have there too.)

Till next time, enjoy life, and remember that not all is lost in the past and the future is there to grow, so don't get caught up in the bad days because a good one is bound to come.

<3

Olivia Testa (the author)