My Savior | First Love Series

Epilogue

"You're cheating! You're a cheater!"

"Scarlette," I try to reason, "I didn't cheat."

My sweet girlfriend ignores me and draws four extra cards from the Uno deck. It's the only other card I had left!

Madaline, Jackson, and Julie focus in and each take a turn after. It's my turn again, and it takes everything in me to stifle my laugh. I smile, innocently, before placing down my last card.

"Uno out!"

Jackson groans from his third defeat as Scarlette pouts from losing her winning streak. Madaline high fives me while Julie shows her stack of cards. She could've easily won.

"One more round," Scarlette demands, as she tries to gather up all the cards.

I watch for a moment before taking the cards from her hands once she's done collecting them. Replacing the cards with a pack of candy, I peck her cheek, quickly, and turn back to our group of friends. Scarlette doesn't let it slide- her hand engulfing mine in a second. I don't say anything about it, instead moving closer to her. We've been together for three months, and it's been everything I thought it would be, plus more.

I've had my mess ups, and Scarlette has been nothing but patient with me. She reassures me, and it's not something I knew I needed until her. I give the same in return with no complaints. While Scarlette has her usual carefree nature, she gets cautious with me and with the relationship. And I thought that was my job. We've been working through the motions. Either way, things have been working out and I really can't wait to see where we head in the future.

School's been over for a couple of weeks, and it's officially summer break. We're all still teenagers, and it'd be a lie if we said we're ready to jump straight into our senior year. So, we're spending our summer together; doing things and experiencing things until we can't anymore.

That's why we're playing rounds of Uno on my room floor and eating snacks until our stomachs feel like they're going to pop.

It's more of a friendly, going away party for Julie. She's leaving to admin for her camp this weekend, and is going to be busy packing. We couldn't let her leave without one more fun night. Plus, the Uno was her idea. I, personally, think Uno breaks relationships and friendships but you just can't deny Jules. Not right now, anyway.

"Let's have a dance party," Madaline suggests, her head leaning towards Jackson. It's not exactly on him, but if he moved just a little to his left then they'd be almost connected.

They've been working things out themselves. I guess it's just a waiting game to see who'll truly confess first, and make things happen. Scarlette, Julie, and I placed a bet on who we think will make the first move. Julie and I's bets are on Madaline while Scarlette is rooting for Jackson. There's ten dollars on the line here. We promised to update Julie while she's away in case things happen over the course of the summer.

Julie herself hasn't been interested in anyone, and said a handful of times that she doesn't think she'll meet someone new anytime soon. Her mom has tried a few more times to set her up, but none of them were something that Julie was looking for. And none of us has berated her for it. Scarlette and I have planned friend dates, which is basically a date we planned but we add our friends to it. Everyone's included, so there's never any third wheeling.

"It's eleven at night, my parents are usually in bed at this time," Julie says, folding the large bag of pretzels that sat comfortably in her lap. "I have to pack too- I never started."

"So, you have to go?" Madaline asks, leaning away from Jackson to cling onto Julie.

"Yes," Julie laughs, hugging Madaline. Scarlette and I join the hug after, and after some glares sent to Jackson- he joins too.

We stay like that for a minute until, right on cue, Julie's parents call her down to go. I pack up the deck of cards, and try to quickly place them on my desk while picking up the excess candy that's left. Madaline helps Julie pack up her bag and we head downstairs after. Her parents are already standing ready by the door, and we hug her again before they can officially leave. That gets an 'aw' out of my own parents and we separate again after making Julie promise to say in good contact.

"I'll see you guys at the end of summer?" Julie asks, halfway out of the door.

"Yeah," I answer for all of us, a smile on my face. Of course it sucks that she won't be with us, but there's always the end of the summer and after that. Thinking positive, you know?

Julie smiles at that, and with a final wave she leaves.

"Would it be weird if I called her right now" Madaline asks, a small pout on her lips with her phone ready in her hands.

"At least wait until she's home, Mads," Jackson answers her, his arm placed around her shoulder. She leans into his touch, and looks at Scarlette and I with a small smile.

"Dance battle?"

"Dance battle," we answer.

That's enough to get us racing back up the stairs to my room with a small warning from my parents to slow down. We take the warning into advice and close my door, so they won't hear too much noise.

Scarlette is by my side the whole time, dancing crazily with me- and also being my partner in the 'fierce dance battles' with Madaline and Jackson. I think it's two hours later that we start to get tired, and collapse. Me on my bed with Madaline dramatically on top of me, and Scarlette along with Jackson on my supposedly comfortable floor.

"Are you all staying?" I ask, peering my head over the edge of my bed. I get silent nods from everyone. "Cool."

I think it's another hour after that, that everyone besides me is sleeping. My body and eyes are begging for sleep, but all I can think about is how my life changed so much in the span of a year. I got more friends, a girlfriend, a better relationship with my parents, I graduated. What more could I possibly want at this time?

I know if I said all of this to my friends they'd just reply with, "you changed your life around yourself," but that's not true. They saved me. Madaline, Scarlette, Jackson, Julie. All of them. They're my saviors.

The End.