Moving On

Thirty-two

Thirty-two / Sandra

Austin and I woke up just before the big Sunday brunch the day after the wedding.

Since we all thought he wasn't coming, we didn't reserve a room for him. I let him sleep in my room, and I told him the floor was all his. He didn't look like he had a problem with it.

During the middle of the brunch when everyone has had a fair amount of alcohol in their systems, Jess told me that there's this party she's going to attend tonight and she wants me and Austin to come with. I told her I needed to ask my mom first since it's her wedding day weekend, and it turns out she beat me to it and that my mom said I could definitely go.

We didn't have to leave for another couple of hours, so naturally, Austin and I took the opportunity to get some more sleep.

Jess snuck in our room around seven o'clock.

When I woke up, I asked her, "How the hell did you get in here? You don't have a key."

"I got one from reception," she explained. "I told the front desk it was really important, and I also mentioned that I was a wedding guest. Apparently Jerry paid a lot for the wedding, so the hotel is like treating us like VIPs or something."

"I didn't know he was rich," I said as I got ready to shower. "Isn't he a waiter at Seafood Island?"

"I heard he had a bunch of other jobs and he has a business of some sort!" Jess yelled so I could hear her from inside the bathroom. "It's really weird how you think you know people and it turns out you're completely in the dark."

I couldn't agree more, but I said nothing so that I could shower faster. I told Jess to start annoying Austin to wake up because he's a real heavy sleeper and even a marching band couldn't wake him up.

When I got out from the shower, Austin was already standing outside waiting for me to come out. I didn't know what Jess did, but he looked really pissed.

Jess drove us from Port Clinton back to Columbus. We went to a neighbourhood I've never been too—or at least that's what I thought at first—until I saw the Clifford's mailbox that I could never ever forget. It was so ugly. It was painted bright red, the mailbox itself and the stick and all, so it looked like a big ugly fire hydrant on the stick. I wouldn't be surprised if dogs have actually pissed there.

"Are the boys home?" I asked.

Jess said nothing as she parallel parked onto the street.

Michael's mom was the one who answered the door when we rang the bell. "Hello, girls," she smiled. "And... guy," she looked at Austin.

There was music booming throughout the house, and I wondered how I didn't hear it outside. People were everywhere: in the hallways, at the stairs, you name it. It looked like a typical high school party and Michael's mom looked out of place. I wondered what all of this is for.

Jess led us to the living room where I saw three familiar guys on the couch, talking to some people. It was Calum, Ashton, and Michael. Again, Luke was nowhere to be seen.

"Guys?" I was confused.

They all stood up from where they sat and tackled me into a group hug.

"Hey, Sandra," Ashton smiled. "I haven't seen in you in so long, even when we came home a few months ago. I feel betrayed."

I told him I was busy and that I would make it up to me. Michael handed me a red cup and I looked back and forth between him and his mom and pondered why his mom is letting us drink.

As if reading my thoughts, he said, "Oh, it's just Cali, non-alcoholic."

"Oh." I smiled.

I turned around to grab Austin so that he could meet Ash and Mike since he's never seen them before in person, but he wasn't behind me anymore, he was already chatting with Ashton and soon Michael joined them when Calum approached me.

"Hey, you," he smiled and then hugged me.

"Hey, Cal," I returned his greeting. "How was Japan?"

"It was like Times Square in New York, but I didn't understand anything."

I laughed. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming home? Geez, nobody tells me when they're coming home anymore."

We kept sharing stories until we've basically toured the whole house. I kept looking for here and there, and apparently Calum finally noticed what I'm doing because he said, "You're not going to find him here. He's not here."

I tried my best to not look as heartbroken as I felt. "Why? Where is he?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, he made us promise not to tell anyone where is he—especially you."

My heart sank further. Why? Was not telling him I was Carly's sister so evil that he won't even let me know where he is? Was it really that unforgiveable?

"Hey, don't think about him too much. He doesn't deserve to be thought of," Calum said.

"I'm getting kind of pissed at him," I admitted.

Calum nodded, agreeing. "Screw Luke. He's the one missing out. Do you know what today is?" He asked me.

I shook my head.

"I don't know either, I just know that it's a Sunday," he laughed. "But the guys and I just missed school so much and we figured that everyone should be on summer break right now so we called every batch mate we had contact to and just held this party. It's like a mini reunion."

"You guys really are the weirdest derps ever," I said.

"That's what we are, we're derps," he agreed. "Whatever that is."

So I spent the rest of the night catching up on my old schoolmates back here in Columbus even though I only finished until junior year there.

I heard all kinds of weird stories all night, but nothing lived up to what I've been up to since high school. Thankfully, no one had kids yet, we were all just still kids. This made me think about Luke—everything does, I hate it—and I scolded myself. He is a douchebag. He only thinks about himself. Don't think about him.

It amazed me how the people I once went to school with change so much in just a span of a couple of years. Paul Gibbons, who was an athlete before, now lives in California, attends UCLA and is taking up theatre arts. I pegged him to be the guy who dreams of being in the NBA, not acting in Broadway, but hey, it's his life. Another example was Michael's cousin, Tina Clifford, who was our batch president. She lives in Maryland now, attends the University of Baltimore and is taking up engineering. We all thought she would want to be a politician because she knows how to make people respect her.

And I perfectly understood why I shouldn't think about Luke tonight. Austin and Calum were right: he's being a selfish douche right now. I learned to realize things on my own, and maybe it's time he does too. I'm done playing tag with him. I'm done. It's all up to him now.

I threw him to the farthest corner of my brain and concentrated on the friends I am with tonight.