Open When I'm Gone

13. Fix Me Up.

It feels like a hundred years before the callbacks list gets posted, even when it's only been barely twenty-four hours. But as Jolie and I sit outside of the campus, passing notes from History class, pounding feet come rushing up behind us, and I hear Justice's voice before I see her.

"Callbacks!" She screams across the courtyard, Blake not far behind, grinning.

Jolie grins at me, squealing as she hauls me to my feet. I'm silent, but even I'm grinning, the girl's excitement almost contagious as we run toward the atrium, pushing through the herds of people rushing out of the school like there's some emergency. I almost lose Jolie's hand for a second, but she squeezes my hand and pulls me back to her before I can get lost in the waves.

The air burns as it rushes through my lungs, feet pounding on the pavement.

Like the soundtrack of my endless summer all over again.

"Guys, look, look, look!" Jolie exclaims, almost levitating with energy. Her grin is so magnetic that I can barely keep my eyes off her long enough to look at the list tacked onto the bulletin board.

But when I do, my stomach drops my toes, hitting the ground with a hard thud.

That's my name, on the list.

I did it.

I actually did it.

"Oh my gosh!" Jolie exclaims, grabbing my bicep, bouncing on her toes. "Simon, we did it!"

I let my frantic eyes flit down the list to where her name is, and can't help but grin.

"I knew you could," I lean down to say, just for her, and I swear her smile could have lit up the whole room, the whole world.

She reminds me of someone I once knew, but I'm not sure who exactly. Someone with the same radiant energy and mouth that was always smiling

"Callbacks are tomorrow," her excitement slowly trails into a look of utter and complete terror. "Simon, I don't know how to do callbacks, I won't be ready!"

I can't help but laugh as I pull her to my chest, letting my chin rest on the top of her head.

"You'll be okay, Jolie." I chuckle, stroking my fingers through her hair. " The hardest part is already over, after all."

"Are you two a couple?"

My head snaps around to Justice, her pigtails bouncing against her round cheeks as she asks again, "Are you two a couple?"

Jolie pulls away from me quickly, heart dropping as she wipes her hands on her pants, like our hug wasn't worthy to stay resting on her hands.

"No," She says quickly, giving me a look like she expects me to shatter right in front of her eyes.

But I don't. Of course I don't. I just smile at her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.

"We're just friends," I tell Justice, grinning at Jolie. "Best friends,"

And there's that smile again, so bright and blinding I feel like I would be content to never look away from her.

***

The setting sun feels warm on my skin as I wander through the trails of my neighborhood, a direct destination in mind as I curve to the sidewalk surrounding the pond.

I read recently in health class that spending more time outside helps with your mental health, so after Abby also read this, she decided executively that I was going to start taking walks every day. Of course it wasn't my choice, nothing ever is anymore.