After You

One

I was six years old and standing on the end of the dock.

"You gonna jump?" Hanson asked impatiently from behind me.

I stared down into the lake and curled my toes around the edge of the wooden pier. It was an eight foot drop from the dock to the water.

"Sure I am," I responded uncertainly. "After you."

Hanson sighed. I stepped aside just in time as he ripped past me and splashed into the water.

"Now you," he called up to me.

I shrugged and jumped in.

•••
I was in seventh grade and sitting in the principal's office.

"Hanson Gaines," Mr. Oliver, the vice principal, said, placing a file on his desk and sighing. "Fancy seeing you here. For the second time this week." He glanced over at me. "And who's this?"

"Olivia Simon," Hanson cut in before I could answer. "But it wasn't her fault. It was my fault, sir."

Mr. Oliver furrowed his eyebrows at me. "How was climbing onto the roof of the school during recess not her fault?"

"Well. I did it first. She just followed me. I told her it would be okay and she-" Hanson was rambling. I kicked him under the desk.

Mr. Oliver looked back and forth between Hanson and I and sighed . "Do you follow this young man when he makes poor choices often, Miss Simon?"

I looked down at my lap and mumbled, "Yes, sir."

"You may go back to class, Miss Simon. This is your first violation. I suggest you think twice in the future before following your friend here." He turned to Hanson. "Now for you, young man... I'll be calling your mother."

I scurried out of the office as Hanson began inventing a wild excuse for why his mother couldn't answer the phone- something to do with CIA agents and fighting aliens.

•••
I was a freshman in high school and determined to fly under the radar.

Hanson was determined to destroy every plan I had of flying under the radar.

"Just come," he insisted to me over the phone one night.

"I don't do parties, Hanson. You know that. And this isn't even a freshmen party. This kid is a junior."

"Yeah, but he's on the baseball team with me. He's cool with us coming. It'll be fun, Liv."

"I don't know..."

"Is that a yes?" He sounded way too happy about my vague response.

"I don't-"

"Great! Meet me outside in fifteen minutes." He hung up before I could protest.

When I met Hanson at the big oak tree halfway between my house and his, he looked way too excited for this party.

"You look way too excited for this party," I said.

"It is exciting! It's our first high school party!"

"Yay," I said unenthusiastically.

"Come on, Liv. Just open up a little!" He stopped walking in front of a house with an open garage door. Music and lights poured out onto the driveway.

Hanson turned to me. "You ready?"

I stared at the open door and the garage full of teenagers and stepped back a little. "After you."