THE THIRD P3RSON

•Chapter 34•

About two weeks later, Ryan and I are driving to Jewel Beach from his house in North Gale. I'm changing the radio station because everyone thinks it's the perfect hour to give the endless amount of names of the sponsors. I switch to another station, almost giving up, when I hear "it's our time to own it. So, own it~"

I drum roll in the air. Ryan gives me a look like I'm crazy but I know he loves it. I mimic a mic in my hand and screech, "Baby, we were born with FIRE and GOLD in our eyes."

I'm laughing at Ryan's face when he tells me, "I love it when you try to sing, Sweetheart, but promise me that you'll only do this in the car or when we're alone."

"I sound like I can't hold a note, I know. I just like to do it for fun." I tell him while bobbing my head to the beat of the song.

I scroll through a notification on my phone, counting down the minutes until we reach the boardwalk. I scroll through Instagram and like a picture from an art account. I scroll past a Channel add and look at Ryan.

"I haven't seen Christina around school." Ryan and I say at the same time.

He snickers. "Jinx."

I say what I have to anyway, "Jesus is in my music class. He acts the same as he's always had. The only thing is that he isn't flirting with all the girls in the class anymore." I chew on my thumb while thinking when was the last time I heard a girl crying his name in the bathroom. "It's a little unsettling.I wonder if it's because of Christina."

"I tried not to get in Christina's way, but I don't think she's even been going to school at all." Ryan pulls my hand away from my mouth.

"Considering we were all supposed to work on the project together, she made it clear from the start she didn't want to be involved." I looked at Ryan before I turned back to the window. "I just wish I knew what happened. Nothing project related. "

"Uncle hasn't told me anything but I'm sure she's fine, Julianna." Ryan parked his car and turned my face to meet his.

Kissing Ryan was a welcoming distraction.

As soon as we step out and are a few feet away from the car, Christina comes out of nowhere with her purse hanging from her elbow and with her glasses covering her eyes. Does she come when summoned or something? If I ask for a car will I magically win one at one of the games at the boardwalk?

"Hey, Christina." I quip.

"Shut up, Julianna. I didn't come here to talk with you." As nice as ever. Christina clicked her teeth and I felt her eyes narrow behind her rose gold sunglasses. "I need to talk to Ryan."

I waved my hands in a "shoo" motion. "No thanks." I tell her. "Nope. Not today."

Christina clears her throat. All she needed was a piece of gum and pink hair to be the villain of my comics. "I have my future figured out. Kinda like a fast pass for life."

I clap and smile. Sarcastically, I say, "Is that what you came here for? Great! Thanks for that lovely input. I'll be sure to tell Miles. Goodbye." I pulled on Ryan to turn around and leave.

Ryan resisted. I looked up at him and saw it in his face. He wanted to hear what she wanted to say, all jokes aside. I understood. He's been by her side for years and even though he was only seeing her true colors recently, he was still fighting against the instinct to go by her side. He needed closure before we graduated. He (probably) would never see her again. I needed to give him that. I turned back to face Christina. Ryan noticed that I noticed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I interpreted it as a silent "thank you".

In the nicest way possible, Ryan says," I just wanted to know if everything was alright with you before we graduated. We were wondering why you haven't been showing up."

She nods while smirking at the arm he still had wrapped around me. Unlike before, where I would have ducked under Ryan's arm and hid, I give Christina a closed mouthed smile. Ryan was keeping me close because he liked my company. As long as I remembered that, I'll be okay.

Christina tilts her head to the side. "Ryan, you've changed. Her too. Before, it was kinda cute that you did all those things for me. I mean, it sucks now to see you move on 'cuz I kinda liked you always being there. I mean, Jesus was great or whatever, but he wasn't... Like you were. But, now, I guess, guys are just not for me in general."

Wait.

Before she could continue, Ryan holds his hand up. "Christina, 'playing around with me' isn't right. When I drove you home when you went to Jesus's party, it was the last favor I'm ever going to do for you. I'm not going to be there at college because I'm-"

Christina laughed so hard that Ryan and I jumped. "Please. College? I didn't bother. Why was I gonna do that if I could just go to New York and sell my ideas to people who want them? I'm taking a year off. More than that, if I'm lucky. Nobody in college is gonna teach me a thing that I'mma need in real life."

"Good luck to you then." I tell her. No sarcasm. If that's what she wanted then she should do it. I firmly believed in that.

Christina blinked back. "I don't need it."

"Okay, then you don't."

Christina, still giving me side looks, talked pointedly to Ryan. "Tell your uncle: I don't regret it."

Ryan blinked. "Huh?"

Christina sucks her teeth and speaks really slowly. "Mi-els. Tell. Him. I. Am. Gone. When I signed myself out, he didn't change my mind. I'm not going back."

Ryan blinked again. "Okay?"

Christina flicks her sunglasses over her eyes and smiles. "Sucks to be you. College isn't as fun as people make it out to be. If it's independence you want, you have to get it."

Suddenly feeling sorry for Christina, I look up at Ryan. They shared dreams together for years. Judging by what Christina was saying, I took a guess that she didn't hear about Ryan's choice after graduation. Still, being close friend for so long, it looks like they were a lot similar than I thought. 

I look back to her as she turns to leave and debate whether I should give her advice or not. At last I call out, "Good luck in the fashion world, Christina. From what I've heard, it's tough."

"Julianna. At nineteen, I'm already better than your mom. She'll go out of business in no time." She yelled over her shoulder, practically speed walking towards where I think she parked her car.

I laughed. Without knowing it, Christina made me a promise that made me feel a lot happier. "I hope so," I whispered.