Revealed

81. Melissa

All three of us sit at the edge of the water. We've been catching up all day.

"Guys," I whisper while looking up into the beautiful sunset sky. "I can't believe where we are right now. Look at us. We're clearly worse apart than together."

Solie laughs, pulls her legs into her chest, and wraps her arms around them. "OMG, yeah! Awww guys! We're graduated! We're going to college! And honestly, I don't think anyone else at school is going to have a more eventful summer than us."

Stella gives a crooked smile. "Hate to burst your bubble, but you we're not graduated yet. Graduation's tomorrow."

Solie rolls her eyes.

"And plus, I'm pretty sure you're going to have to make up all the finals you missed this week," Stella continues. Once Solane hears these words, her face goes blank in thought. It seems like she had just come back to reality.

She gives an even more ferocious eye roll and sigh than before. "Oh shit. Guys? Can I even graduate? I technically didn't finish the year. And you're right Stella, I haven't taken any finals." Solie stands up from the sand in frustration. "Oh my gosh. What if... what if I can't walk?"

I try to calm her nerves. "Solie, lets just be mindful of right now. You don't need to be thinking about all this just yet."

"But Mel, I do. Graduation IS tomorrow. I haven't finished my school year and at the end of the day, even if I am mindful for right now, it's going to come back to me." She takes a few steps back. Stella and I, still sitting on the sand, turn our bodies slightly towards her.

"I have to go make some calls." and then, she runs off.

Stella and I look back at each other. It's awkward, like there are so many unsaid thoughts floating all around us. I can practically see them.

Breaking the tenseness, Stella says seriously, "Melissa. I don't want things to be awkward between us. I know what you did, it was on accident. I kind of provoked you. So I don't fully blame you. We're both at fault here." She begins fiddling with her fingers and making small circle imprints into the wet sand under us. "But we just got our best friend back. And she's giving us the chance to walk away clean. I'm taking it, and I hope you'll follow me in that decision. I really just want to put that behind us. I kinda miss my best friend." She gives me that crooked smile again and this time, I give her one right back.