Never Been Kissed

- EPILOGUE -

-•EPILOGUE•-

There was only a night left until school started again, and I would be a senior.

I had to say goodbye to all my friends (not in person, because, you know, I was still grounded) who were returning to their school upstate. Which meant no more Selena, Jade and Kelsey. And it also meant no more Kaila.

Kaila and I weren't on speaking terms. Allegedly, Beck had broken up with her when we got off the flight from New York and she thought I was responsible for that. But according to Laurel (who I still spoke to regularly), "their break up was in the makings from the beginning." So she really didn't reserve the right to complain I guess. But luckily, Kaila had grown a backbone and she and Betsy were no more.

Speaking of Betsy, she still had her friends, but she was a lot more reserved now, still as mean as ever, but only in small increments. And even better? She didn't talk to me. Not to comment on my lifeless hair or the fact that I was the town's freak show. Not once. She didn't bat an eyelash at me at all. And that was the greatest feat in the world.

Nonna's hip had healed-insert 'finally' here-and mom had shipped her back up to Italy because she was missing her vineyards. Talen and I were still friends-he was still single, and I bet that was super duper great for all the other single females in town-and it wasn't super awkward anymore, now that he didn't like like me. And then that left Asher. I still couldn't stand him, and he still couldn't stand me, but whenever he saw me in the park he'd nod, like there was some kind of undefined truce between us.

I guess there was.

And then, that left Beck.

Beck wasn't speaking to me. Like, at all. Not since we came home from New York, and that was almost a month ago. He didn't even call to wish me a happy birthday. Which was cool and all I guess... If I didn't miss him truckloads. I still liked him, even though I didn't get to see him every day, I still wanted him back. Not even romantically, I just wanted him back in my life.

Everything just felt empty without Beck here.

I'd gone back to writing poems. Nothing of consequence; just sad little odes to lost loves. It was quite pathetic actually, but my mom was thrilled that I was doing something with my brain this close to school. Life was alright again, it had finally gone back to being normal.

"Amber!" mom yelled downstairs.

I dropped my pen, smearing ink across the beginnings of the poem I'd just penned. I winced at the frilly poem that had been spun from my pen and the bleakness of my mind.

"I'll love you forever,

As long as the summer sky stays tender

As long as the approaching gentle sighs of winter,

Sweep over my face."

It was only a stanza, but it said everything that I couldn't put into words out loud.

"Coming!" I let my mother know. I shut the note-book and pushed away my chair before heading carefully down the stairs.

My mom was busying herself in the kitchen, up to her arms in light, fluffy flour. In front of her sat a big piece of dough. I guessed it was for pizza. I looked at my watch; it was just after 6, dad would be home soon and the sky was darkening. Opal was outside playing with her toys. It would soon be time for her to come in.