As she prepares for Junior Year, 16-year-old Sammy doesn't expect to be a full-time member of the drama club, but when she finds herself at the center of a love triangle featuring the hot new guy and an adorable freshman, she quickly finds out that...
Graduation is growing nearer and I can't escape the signs. Literally. They are everywhere — in the hallways at school. All over town. Everywhere.
Even my Today's Special donut — blue and white jimmies for graduation. Perfect. Another sign.
Jake and I haven't really had that talk yet. But we are talking.
***
Scooter and Jake just finished their last "official" day of school; they turned in final projects at 2 p.m. Graduation is Friday.
Scooter's driving us to Jake's house, so I can help them decorate their caps. These boys — talented on the court, not so much with the art.
I made a beeline for the bathroom. We got stuck at every light on our way across town. I swear they added 15 stop signs since yesterday.
As I exit the bathroom, I notice a hole in the wall just down the hallway. That was definitely not there the last time I was here. I mean I wasn't really focused on the interior design, but that was definitely not there. Couldn't have been.
"Sam, get in here." Jake, calling from their make-shift crafts table. I dropped the hand towel, flicked off the light and made my way to the kitchen. We are going to talk about that hole later.
"Look," Jake held up Scooter's royal blue graduation cap. Scooter had taped a crude penis on it. They were both laughing hysterically.
"That's great, Scoot, if you want everyone to remember you as the guy with the blue balls at graduation." Boy's been hit in the head too many times.
Jake spit-sprays Mountain Dew out of his mouth, all over the kitchen. Lunging for me, he picks me up and proclaims, "And, that, my friend, is why I love this girl."
***
Jake and I are meeting at the Rocks. He wants to talk.
I pull into the teacher's lot. It's after hours, so it's empty except for a few procrastinating seniors, covered in spray paint. I'm halfway across the football field when I see it. Jake's rock.
143 Samantha. JM '95
143. I love you. I'm frozen staring at it.
"I do." Jake, as usual, appearing out of nowhere behind me. I refuse to turn. I can't face him right now. "I know I'm an idiot. A jealous asshole sometimes. But I can't help it. I love you, Sam."
"How can you say that?"
"I'm not perfect, Sammy. I know that. But I know how I feel. I know that I've never felt like this before. I love you so much it scares me. And I'm terrified that I'm going to lose you."
"You aren't going to lose me because you're not perfect. I don't need you to be perfect. I need you to trust me. I need to trust you — to know that if I give you my heart, you won't destroy it over some stupid rumors. I need you to believe me when I tell you that you are the one I want." No singing this time. This time, I'm crying.
"I know." He puts his arms around me. Resting his head on my shoulder. We stay there, just staring at his spray-painted declaration. Not at all how I'd imagined hearing someone tell me they loved me for the first time.
That rock is gonna be up there for everyone to see.
And I'm going to have a reminder of this night for the next year.
***
The Rocks: A natural rock wall that frames the football field. Every year at graduation, seniors paint the rocks to show "they did it the best they could while they were in this place." Man, I love "Dazed and Confused."
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