Epilogue

Jake Nelson

Sitting in the shitty plastic chairs at graduation, feeling like a total tool in the stupid cap and gown we have to wear, I look around at my friends.

Next to me is Andy, who returns my grin. A few chairs down is Drew, his blond hair looking almost white in the bright sun.

In the row in front is PJ, who, as normal, is flirting with his girlfriend, Katy.

And up on stage is my best friend, Georgina Evans. She waves excitedly at me when she notices me looking at her and blows a kiss toward Andy, who pretends to catch it and put it in his pocket.

Yup! After three years of hating each other, all it took was one year with yours truly for them to fall madly in love.

Andy is the only dude I would ~ever~ trust with my George, especially after all the shit she went through.

It was a tough battle between them for valedictorian, with the teachers having to bring it down to attendance to choose between the two because their grades and test scores were identical.

George deserved it, in my humble opinion.

Up in the crowd of friends and family, I find my dad and Jimmy, and next to them is my girlfriend, Layla.

I still can’t believe I’ve found a girl who looks so much like Winona Ryder in real life! No way I am ~ever~ gonna let her go.

Andy nudges me, pulling my attention back to George as she walks up to the podium to give her speech, excellently edited with my help.

I’ve heard the speech so many times that I phase out, playing with the loose threads around the holes in the knees of my jeans.

I still can’t believe next year, the three of us are going to San Fran State. My dad is overjoyed that I am graduating from school, let alone going to college!

He and Jimmy announced that they had extra money saved because I managed to score a scholarship, so they rented the two of us an apartment close to the campus.

Next year is gonna be AWESOME!

—End of Book One—