Page 121 of Picture Perfect

Addy

I'm picking at a deli sandwich, the computer lab's hum of electronics mixing with the laughter and chatter around me. The scent of Gen's citrus perfume wafts over as she plops down beside me, her presence like a burst of sunshine in the dimly lit room.

"Okay, I've been thinking," Gen announces, sweeping her gaze over the group. "Addy here has been missing out on the quintessential high school experiences."

I roll my eyes but can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips. Gen's enthusiasm is infectious, even if I don't quite share her sentiments about high school milestones.

"Like what?" one of the boys asks, his voice laced with curiosity rather than mockery. It's comforting, in a way I hadn't expected it to be.

"Prom, football games under the lights, sneaking out past curfew for midnight shenanigans." Gen ticks them off on her fingers, each suggestion more teenage cliché than the last.

"Those sound... interesting, I guess," I murmur, not entirely convinced. My life never had room for those frivolities – survival was the only goal.

"Interesting? They're rites of passage!" Gen insists, her determination sparking something warm inside me. "You need a high school bucket list, Addy. And we're going to make sure you check off every single thing by graduation."

“Is that really necessary?”

"You said that was your first party, the one I took you to. It was your first sleepover. That's...that's really sad, Addy. I mean, what else have you been deprived of?"

"If you recall, that party did not end on a high note for me."

"Come on, Addy! You can't tell me that didn't stir something in you," Gen prods, her eyes alight with the fire of determination.

"Fine, it was... new," I admit, tucking a strand of blond hair behind my ear.

"New? It was epic!" Her grin is contagious, and despite myself, I can't help but let the corners of my mouth twitch upward. "Your first party, your first sleepover. What else haven't you done?"

I shrug, my green eyes scanning the sea of lockers. "Lots. But what's the point?"

"The point?" Gen freezes, turning to face me with hands planted firmly on her hips. "The point is, high school isn't just about surviving. It's about living, making memories. So, bucket list."

"A bucket list?" I repeat, incredulous.

"Before the end of the year, you're going to experience everything you've missed out on," she vows, and there's something in her voice that makes me want to believe her.

"So, what's on the list?" Saint asks, taking his normal chair to my right.

“Skydiving, obviously,” Dre chimes in.

“Yeah, that’s a definitely not.”

"Come on, Addy, where's your sense of adventure?" Gen teases, nudging me gently.

"Let's start with something easy," Chess suggests. "What about a road trip?"

I offer a half-smile, picking at the corner of my sandwich, trying to seem interested. But internally, I'm miles away from the excitement. My trust in promises is threadbare, worn by too many disappointments. Even if they did manage to pull off this list, it'd be like putting a colorful Band-Aid on a wound too deep to heal.

"Guys," I interject, my voice steadier than I feel, "even if we do all these things... it's not going to change anything for me."

"Of course, it will," Dre says confidently, his smirk softening into something more akin to understanding. "It's about making memories, right? You should have happy memories, Snowflake."

As they continue to toss around ideas like confetti, I can't help but feel like an outsider looking in. They speak of normal teenage rites of passage as though they're the most natural thing in the world.

"Addy, you have to let us do this," Gen insists, her gaze locking onto mine. "We want to make your high school experience memorable."

"Sure," I murmur, though my voice sounds distant, even to my own ears.

"Okay then," she says, determination lacing her words. "What about carving pumpkins? Or a beach bonfire?"

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