Page 139 of The Forever After Bet

When I get home from Portland, my life has changed. Life moves along like it always has, but there’s a happiness inside me that’s new. It hasn’t come from one experience or event, but from the accumulation of all the things that have happened this past year. The good and the bad. Ford and I decided to keep our marriage a secret. We’re living our best teenage lives until graduation, but we talk about and make plans for our future.

Ford asks me to the Prom, and of course, I say yes. We were nominated for Prom King and Queen, but instead of campaigning for ourselves, we campaigned for June and Ty. Every hallway was plastered with ‘vote for June and Ty’ posters. The cheerleaders even got together and had a bake sale on their behalf.

They won by a landslide.

June got into Wichita State and was offered a scholarship, so she’s headed there as a musical theater major. She’s happy about her decision, and I’m happy for her. I’ll miss her terribly, though.

The basketball team made it into the playoffs undefeated where they fought hard but lost their first game. They ended up third overall in the state. Ford and the guys were stoked. It’s the best Lake City High has ever done in basketball.

Ford’s parents invited Tyler and Jack to Costa Rica for spring break. At first, I was upset that I wasn’t invited. Then I realized that the guys deserve some time to hang out together. They’ve worked so hard and have had each other’s backs through so much. I spend spring break helping my mom and dad finish the baby’s room.

Hailey Beth Clark is born three weeks early on May eighth, weighing in at seven pounds and one once with tons of dark hair. My parents let me be in the room for her birth. It’s the greatest miracle I’ve ever witnessed. It’s also the grossest.

Hailey is the cutest little thing to ever grace the earth and has the most kissable chubby little cheeks. I cried for two days straight when my dad told me the name, they picked for her. It doesn’t have any special meaning for me except for how close it is to my own. How cute is it to say Hannah and Hailey Clark?

Jack struggled with Beth having a baby right up until the minute she was born; but the second he laid eyes on Hailey, he was a goner. We had to make a feeding and holding schedule because we kept fighting over whose turn it was.

When Principal Forrest announced my name as valedictorian, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone. What was a surprise was that Landon had caught up to Ford. They tied for salutatorian. The principal lets both of them have the honor.

It was a surreal moment walking up to the pulpit to get my diploma. I’d worked four hard years for this. For three of them, this is all I dreamed about. I just wanted to graduate and go to college, but at the moment I was handed that piece of paper, it was bittersweet. I knew I’d miss high school and everything I was leaving behind with it.

“Well, you did it, Clark. How does it feel?” Ford asks, wrapping his arm around my neck like he used to.

“I’m going to miss it. I mean, there are a lot of things I won’t miss, but there are certain things I will.”

“Like what?”

“I’m going to miss cheerleading, and I’m going to miss Leah and Aubrey.”

“Of course,” Leah says as she passes us on her way to see Jack.

“I’m going to miss the janitor’s closet, and especially the student workroom,” I say, lowering my voice. “But what I think I’ll miss most is the pranks.”

“The pranks, huh?” Ford laughs.

I shrug. “Yeah.” I push away from him and hurry over to Jack and Leah.

“Yo, Ford!” Ty yells. “You’re smoking.”

Ford looks down at himself and sees the blue smoke pouring out of his graduation gown pocket. “Holy—” He grabs the gown, forgoing the zipper, and tugs it over his head and onto the ground.

I walk back over, and we stare at the gown. “I think the word you were looking for was ‘smokes’. Holy smokes.” I laugh.

“That’s it!” Ford yells.

I shriek and take off running, but I don’t get very far before he sweeps my feet out from under me.

“I’ve waited two years to get back at you for that.” I laugh, trying to catch my breath.

“So, what was a locker full of feminine hygiene products, then?”

“Just a teaser.”

“I’m going to have to pay for that gown.” Ford laughs.

“Oh, poor baby. I had to pay for two textbooks that were ruined because of your smoke bomb.”

“Are you two ever going to grow up?” Jack asks, laughing at us.

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