Page 22 of Thick & Thin

Her tan legs were dangling off the end, and her thick thighs were spilling from the cutoffs she was wearing. She was barefoot and still wearing the trucker hat, which was hiding her piercing green eyes.

I paused, bottles in hand, and watched her without her knowing she was being watched. She was playing on her phone, her head down and her feet swinging back and forth. She looked perfect. Everything I ever wanted but knew I could never have. At least not the way I dreamed of having her these days.

7

Jenny

Josh was called before me,and I watched as he crossed the stage with a large smile on his face to get his diploma. The group cheered for him as he high-fived a teacher on his way and shook hands with Principal Reeves. Once he had his diploma in hand, he faced the crowd and pumped his fist in victory.

Everyone loved him.

I loved him.

In my own way.

I think.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Josh. I knew I cared a lot. I always had, but there was always something underlying my feelings for him. Something deeper that simmered just below my surface.

When they called my name, I walked up to the stage, my fancy flip-flops, courtesy of Lilly, flopping with my steps. Once I took the stage, I smiled down at my family and Josh, and once I was handed my diploma, I made a show of copying Josh, making the crowd laugh. He clapped from below, laughing with everyone else.

At that moment, something strange happened. We locked eyes. His laughter stopped, and my smile dropped, and what seemed like forever stretched between us. It wasn’t until Principal Reeves laid his palm against my back and I heard them calling the next person that I looked away and made my feet move.

Afterward, there were pictures. I was surround by my family. Dad and his new girlfriend, Janice, who Devin and I approved greatly of. Lilly, who was pregnant with a Devin Jr., Devin, and little Emma, who was my favorite three-year-old spitfire. Dad and Devin swore she was just like me, but I thought she was going to surpass me with the sass since there was no way I was such a smart-mouthed cutie when I was three.

“I still can’t believe my baby girl is a high school graduate,” my dad said, pulling me into his side and scrubbing at my hair, loosening my low ponytail.

“Dad!” I pushed at his side, making him laugh.

As soon as I pulled away from my dad, Vaughn scared me, grabbing me from behind and lifting me. “We did it, Scrappy! We’re free!”

I laughed. “Put me down, Beast.”

He set me on my feet and surprised me yet again when he leaned over and pressed a kiss to my hairline. I wiped at the spot with the back of my hand, making him laugh. “When do you leave for Oklahoma?”

Vaughn had applied to Oklahoma and had gotten accepted. Lucky for him, his daddy was loaded and could afford it because the boy’s GPA wasn’t pretty.

“Leaving in a few days to settle into the new apartment. Then it’s party all day and all night until the first day of class in August.”

“Yeah. Have fun with that.”

“Oh, I will. See you around, Stone Maiden. Don’t go breaking too many hearts in Texas.” He winked.

“Yeah. Like that’s going to happen.”

He shook his head as though he wanted to say more, but before he could, Josh moved up beside him and bumped shoulders with him.

“Are you over here harassing Jen?”

“Nah, man. Just saying goodbye. See y’all on the flip side.”

And then he was gone, leaving me to wonder what he was going to say before Josh interrupted him.

“Did that fucker kiss you?” he asked, his dark brows pulled low.

“Yeah, on the head like I’m a two-year-old.”

“How about we head home and get to celebrating this graduation thing,” Devin said, interrupting my conversation with Josh. He patted at his flat stomach and yawned. “I’m starving and ready to get some steaks on the grill.”

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