CHAPTER ONE: August after Senior Year

James
James had a four heartbreaks. The first was Tony Aldana, who kissed her at their sixth grade dance and then laughed
about it the next day in the cafeteria. Back in grade school James got teased for being a girl with a boy’s name. The story
behind her name is that her Mom and Dad expected a boy and the boy was to be named James McCall the Third. Bryce
Bradley was her first real boyfriend, if eighth grade boyfriends count. They went on long walks around their neighborhood
after school every night and talk about what happened every day. Then all of a sudden Bryce didn’t have time for walks,
and their conversation is out of line. But then James hear that Bryce was seeing another girl. There was Javier who
showed up the summer before sophomore year and he was staying with his aunt and uncle which is James neighbors but
two weeks into August Javier had to go home, back to Texas. James can’t explain her feelings. Phones and social media
exist but when they hugged and say good-bye to each other James knew that it was for forever. She cried every day of
that third week of August. James said “I will never let anyone get that close again, because the risk was to big’’
nevertheless she fell for Logan anyway.

Now that James helping her Dad to build homes in regular basis, she even know how to use it properly.
She remember being fourteen, which felt grown-up at the time, starting high school. She dedicated a page in her journal
to a list of ideal time capsule contents, while Kat made her choices more passionately. Maybe Luke is still mad at Kat for
burying the newest Game of Thrones book. James had a hard time writing a letter for Kat because it’s difficult for her
laying out her feelings. So after she heared about high school time capsule, it’s the first thing she look for. When she pick
up the envelope with her name written on it and it is much thicker than the envelope I sealed myself, four years ago.

Dearest James (ha ha ha),

OMG can you believe we are 18? I mean, we are 18 now, when you are reading this letter and I am reading whatever you
wrote to me, which is probably like Dear Kat, You’re a good friend, Sincerely, James because I know you hate stuff like
this. This is why you are the greatest friend ever, you go along with all my ideas.
I’m trying to picture what we will be like when we graduate. You’ll probably get some special award for being good at
sports and I just hope Mom and Dad don’t freak out when I get accepted at a school super far away. I think Ms.Bedrosian
like you as my quiet friend. We’d better both have a good grades and cute boyfriends, because both are really important.
I am so glad that in kindergarten we got paired up for graduation ceremony and also our moms decided that we should
hang out. If I’d gotten paired with anyone else, you and I would still become friends at some point.
Speaking of that, thank you for tripping Andrew Mitchell when he called me an electrocution victim after I got that bad
haircut. Thank you for shutting down that rumor I went to third freaking base with Caleb Weintraub after his birthday party.
Thank you for pretending that Luke doesn’t think you’re cute because it’s super embarrassing. Thank you for being so
nice all the time to my parents.
I am really excited to watch your face as you read this because you’ll be embarrassed and I’ll already have finished your
short little note already and I’ll be waiting.
Love, your best friend forever,
Kat

James can't remember the letter and the thing she said to Kat last time was untruthful. She dig through the box but when
she remembers it's pointless, she clean the mess. She hope that Justin Bieber and Westeros and Kat's Dr. Pepper-
flavored Lip smacker and a tiny scrap of paper where Joel Vega had written cool mementos meant something is still there.
But there’s nothing mean to her now and she doesn’t believe that best friend would last forever. James don’t know why
the letter is gone and can’t remember what she’s written to Kat, four years ago back before Kat’s mom died, or her mom
left and she don’t know where is Kat right now.
Logan stop by even James hadn’t ask Logan to be here but she’s happy to see him.
“I got you a gift’’ Logan says
“You didn’t have to,’’ James says.
“Well you haven’t seen it yet,’’ he says.
“Oh a roll of quarters, how thoughtful,” she says.
“You’ll thank me the first time you do laundry,” he says.
“I know it’s hard for you to follow rules,” she says.
“Hey, Logan! It’s good to see you, man.” James dad says.
As usual, they doing a semi-secret handshake.
“It’s your move-in day, too,’’ James dad says. ‘’shouldn’t you be on the road?’’
‘’Sophomores actually move in next week,’’ Logan says,’’ And my trip’s a lot shorter. But I’d make time for James
anyway.’’
But James need to go and she blink back tears because Logan didn’t seen her cry before
‘’Hey,’’ Logan touch James face. ‘’ Your future’s bright McCall’’
James look away and grin. “I’ll text you later’’
‘’Well, here’s the thing,’’ he says with a grin. “Stuff goes away, and then, luckily, stuff comes back. Stuff’s cyclical nature
and all.”
“I hope you’re right.” James can tell he thinks this is about us, but she hope that it’s about Kat too. For James losing Kat is
a build and still hurts.
‘’Call her,” he says.
“She doesn’t want to hear from me,” James says.
“I know she misses you,” he says.
He gives her a gentle hug, and then he’s gone. James turn back and stare at the house.
“Kid, are you ready?” James dad says
“Yes” James gets in the car and say “I know we’re in hurry, but can we stop by Mom’s on our way?”
“Of course, James”
Her Mom answer the door right away. “Aren’t you on your way upstate?” she asks.
She gestured at her Dad’s car “Almost, I just wanted to say goodbye in person.”
“I have faith in you, James.” James Mom hugs her tightly “I’m really sorry for making your year harder than it should have
been.”
 CHAPTER TWO: September of Senior Year
KAT
Kat can’t believe what he tells her. “We’re at school,” Kat say.
“Yeah?” Matty says. Matty is shrugging mere moments after dropping a horrible life-changing bomb.
“How many times?” Kat ask even though she don’t know what she want him to say, since the answer won’t be zero.
Matty slept with Elise Penderson maybe once, twice or forty-two times.
“Kat” Matty reaches out to push her curls hair back from her face, a move he’s mastered by this point. Kat listed all the
things that she love about being Matty’s girlfriend, his care with her Medusa hair always special.
“Why” Kat ask. Her voice breaks on that one word and now Matty is seeing her cry. It’s not like he hasn’t seen her cry
before, Matty showed up only moments after Kat mom died almost two years ago. They’re weren’t even serious then, but
there he was with James, my perfect pair of support beams. After that, though, I didn’t want to be the girl who cried. To
Matty, I wanted to be the cool girl he deserved.
“You know I believe in honesty,” he says, “I messed up, and I’m telling you.”
“Good for you, Matty,” she says. “Super great. I’m so happy while you were doing it with someone so” Elise Pederson,
blonde, fun, probably never has to send dresses back to ModCloth because she can’t fill out the top.
“babe I love you,” he says.
“You don’t,” Kat says with full of tears “If you did you wouldn’t have…”
“It wasn’t like that,” he says.
“Then what was it like? Why?” Kat slam his locker door shut.
“I…I dunno.” He says “You were out of town, I was bored.”
“You were bored?” the locker door didn’t completely close, so she pull the door and slam it again. “Goodbye Matty”
“Kat, this doesn’t have to be a thing”
“Yeah,” she says. “It does.”
James run up alongside to Kat “Sofia told me you tore the door off to Matty’s locker.”
“Let’s get out of here,” James says.
She dumped Matty Evans, the bicycle–riding, hybrid-driving, violence-protesting vegan.
Kat was at home alone and her mom was gone for two years and was completely used to her absence already.
“Your school called me,” Kat’s Dad says.
“What about?” Kat ask.
“Nice try,” he says, and she remember that she skipped school today.
“I covered for you. Figured you had a good reason.”
Kat nod. “Matty and I…”
“Sorry,” her Dad says.
“I’m sorry I skipped,” She says. Kat tries to sound innocent even though her Dad probably hasn’t forgotten that she used
to skip school sometimes even when she wasn’t going through a major life crisis. Before her Mom was gone, she didn’t
worry so much about rules. She barely even thought about them at all.
“It’s fine,” he says. As he roots around the freezer “How about this lasagna thing?”
“I’m eating meat again,” she says.
“Oh,yeah?” he turns around and grins.
“Don’t be so happy,” she says.
Kat and her Dad went out for a dinner and getting steaks.
They see him as soon as they walk outside. Her Dad silently gets into the car, and suddenly for the first time in years, Kat
was glad that she don’t have one of those relationships where she tell him everything. If Dad knew about Elise he might
back his Subaru Forester right over Matty. And she hate Matty now, but she don’t want him dead or her dad in jail.
“Hey,” Matty says.
“What?” she says.
“Kat, I love you,” he says
“Stop saying that when it can’t be true.”
“We’ve been together for two years,” he says “I thought you were committed to this, To us.”
Kat looks at his messy brown hair, his slightly crooked nose, the tiny scar over his lip he got wrestling with his brother
when he was only five, the way his dimples settle in like they’re sneaking behind the corners of his smile.
“You’re willing to give up on this?” he says
“OMG.” She shake her head. “You cheated on me Matty because you were bored. You don’t get to make me the mean
one now.” He grabs Kat’s waist. “Elise means nothing to me.”
“You know what? That doesn’t make me feel better. Honestly it makes me feel worse. You ruined this for nothing, and I’m
not taking the blame.” He doesn’t move as she walk toward her Dad’s car, she pretends that he’s gone. Kat’s Dad seems
to have extra worry lines on his forehead, so I’m genuinely relieved he just backs out of the driveway.
“She’d know what to say if she were here,” her Dad says.
Kat reach for the chain around her neck and pull on the gold monogrammed letters. Her Mom’s initials in engraved swirls,
her eighteenth birthday present from her parents. She miss her mom it’s like an injury, while Sofia’s text was
overdramatic, I might not believe in true love anymore, either.

James shows up at six am in the morning because it’s only the way they can get Porto’s without waiting in line and James
order dozens of pastries in two boxes and Kat know that one box is for her family and one is for her.
“I thought you were hanging out with Logan today,” Kat says
Logan Sidana, James’s boyfriend is a new freshman at UCLA. He and James have the most mature relationship of
anyone I know. By next year she’ll be at UCLA as well.
Kat actually been thinking a lot about Logan in the last twenty-three hours. James and Kat were getting ready to go to
junior prom last year, but Kat clearly heard Logan mutter something about that douchebag. She still remembered how
chilled she felt by his words because Kat like Logan. Everyone at Magnolia Park liked Logan because he was handsome
and polite. The love of her sixteen years of life, was a douchebag, Kat decided that was where Logan and she would
never agree.

Kat’s Dad is working at the kitchen table on his laptop when she get back from hanging out with James. Kat notice the
words on the window he’s minimized. Online Dating
”Dad!” Kat says
“Oh. It’s…it’s nothing. I didn’t even sign up yet. You’re right, it’s dumb.” Kat dad says
“No,” Kat says with correcting her tone. “It’s not dumb. I didn’t say that. I just didn’t know you-“
“I wont do it if you don’t want me to,” he says
“It shouldn’t be up to me. You should totally do it, go meet someone!” she says

The next time, Kat going out to Von’s to buy something. She hear a dog barking but not any sort of threatening barking.
When she turn the corner onto Pass Avenue, a little black and white dog makes a beeline for her. “Catch him!” someone
shouts. And within moments, the dog is in her arms. “Oh my god, thank you.” The dog chaser catches up with Kat, and
she realize it’s someone from school. “Is this your dog?” Kat ask “He’s my aunt’s dog.” The girl reaches out to clip a leash
to the dog’s collar.
“So where are you heading? None of your business Quinn, is an acceptable answer obviously.” The girl says
“I’m just going to Von’s to buy…” she shrugs. ”Whatever Nonvegetarian lasagna.”
“Please don’t buy premade lasagna,” the girl Quinn says “My mom’s half-Italian. Microwave lasagna is an affront to our
people.” The dog is hiding in Kat bag and Quinn loading a plastic grocery basket with lasagna ingredients. They walk back
to Quinn’s aunt’s house to drop off the dog and then she lead Quinn back to her house. Kat dad looks surprised to see so
much activity in the kitchen, but Quin has such a command of everything that it somehow normalizes the situation.“I guess
I should go,” Quinn says once she’s slid the lasagna into the oven. Kat take out her phone to get her number.
 CHAPTER THREE: June of Senior Year
James
They’re were practically high school graduates and instead of sitting inside having to do relatively little in the air
conditioning, they’re outside in the suffocating Burbank heat rehearsing graduation.
“You’re coming to the grad pre-party at Adrian’s tonight right?”
“I might not.”
“James! It’s our last high school party. By Saturday night we’ll be freshmen again.”
“Oh, why didn’t I think of that?”
“It’s terrifying, right? So that solves it. You’re coming.”
For all the parties Kat managed to avoid this year, but why she’s ending the year with one. None of her friends seem to be
inside, so she texts Kat “Are you here yet?” Kat keep her phone handy but there’s still no response from Kat. The night
caught up. “Have you guys seen Kat?” Hannah’s friend Ryan gestures toward the house. But when she walk inside, she
sees Kat sitting backward on the back of the sofa an she’s drunk.
“Hey!” Matty shouts at her “Where’s your friend?”
“I’m not her keeper, Matty”
“She thinks she’s hot shit, you know,” he slurs
“I do know.”
“I made one little mistake and she gets rid of me.”
“You slept with another girl,” she says “You didn’t forget here birthday of something.”
“April second,” he says “See? K haven’t forgotten her birthday.”
“Good job,” Kat tells her. She doesn’t bother to tell Matty goodbye, she just gets out of there.
Kat wakes up earlier than usual the next morning, since her Habitat for Humanity shift is today.
“Whoa fancy meeting you here,” Logan says
“You’re home for the summer?” she asks.
“Not yet, just home for the weekend,” he says. “Senior year’s overrated. You’ll have a way better time off in Michigan.”
“I’m not going to Michigan, I accepted at Berkeley.”
“I like this news”
“We aren’t back together,” she says.
“I didn’t say we were, It’s merely that my plans to make that happen are a lot easier with you only a six-hour drive away,”
he says.
“Logan… there’s no guarantee, people in our age think they’re in love, and they make these promises, and then twenty or
thirty years later it all falls apart. I don’t want it to fall apart with you I admit.”
“So you just threw a grenade into it and ran? McCall c’mon.”
“My parents split up,” she says.
“I’m sorry to hear that. You doing OK?” he reaches over to touch James’s arm.
“Logan, I think my world’s small right now. With you in it, without you in it and I have to make it bigger.”
“I never want to hate you.” James expect to think about her parent but it’s Kat’s face in her head. She’s sure that Kat still
sleeping off her hangover.
“I could never hate you, McCall. Even if you wanted me to.” He says.
After lunch Hannah convinces Kat to join the construction crew. Kat want to do it again and keep doing it to help someone
have a home. The day passes more quickly than I expected, and Hannah and Kat dicuss how long they shout allot for
driving back to Burbank, getting ready, and arriving at graduation. Kat see a team walk by them toward the stack of
insulation and notice that one guy isn’t wearing a mask. This morning the leader warned them not to work without one and
Kat thinks there’s a good reason he’s doing what he’s doing. She’s not a type of person who will shout across a crowd of
people. She focus back on hammering nails, but before too long, she hear someone yell from across the yard. There’s a
flurry of commotion as people begin clustering around the area. As the commotion continues, most of them end up putting
down their tools and run over to see what’s going on. The same guy she saw without a mask earlier is now sitting on the
lawn taking deep gulping breaths, and James moves closer.
“He’s fine,” the construction leader tells her.
“I’m so sorry, I saw him walk by without a mask, but I thought it must be OK if no one else said anything.”
“James, communication is the key.”
Apparently walking in a procession and taking an orderly seat is way out of the ability levels of a lot of graduating
Magnolia Park seniors. Kat appears with her dad and Diane. James’s Mom can’t keep talking about Kat’s absence while
Kat’s there.
“Are you going to the official grad night thing tonight?” Kat asks James.
“Maybe, are you?” the feeling of being ignored by Kat is still fresh in James head.
“Of course. You should come,” She says.
“Like I should have come last night? I don’t really think that ultimately mattered, did it?”
“Oh my god, I was so drunk last night. Are you mad?” Kat hugs her arm around her neck
“I never see you around with James anymore, I’d love to have you over for dinner at the new house,” James’s Mom
says.“What new house?” Kat asks.
“Well, James of course told you about the place I got with Todd in Toluca Lake, I guess it’s not new anymore.”
“Kat drops her arm and steps away from James.
“Sure of course, It sounds amazing, and I’m so sorry I haven’t been over yet. Senior year’s intense you know?”
She lies so well “Did you guys get enough pictures? Quinn’s parents apparently need me too.”
Logan gave official Oski a weird-looking bear to James and he congratulate her. James and her Mom and Dad having a
dinner celebratory.
James meet up with Hannah and Tobi, and walk back to school. The graduation night is like all school events except prom
held in the gym. James spot Gabriel in her walk “Hey,” James greet him.
“Hey, James,” he says.
“You owed me nothing, and I know where I rank next to Sidana.”
“Don’t believe his hype. You rank fine.”
Kat walks up with her hands on her hips and shoots of the tiny cups then walks toward one of the corners of the gym.
James follow her.
“Seriously, I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Nothing’s going on”
“James like even one thing. College, your mom, someone named Todd?”
“My mom left my dad. Are you happy?”
“Of course, I’m not happy! When did it happen? Are you doing OK? Is your dad?”
“I told you one thing. Like you asked so please don’t follow it up with thousand questions.”
“Im seriously in shock. Did you not think I’d care about any of this? I don’t know why this was secret from me. Why
freaking all of this stuff was a secret from me.”
“It’s wasn’t a secret from you, I just didn’t want to talk about it. Not everyone wants to discuss every single thing to death,
you know.”
“Why aren’t you telling me anything?”
“What’s there to know? My mom left my dad. Logan and I broke up. I’m going to Berkeley.”
“Right but like… if I hadn’t seen your mom at graduation and she hadn’t said anything. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me
about Berkeley.”
“You could have asked me what was going on in my life. When was the last time you did that? You make everything about
yourself.”
“This is grad night, do we have to do this here?” Kat says.
“We definitely don’t, I think we’re pretty much finished,” James says.
 CHAPTER FOUR: November of Senior Year
Kat
Kat and Quinn are studying in Kat’s bed. Quinn closes her book and rolls over onto her side next to Kat. “I’ll patiently wait
while you finish your homework, while my future gets bleaker and bleaker,” Quinn says. “Oh, shut up,” Kat closes her
textbook, “I can do this later. What do you want to do now?” Quinn is completely still for a moment and then she kisses
Kat. “OK,” Quinn says. “That’s… now how I hoped that would go.”
“I just didn’t expect you to- I’m not- you’re-“ Kat cover her face with her hands.
“I’m sorry,” Quinn says “I’ll go.”
“You don’t have to go,” Kat say, while following after her.
“Look, I know you used to go out with Matty Evans. Everyone knows that but…”
“But what?”
“I felt something.” Quinn shrugs “and I thought you might too.”
Quinn leaves, and this time Kat didn’t stop her. Kat texts James and they meet in coffee shop.
“OK, so.” Kat sits down at tiny wooden table. “You know how I’m like becoming good friends with Quinn Morgan.”
“Yeah,” she says, “I’ve noticed.”
“So we were hanging out just now and she kisses me.” Kat expect James to look shocked, but she just sitting there,
listening like the super dramatic part of my story hasn’t even happened yet.
“James, I can’t imagine not seeing Quinn anymore, she like magically become this part of my life. Also our college
application list is basically the same. We could totally end up at the same school. It would be weird to ignore her all year
and the four years more.”
“I think kissing her might have been OK, of I’d been expecting it.” Kat says.
“Kat, you don’t have to kiss someone you’re not interested in just to keep from hurting their feelings.”
Kat see a text come in from Quinn.
Quinn: Please don’t hate me, K. I will do/say whatever the right thing is. You mean a lot to me and I feel like a dumbass.
“See?” Kat show James the message.
“Do you have to do anything?” James asks gently.
“I do think I have to do something though, I’ll talk to you later, OK?” Kat at the path that leads up to Quinn house.
Kat: My dad is on a date.
James text back “Are you OK?”
Kat: I don’t know. He seemed like he didn’t really want to go on dates. I think Stacey convinced him or something.
Hopefully this woman will be horrible and he’ll get scared off dating for a while longer.
James: 😬
Kat: OMG I know I sound awful. Like of course I want him to be happy, J. It’s just super weird. I am NOT ready for this!! If
he waited ONE FREAKING YEAR I’d be off at college and not having to know about it. Ugh maybe that’s worse!
James: I’m sorry, Kat.
Kat: You’re so lucky your parents are both still around and in love and all happily ever after.
Kat: Sooooo in other news I kissed Quinn.
James: Oh?
Kat: I don’t know if I’m Bisexual or if I just like her but I LIKE HER. Is that bananas?
James: It’s not bananas.
Kat: J you are the most boring texter!!!
James: This is just how I text.
James: 💥 
James: Exciting enough?
“We don’t have to do this,” Quinn whisper to Kat, letting go of her hand as they arrive on campus.
Kat grab her hand right back. “We do have to do this. I mean, youre out right?”
“I was never really… in.” Quinn says “I think people just assume. I’m not well-known enough for it to be a topic of interest
though.”
Kat feel eyes slides past her, and eye focus at her and while no one say anything to her. She can hear whispers. Is this
because of Matyy? And of anyone I wouldn’t have guessed Kat Rydell and That girl does have a great hair.
Kat still smiling when Matty intercepts her on the way. “What the, Kat?” Matty says
“You don’t have to do this just because of me and Elise.” He says “Which by the way is comepletely over. It wasn’t
anything.”
“It’s not because of Elise and it’s not because of you either.” She says
 CHAPTER FIVE: April of Senior Year
James
“It’s going to be a rejection,” James whisper to her self. But when she click to see her status and amazingly it says
ACCEPTED. “Yes!” Kat says.
“Is everything all right, James?”
James’s Mom asks. “I got into Berkeley,” she says.
“James! I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m sure that it’s just because of my track stats,” Kat says.
James give full attention to whatever new message. It’s only a group text organized by Gretchen and Raina about some
kind of prom committee which is she’s not interested on it. Prom doesn’t matter to Kat without Logan so she’s not going.
James text her Dad about Berkeley, and he send back five thumbs-up emoji to James.
I should have read the prom committee group text more closely, because I was absolutely not prepared to walk into
school the next morning.
“Ohhh my god.” Kat giggles and hides her face against Quinn’s side. “This is a lot” There are giant posters flanking the
main corridor right inside the main entrance. The first is a very large photo of Kat and Quinn posed in front of the bright
blue sky.
“Shesh,” I mutter, and then wince because Hannah walks up. “Sorry, that was dramatic.”
“You know what’s dramatic, the light from the sun reflecting off of purple glitter right when I walk into school.”
Kat laugh but also feel bad, especially while literally holding a ripped photo of her bestfriend. “I actually think it’s great the
school changed the policy but- “
“Oh, me too! This probably the first thing to happen in this school that makes us a part of the twenty-first century. That
part’s exciting and historical, blah blah blah. Anyway, I’m not here to make fun of your friend. Did you hear from
Berkeley?”
“Did you?” James says. “I did too! This is great. If you decide to go.”
“Yeah, I’m really not sure.”
“Well, put me as an item in your pro/con list, whichever column you want! See you at practice.” Hannah says.

“I should just tell you, that I’m not actually going to prom.”
“OMG. James what?”
“It’s not big deal, I went last year and had fun. But I’m not with anyone this year, and everyone has dates so..”
“Do you need a date? We could totally get you a date. What about Gabriel Quiroga? You know he’d be in, and he’d look
super handsome in your photos for, like, your memories later. You can tell your grandchildren a hottie took you to prom.”
“I don’t need a date and that would definitely send Grabriel the wrong message. Plus those aren’t the types of
conversation I plan on having with any hypothetical grandchildren.”
James and Kat go somewhere to buy dress for their prom.
“Im dying to see,” Kat says, slipping into the fitting room. “James OMG.”
“It’s perfect,” James says.
“It’s totally solved then. You’re going to prom.”

Logan texts James a few days later. Their communication has grown more sporadic, James feels between annoyed and
relieved.
Logan: How’s everything? You get into all your dream schools yet?
James: I don’t have a dream school. But, yeah. I got into a couple.
Logan: UCLA?
James: No.
Logan: Sorry to hear that, McCall. They don’t know what they’re missing.
Nah. While I was an excellent decision the Los Angeles branch of the great University of California system made,
 they’re dead wrong about you.
McCall, still don’t know what happened, and I really wish you would tell me. Our plan was great.
James: Our plan wasn’t real.
It was immature and impossible. People don’t meet in high school and fall in love forever.
Logan: You’re getting ahead of yourself. Everything was good, wasn’t it?
James leave her phone and walk down the hallway to the kitchen, where her Dad poring over a cook book.
“You OK, kiddo?” her dad says. “None of us are OK, are we?” James says.
He sighs loudly while taking ingredients out of the refrigerator. “James, I’m not going to pretend things have been going
amazingly for me, and it’s a hard thing to explain, but I understand your mom’s point of view. We were so young when we
met, and people can change. I genuinely want her to be happy. And you know she wasn’t.”
“Shouldn’t she have tried harder? If something has already been decided, shouldn’t you try to stick to that decision?”
“She tried James, maybe she should have tried harder. Maybe I should have, but none of that matters now.”
“I know how upset you are. You’re allowed to act like it. Get it out of your system.”
“My system’s fine”
“I probably didn’t act the way I should have. At first, I don’t want any of what I went through personally to affect your
relationship with your mom.”
“I don’t need to have a relationship with her, if her life wasn’t enough for her-”
“James, that wasn’t what she meant at all I think deep down you know that kiddo.”

Kat texts before long that she’s hanging out at Pinochio’s so James slip out of the party and head over. James spot Matty
& Co. lingering by Kat’s booth.
“We were friends James,” Matty says to Kat
“Not exactly. Anyway friends don’t cheat on friends best friends.”
“That’s not a saying”
“I just invented it. Go, OK Kat doesn’t want to talk to you and I definitely don’t either.”
“Sorry” James whisper to Kat before stealing her gelato and throwing it right to Matty.
“What the heck”
“You two girls need to get out,” a guy behind the counter says “There’s no throwing food at people here.”
Kat and Jame grab their bags and run outside.
“You’re my hero, James be real with me. Was he that horrible before?”
“No, he was kind of.. I don’t know. A hipster d-bag. But he always seemed sweet to you.”
“I know Logan hated him,” she says.
“Logan thought you could do better,” James says.
“Sorry, I don’t want to make you talk about Logan or freaking defend Logan.”
“It’s fine. Logan’s annoying too but he’s no Matty.”
“Do you guys still talk?” Kat ask her.
“He texts me still.”
“A lot has happened this year.” James says.
“Right? James, do you think it’s bad that maybe I don’t hate Diane?”
“Of course it’s not bad.”
“What if she’s being erased? Her memory, her stuff in my dad’s room is boxed up, and he didn’t even ask me if I wanted
it. I don’t know where it is and he’s really happy and I’m just like… I don’t know.”
“It’s good that he’s happy and that you don’t hate her. Think of how much it would suck if you hated her.”
Kat nose sounds clogged, and James thinks she’s crying.
 CHAPTER SIX: January of Senior Year
KAT
When Kat walk into Simply Coffee Logan is ahead of her in line. “Hey, how’ve you been” Logan says.
“You can go ahead and feel as sad as you want to poor pathetic brokenhearted Logan.”
“What?” Logan turns around to order his cold brew and then back to face Kat. “Rydell, I’m not a proud guy. I am a sad
broken shell, hoping my ex-girlfriend reconsiders whatever she’s thinking and texts me.”
“But I –“ Kat stop herself, pleased at her restraint. “ She broke up with you.”
“Don’t remind me,” He sigh and turn back to the counter. “And whatever my friend Kat is getting on me.”
“It’s weird that I’ve missed you?” Kat cover her face with her hands “Sorry, Im such a dork.”
“You didn’t get back together with that vegan asshole, did you?”
“Oh my god, no. Actually I’m dating someone else now. Someone freaking amazing. I think you would like her.”
Logan eyebrows go up. “Her?”
Kat grins. “Yep”
“No wonder you’re trying to get into all of those women colleges.”
“You should refollow me,” Kat says even though she’s the one who unfollowed Logan.
“Look, I’m just trying to figure out her rules and abide by then. So, I don’t know Kat.”
“I refollow you then,” Kat says.
“You’re hard to turn down,” he says.
“Duh! That’s my charm.”
Logan surprises her by giving a very sweet hug “Take care, Rydell. Hopefully you see via the magic of social media soon.”
Kat add Logan back as her walk to home. And she’s not barely feel guilty at all.

Luke is in the living room reading the thick novel when she gets back to the house. Luke is Kat’s big brother.
“Hey guys,” Kat’s Dad steps into the room, “I wanted to talk to you while you were both here. Since Luke’s around for
another week, I thought maybe we could have dinner with Diane.” Kat glance at Luke who shrugs and nod “Sure” and Kat
also shrugs and nod too.
Kat goes to Quinn’s after school the night supposed to meet Diane.
“Quinn sighs and looks away from her. “I… should tell you something. Kat, I didn’t apply early decision,” she says.
“What are you talking about? Did you mess up the deadline?”
“No, I didn’t mess up the deadline. I just didn’t apply.”
“Quinn, what is going on?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t say something. It just wasn’t right for me and I didn’t think you’d understand.”
“Why didn’t you even tell me? You coukd have given me a chance to understand! Do you not want to go to school with me
anymore?”
“No. It’s not that at all, It’s you treat me like I’m perfect.”
“But you’re perfect!”
“I just wish I could make you see reality a little more clearly. My grades aren’t as good as yours, and I’m positive I won’t
write nearly as good of an essay as you did. We aren’t the same”
“Are you mad at me?” Kat says.
“Of course, I’m not” Quinn says.
“Why are you being like this?”

Diane is waiting in the lobby of Firefly when three of them walk in. “I’ve heard so much about you both,” she says.
Her voice is warm and husky. “I’m not that exciting,” Luke says with a smile “Kat, on the other hand…”
“Oh my god, I’m super boring too, trust me.”
“Don’t be weird guys,” Dad sighs loudly. For some reason that breaks the tension and they all laugh. Diane is warm like
her voice, and Kat already don’t hate her.
I get in to Oberlin, Kat thinks James isn’t interested of it but she text James anyway.
Kat: I got in! Ohio’s close to Michigan right?
James: I realize you’re terrible at geography, but for once you’re right. Congrats!
Kat smile at how much James sounds just like she used to. Responsive, full sentence, no detected boredom!
Kat: I no longer have to care about my geography abilities! Oberlin wants me! Are you doing anything now? Can we go
out to celebrate or something? I feel weird asking Quinn to celebrate this right now.
James: Sorry, I’m busy. I can’t be your Quinn backup right now.
Kat: J OMG that is totally not what I meant!
She doesn’t respond
Kat: J I feel like a big jerk. It came out bad. You’re my best friend and I want to celebrate with you!
James: I said I was busy. Congrats again.
Kat not sure that James even cares that much about her dreams coming true. So she decide to text Quinn, even though
she have no idea how she might react. And she doesn’t. There’s no response at all.
Kat hear the front door open “What’s up?” her dad asks.
“I got in” Kat try to say it calmly, but it comes out fast and bright.
“Oberlin?” her Dad asks. And she nod. “Kid, That’s great! I’m really proud of you. OK if your old dad takes you put to
celebrate? “ You’re not that old” she says.
The doorbell rings and suddenly her Dad letting Quinn inside and she’s holding out a plant.
“I wanted to get you flowers but Handy Market was out. So this is your congratulatory basil.”
“Oh my god, Quinn. Like, I totally cannot handle how freaking cute you are,”
“Hey, kid. Does Quinn want to go out with us?”
“Yes, thanks Dad”
“I actually have to check with my parents,” Quinn says.
Quinn’s parents say it’s OK, so her Dad taking them to the Smoke House which is super old-fashioned. The steaks are so
big that Quinn and Kat split one.
 CHAPTER SEVEN: February of Senior Year
James
When I pull up to Kat’s house, she’s standing outside already wearing mouse ears and also Quinn walking to the car and
she isn’t wearing a Dodgers cap today but one with the old-fashioned Disney character Oswald on the front. “Where are
you going?”
Kat asks James as they walk up to the Indiana Jones ride.”
“Single rider line.” James say while pointing. “We’’ll get through faster.” The annoying thing about Disneyland is that even
when you pick a random Friday morning in February, the park can still be packed.
Kat gets out her phone and starts to take a selfie of all of us.
“Don’t post this,” Quinn says quickly “Not today at least.”
“Your parents aren’t going to look at my Instagram,” Kat says.
“You don’t know that,” Quinn says.
“Fine, fine, fine. Can’t I just save pics for myself?” Yes, I can. Take off your hat, there’s a weid shadow on your face.”
Quinn sighs but does so. James lean in, but I can see from the camera’s screen how fake my smile looks.
James check her message and then scroll down through Instagram. She keep scrolling but something lodges there in her
brain, so she scroll up a little and see it, on a selfie of Kat and her Mouse ears. You look great as a rodent, Rydell.
She click Kat’s profile and then tap through her photos logan_af didn’t only comment on his selfie. Somehow James
haven’t noticed that Logan comments all the time, or, at least weirdly has been commenting plenty since last month.
“Are you and Logan friend?” James asks.
“Friends, like, how?”
“He commented on your photo,” James says “He’s commented on lots of your photos.”
“We don’t, like, hang out,” Kat says “We were friends”
“I’m really surprised you’d” James cut herself off to find the word. “After-“ what after what? James hate that she can’t end
the sentence and can’t even middle the sentence.
“I totally know it’s, like, a best friend violation,” Kat says.
“So if you knew that-“
“We were friends too” Kat says “ I missed him. Also sometimes I need...” Kat nods to Quinn and drops her voice “Girl
advice”
“You’re friends with literally everyone at school, there’s no one else?” James says.
“I just wanted to have fun today,” James says.
“Well, duh, me too.”
“You’re almost eighteen, maybe you should cut out the whole duh thing.”
“I’m tyring to help,” James says.
“Help what?” She blinks her eyes a bunch, clearly drawing attention to her tears. James not going to let Kat force her into
feeling sorry for her when there’s nothing about today that doesn’t feel like betrayal.
“Maybe we should just go home.”
“Only if you want to,” James says.
“Of course I don’t want to! I wanted to have a super fun day, and I thought we were, yes like I’m social media friends or
whatever with Logan. I didn’t know if I had to tell you or not, but, like the last thing I wanted to do was to make you think
more about your breakup, which you still haven’t even told me a single thing about, you know so I didn’t.”
“I’m fine about my breakup, what’s there to say? No one should realistically expect a high school relationship to last.”
“I think we should probably go home,” Kat says
“I didn’t–“
Kat cut her off with a look. “My head hurts and we should probably try to beat rush hour traffic.”
CHAPTER EIGHT: March of Senior Year
Kat