“Welcome, students! It’s time for our annual lighting of the bonfire.” He glances down at the foot of the stage. “Tonight’s fire will be lit by our class president Juliette Chandler, captain of the football team Finn Holloway, and Coach Chandler.”
There’s a smattering of cheers. More than usual. Finn and Juliette are both very popular. Coach Chandler is absurdly handsome for a dad, with soulful blue eyes that has endeared him to the entire female student body. He’s a Viking alum and played on the team back when we used to be good. He has a state ring that he loves to flash around that he earned back then.
I zoom the camera in to get a picture of the three of them. Coach Chandler wraps an arm around Juliette and squeezes her tight, then pats Finn on the back. The gold of that championship ring glints on his finger. The band starts playing the school fight song and the cheerleaders tumble their way to the stage. Juliette grabs her shiny purple and gold pom-poms and runs up to meet them.
“Huh,” I say, scanning the area.
“What?” Alice asks, taking a big drink of water.
“Rose still isn’t here.”
I search the stage for Finn. I can tell from the look on his face he’s thinking the same thing.
“Seriously?”
Alice’s tone is hard. It matches the expression on her face. “What?”
“It’s been three years. She’s not your friend anymore, if she ever was. She snatched the only boy you ever loved. She dumped you the second someone new and shiny came to town. She humiliated you. She refuses to talk or acknowledge your existence. Why you’re so fucking hung up on her is deranged.” Her eyes look wild in the firelight. “The best thing that could happen to you, Kenley, is for Rose Waller to leave Thistle Cove for good! Forever!”
“Alice, chill out,” I say, urging her to hush.
“No! I won’t! Someone has needed to say this to you for a long time!” She’s yelling and people around us have started turning around. Emily Sawyer stares hard, while her fingers fly over her phone screen. Shit. She’s probably already posting about the drama on social media.
I grab her arm and pull her away. “You’re the one acting deranged. I’m just concerned for a classmate. My former best friend. Is that so awful?”
“It is when you ignore your actual friends in the process.”
I frown. “Ignore? What are you talking about?”
She yanks her arm out of my grasp. “Never mind.”
To be fair, it’s not the first time we’ve had this fight. I don’t get a chance to follow her, because the crowd erupts into cheers as Coach Chandler walks across the stage. He grabs the microphone set up by the AV department.
“Hello, Vikings!” he shouts. “I’m happy to announce that this year’s lineup is looking like a team full of winners! With the strength of our varsity team and the leadership of our captains, there’s no way we won’t capture the glory of this championship team once again!”
He means it. He wants it, so much that I can hear it in his voice.
He announces the team, starting with Finn and the other captain, Jeff Carson. He rolls through the names, none of them particularly interesting or surprising, until he gets to Ezra Baxter.
A ripple rolls through the students as Ezra walks across the stage in a jersey that shows off his broad shoulders and waves to the crowd.
Well, that’s a surprise. I snap his photo.
“Yeah, you may want to grab that while you can. He’ll probably get kicked off in a week,” Ozzy says, standing next to me.
He’s not wrong.
“Maybe he’ll help them get that ring Coach Chandler keeps talking about.” He kicks the dirt field. “Him and Captain America’s new body up there.”
&
nbsp; I pretend I haven’t noticed how Finn’s body changed over the summer. He and his dad built a gym in their garage, and I’d hear the weights clanking at all hours of the day and halfway through the night. He and Rose also came to the pool a few times while I lifeguarded. I’m well aware of Finn’s new and improved physique.
“I’m sure his dad would be thrilled with that,” I say. We’ve all heard the stories from Mr. Baxter about winning that state championship. He still wears his ring, too.
Coach Chandler steps back and the band launches into a popular song, spurring the cheerleaders and dance team into a frenzy. The rest of the student body mills around, stopping at the tables for food and drink. A couple of teachers try to keep people from throwing trash, food, and each other into the fire.
At the edge of the field, there’s a platform. The director of the marching band uses it during practices. It’s empty now, away from the crowd, and I realize if I climb to the top, I’ll get a good view for photographs.