I shrug. “Whatever. Lacey was a fun party friend. She’s not the friend you call at 4:00 a.m. crying or the friend you make lasting memories with. Let’s be honest, she’s not even the friend you keep in touch with after high school. Us, this… we’re for life, Vee. I’m not losing a forever friend over a temporary one.”
She’s bawling at this point, and I’m no better.
“Are we good?” I’m a crying mess.
“Why do you think I’m crying, dummy?” She extends her arms for a hug, and I don’t hesitate to give in to her embrace.
I may have lost Finn, but I got my best friend back.
Better yet, I got myself back.
* * *
“This isn’t going to end well, is it?” Aveena questions as I park my car a few blocks away from our school.
“Probably not.” I kill the engine and offer my best friend a mischievous grin. If you’d told me a few months ago that Aveena Harper would come to senior prank night voluntarily, I would’ve called you insane.
Vee and I have been talking about this night since freshman year, but I always thought she would bail on me when the time came. Pranks, breaking into your school in the middle of the night, underage drinking? Not exactly Aveena’s three favorite things.
I figured I’d go alone, considering I landed myself on Lacey’s bad side, but that was before an evil spirit took over Aveena’s body and turned her into a social butterfly—that’s my theory, anyway.
I didn’t even have to beg, which makes me think she only agreed because she knew Finn would be there. She’s been even more protective since I dropped by her house with muffins and told her everything—from the sex tape to Finn disappearing with Remy at Theo’s party. I walked her through every detail. She couldn’t believe I’d kept the story to myself for so long, and if I’m being honest, I couldn’t either.
I was so desperate to keep the heartache at bay, I closed myself off to the one person who could help me cope. Because I didn’t want to cope. I wanted to run.
“Fair warning, if we get arrested, I’ll tell them you forced me to come.” Vee nudges me with her elbow as we thread toward the building. She’s kidding… I think?
The sky is pitch-black when we reach the holed metal fence around Easton and crawl onto school property. From what I heard, seniors were meeting thirty minutes past midnight, but there’s no one in sight. Maybe they’re already inside?
“Dia!” someone whispers-shouts on my left, and I jerk my head to see Hadley Queen, one of Lacey’s cheerleader friends, standing by the gym. We hung out a few times. Back when Lacey didn’t hate me. Theo, Axel, and a few other girls from the cheer squad are with her. No sign of Finn.
Thank God.
“Come on, Axel’s got the keys.” Hadley gestures to follow her.
“I wonder who he had to bribe for that,” Aveena comments under her breath. I chuckle and grab her arm, hurrying over to the group.
The first two hours go smoothly. We start by covering lockers in bubble wrap, then hot-gluing dollar bills all over school to waste people’s time. We eventually circle back to the gym to TP the hell out of it.
We’ve barely stepped foot into the noisy gym when I see them. Strike that out—we’ve barely stepped foot inside when I see him. Finn, Xavier, and Theo are leaning against the emergency exit, laughing and bickering like buzzed basketball players do.
Then, Finn looks up.
And he notices me.
I don’t allow myself to make eye contact with him, tearing my gaze away. But you know who’s not tearing his eyes away?
Finn.
He keeps staring.
No shame, no manners—he just stares as Aveena and I pick up a TP roll and get to work. What’s worse, he wants me to know he’s staring. Every time I flick my head to the side, I catch him eyeing me the way a starving man eyes a five-course meal.
Ten minutes later, Aveena notices, too.
“Okay, Finn won’t stop staring at you, and it’s getting creepy.”
I laugh, but deep down, I hate myself. Because I don’t feel weirded out at all. If anything, I feel like my skin is on fire. Am I turned on by his staring? Nope, I can’t be. He cheated on me. It doesn’t matter that he’s eyeing me like I’m the only girl in the universe.