Rapid Falls(60)

“Okay, sure.” He nodded and smiled as he slid the white leather back over his shoulders.

“Big party this year,” Ross said. He was right: it was bigger than any I had seen before. All around us, vehicles heaved over the bumpy road, searching for parking in the jumble of wandering people and haphazardly stopped cars and trucks. Wade lifted the bottle of whiskey in a toast to a truck whose occupants screamed wildly at us as it passed. He thumped on the tailgate a few times.

“Who was that?” Wade muttered to me.

“No idea,” I said. It was pitch-black, save for the light from the roaring fire. We walked closer. I could see dozens, maybe even a hundred people, as the light got stronger. Cheers rang out as people noticed our arrival. Wade was engulfed by his farmer buddies and pulled over to a tailgate. Jesse and I followed.

“Shots!” Wade cried. Someone must have wished him well. The three of us took turns passing around the bottle before we gave it to the farm boys. I winced slightly at the burn, hoping I wouldn’t be asked to drink any more of it. I nudged my way toward the fire. I wanted to check out the rest of the party. Whiskey made my mind dance with the idea of finding Anna and telling her what I really thought of her film-school application. People grabbed my shoulders and squealed as I walked through the crowd.

Someone called, “Congratulations, Cara! We graduated. Can you believe it?”

“I know! It’s amazing!” I kept walking closer to the fire, smiling at people as I moved past them. I wanted Rapid Falls to remember this night forever, and when people spoke about it, I wanted them to say my name. A couple of young girls eyed me as I squeezed by them.

“That’s Cara Piper,” one said.

“I know. She’s so pretty.”

I smiled at them smugly. I finally got close enough to the fire to feel its warmth. The inner circle was mostly graduates, but there were a few guys in their thirties and forties who attended nearly every party at the Field. Someone had pulled up their truck and was blasting AC/DC. The tailgate was packed with people. I noticed Debra, the student council president, standing by the fire.

“Hi, Debra!” I walked over.

“Cara! You looked so beautiful tonight.”

“Thanks. I loved your dress too,” I lied. I didn’t remember seeing her.

“Thanks. My mom had it specially made.”

“So pretty.”

Voices swelled around us. Through the crowd, I could see Wade and Jesse were now standing on a tailgate. Wade was pouring a beer into a funnel attached to a hose that Jesse was holding. I couldn’t believe he managed to look sexy even while gulping from a rubber tube. I realized that it didn’t matter that Anna thought Jesse was hot. He was hot. And he was all mine. We had the rest of our lives to be together. Jesse was the only guy I had ever loved. When he looked into my eyes, I knew he could see the real me. I didn’t have to be near him to know what he was thinking. Right now, he felt sorry for being such a jerk to me. Our fight earlier was just a game we were both playing. He loved me and would always love me. I didn’t need to be impatient for him to ask me to marry him. Tonight was the beginning of the rest of our lives. We had all the time in the world.

“So, Cara.” Debra caught my attention. “What’s next for you? What are you going to do after graduation?”

“I’ll be here for the summer. Then college in September for both of us.” I didn’t have to say Jesse’s name. Debra knew.

“Awesome.”

“Yeah, I’m so excited. You?”

“Not sure yet. I got accepted to a couple schools. But there’s the horse camp as well. I might stay on to help my mom.”

“Oh, cool.” I was always surprised when a person wanted to stay in Rapid Falls. I couldn’t understand why anyone would choose a life of safety. I wanted possibility. I wanted to live like everything could change in a moment.

Wade stumbled over, the whiskey bottle in his hand nearly empty.

“Come on, Cara. This is all yours, girl.” He waved the remaining half inch at me.

“Oh God,” I said, grabbing for the bottle and raising it high. “To the class of ’97. To us!” The crowd erupted in cheers, and I tilted the bottle to the sky, draining the last of it. I looked around to see if Jesse had joined in the toast. I couldn’t see him. Every time the conversation faltered, someone shoved another drink in my hand. Wade put his arm around my shoulders, swaying and belting “Don’t Stop Believing.” People pulled me aside to reminisce even though I’d probably see them at the grocery store the next day. The music was loud, and there seemed to be more alcohol at the Field than could be consumed by the hundreds of people here. It felt like the best night ever.

I stepped away to pee. I walked about thirty feet from the fire and pulled down my jeans to squat. Then I saw Jesse. I was about to call for him when I realized he wasn’t alone. He was holding someone’s hand, walking to the edge of the woods. Anna’s hand. I finished, zipping up my jeans quickly as I followed them. I tripped on a bottle and tumbled hard enough to rattle the teeth in my head. I tasted blood from my tongue. I was about ten feet behind them, two black shadows slipping into the trees together.

I hid. The cries and yells and music from the party faded to a dull hum. I could hear their low voices whispering, but I couldn’t make out the words. Then he bent his head to hers. My boyfriend was kissing my sister. Anna was kissing Jesse. They broke apart and Jesse chuckled. His laugh made me lurch forward, snapping a branch. They didn’t even notice through the strains of Led Zeppelin. It was like I wasn’t there. Anna giggled too. It sounded like they were laughing at a joke only they knew. The joke wasn’t on me. It was me. Then their laughter stopped. They kissed again, and I saw his hand brush her chest. He was unbuttoning her top, kissing her neck. Her hand reached down and I heard his zipper. His gasp as she touched him made my stomach turn.