“After you m’lady,” Tanner said.
I laughed and climbed into the car. My father was wealthy. And I’d been surrounded by wealthy teenagers at Empire High. But I still don’t think I’d ever sat in such an expensive car.
Tanner sped off.
“Are you a little nervous to be going back to our old school?” I asked.
“Empire High?”
What other school would I be talking about?“Yeah.”
“Nope. It’s going to be an amazing day. Just you wait for it.”
“Right. The best day of Jacob’s life?”
“No,” Tanner said. “The best day ofyourlife.”
I was so confused. This wasn’t a date. I’d made that perfectly clear to him the other night. So…what was happening today? And why was he so confident about it? “You’re a super positive person, aren’t you?”
Tanner laughed. “Yes. Like I said…I’m used to getting my way.”
“And what exactly are you trying to accomplish today?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Okay.“Were you popular in high school?”
“A lot of the times yes. A few times not so much. One time not at all. That was a mess. Fashion changes quite a bit, especially in different parts of the world, but I’ve really gotten the hang of it now.”
Did he get new friends every week or something? And in new countries? “You do dress really well.” He did. He looked like someone who’d graduated from Empire High. Instead ofwearing a t-shirt he was wearing a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. And his expensive watch glinted in the sun shining through the windshield.
He flashed me a smile. “Are you hitting on me, Brooklyn?”
“What? No. I…”
“I’m just messing with you. We’re going to be good friends, you and me.”
I believed him. Because I already felt like we were.
I looked out the window. It was weird being back in the city. How it felt like home and so foreign at the same time. Speaking of homes…I turned back to Tanner. “What’s in that room upstairs?”
“Which room? The master bedroom?”
“No, the one with the locked door.”
“Locked door? Oh! Oh. That’s just stuff that the guy who flipped the house left behind.”
“So like…paint and stuff?”
“Exactly! Paint and stuff. You nailed it.”
Okay.
He pulled into the small parking lot outside Empire High. Even though we weren’t early, there was still an empty spot. I couldn’tbelieve our luck. I’d figured we’d have to do street parking and walk two miles.
I stared at the school through the windshield. It looked almost exactly the same. Preserved in its tradition of old wealth. I remembered standing on those front steps, staring at a boy who I wished would love me back. I remembered kissing him there too. I remembered promising him forever.
I shook the thought away as I opened the door.
