“It wasn’t planned, obviously. We ran out of condoms and he didn’t pull out fastenough.”
“Maya!”
“Oh—everyone does it. It’s fine—we had already been tested. I’m having a baby, Duff. It’s a goodthing.”
“Oh my God. Maya.” I finally hug her. I am bawling. “Maya!” She holds me tight and I can tell she’s crying now too. “I’m sorry I said what I said before. I’ve been a shittyfriend.”
“No, it doesn’tmatter.”
“I have been a shitty friend. I’ve been so caught up in my own stupid stuff and here you are having an actual life and creating alife.”
She pulls back and looks me in the eyes. “Hey. Your stuff isn’t stupid. You’re just not there yet. You will be. Awwww. You’re really crying. Good. You have a goodcry.”
This is so much more than the beginning of a new school year. This is the summer after graduating from high school when the people you grew up with are dissipating and you don’t know if you’re going to see them again. This is Life with a capital “L.”
Chapter 20
*Scott*
“You’re getting married?”
“Yeah.”
“ToMaya.”
“Yeah.”
“What do you mean?Details.”
“I asked her to marry me. She said yes. We’re getting married next month. In Joshua Tree. You’ll be my bestman.”
“Dude.”
“Iknow.”
“Dude.”
“Iknow.”
“Holyshit.”
“Iknow.”
“And this is asecret…”
“Dude, is shepregnant?”
He nods his head and smiles. He rocks back and forth on his feet. “I’m gonna be adad.”
I grab his hand and pull him in for the biggest hug I’ve ever given him. There are no words. My boy is gonna be a married dad. If it were any of my other friends, I would have said “you’re crazy,” but this guy isn’t crazy. He’s doing love right. What could I possibly have to say to him other than “congratulations” and “I’m so happy for you” and “anything you need, I’m here foryou.”
“So how was New York? How’s it going with LadyDuffy?”
“Good andquestionable.”
“Elaborate.”
“New York was good. Amazing, actually. But as soon as we left New York everything started to suck. Whatever.Irrelevant.”
