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Prologue

“Why the hell are we here, Cal?” Rae asks as she hands me a beer

“I didn’t like these people ere in high school And I still don’t Nothing’s changed” But soed

I sit on the tailgate of ulps, and casually scan the crowd, clustered in the predictable groups they were in e graduated last year: the athletes, the dramatics, the tokers and, of course, the elites

They’re why I’ this one hour, and then we’re out of here,” Rae declares, taking a sip of her beer

She slowly lowers her cup, staring across the field

“Holy shit Is Heather Townsend walking over here?” I look up just as Heather appears in front of er

“Hi, Cal I’ a flirtatious smile

“Hey,” I respond

She takes a step closer, s

“Partying in the woods is so… high school” She exhales dramatically

“I rown up a little since we left for college”

“Yeah, but we still have parents on’t willingly let us drink and trash their houses,” I note

She laughs like I said the funniest thing she’s ever heard Rae groans

“You’ve got to be kidding me” Heather leans in so I can feel her breath on ether” I s, unable to back away any farther without lying down

“I’m only here for the week,” I tell her

Her lower lip juts out in a sulk Not attractive “Where are you going?” she asks, setting a hand on my knee

My entire body tenses

“Oregon I’ for my uncle for the summer”

“But you just got here, like… today” I hear Rae gru under her breath

“Sorry,” I say with a shrug

“So, uuys” Heather steps back with a roll of her eyes, crossing her arms I’ve struck a nerve

“I don’t know I guess she thinks she’s better than us now that she’s at Harvard” I pry a little more

“Have you heard fro at me “Not even a stupid text IBitch” My eyes widen at her hostility

“Heather” Vi is standing behind her with her hands on her hips

“The party’s over here” She nods toward the other elites, all clustered around Kyle’s BMW

“I’ll be right there,” Heather responds to Vi; then she looks back to me

“Maybe we can do soo”

“Maybe,” I reply, knoon’t

Heather turns and walks with Vi back to where she belongs I slide off the truck and watch thelance before today I’ beer on my pants

“Not for you to look at,” Neil Talbert threatens from behind me I closeso badly to turn around and punch hiht of it

“You’re such a dick,” Rae snaps when I finally face hier, flexing his arive her a quick shake of my head

“Still having girls fight for you,” Neil scoffs

“You really haven’t changed, no

There’s no point He’s asI say will make a difference

“Neil!” yells souy from a distance

“Where the hell have you been? We’ve been waiting for the Beam for like an hour Get over here” The tension intoward his brother’s BMW

“Cal, I don’t knohy you still let hier than he is now You know you could take hi over my shoulder

“He’s not worth it” I lift ate “And what the hell was that about with Heather Townsend? Seriously? Sure, you grew three inches, ditched the glasses for contacts and somehow put on muscle I didn’t know your scrawny body could handle, but you don’t look that different You’re still you”

“Thanks for keeping noring me

“And Nicole Bentley? Really, Cal? I thought you gave up on her years ago”

“But don’t you think it’s weird she didn’t co felt off when I didn’t see her walking alongside the girls earlier today And it still does She’s the reason I’m here

I look over as Ashley straddles Kyle, kissing hi her territory Kyle was Nicole’s boyfriend throughout h school And Ashley, Heather and Vi were supposed to be her best friends I was never convinced she belonged with them, even if she was at the top of their hierarchy She always seemed uncomfortable with the attention

Orto defend Nicole’s ice queen reputation a long tio because it pisses Rae off

“Why do you care?” Rae questions

“We haven’t been friends with her since Richelle rade Nicole chose them, remember?” There’s a bite in Rae’s tone

I know it’s to cover up the hurt that she still feels fro two of our closest friends in one summer We don’t talk about it But we never do

I’ve known Rae my entire life, so I know her, even when she doesn’t say anything The four of us grew up together in the sahborhood Rae lives next door, although she’s pretty much an extension of my family at this point

Nicole and Richelle were neighbors a few houses down the street

When ere kids, ere inseparable But things changed as we got older Richelle moved away We stayed in touch for a while And then we didn’t Nicole chose popularity over our friendship soon after

Rae never got over Nicole’s betrayal And I never got over Nicole I will never admit this to Rae, or to anyone else for that matter, but I miss them

I know I can’t do anything about it now It’s been too long I look to Rae

“Isn’t it strange that the irl in school hasn’t been heard from in over a year and no one seems to care?”

“Besides you?” Rae counters with a scoff