“Where are they, anyway?” I ask.

“My mom bought them a new video game so they’d leave us alone.”

“Good woman,” I say.

“She’ll need all the pool breaks she can get with her new work schedule!” calls Millie.

I cup my hands around my mouth. “Either come over here and be part of this conversation, or stay over there and flirt with your boyfriend.”

Her cheeks are nearly bright enough to match her lei.

“She’s really good at multitasking!” yells Malik. “Flirting with me and butting into your conversation at the same time.”

She swats at him playfully.

“I approve!” I say.

Tim crashes into the water, falling from Ellen’s shoulders as Hannah and Courtney whoop victoriously.

“I can’t believe the elusive Courtney has finally made an appearance,” says Willowdean as Tim surfaces and dunks Ellen.

Hannah hangs on Courtney’s arm like a koala, both their chins skimming the water as they move toward the deep end. It’s the most affection any of us has ever seen her express. Ever.

“Oh,” says Courtney. “Don’t be fooled.” Her bleached hair is nearly white and spreads in the water like tentacles. “Hannah tries to keep her social circles like her food. Separate and never touching.”

“No fun!” says Amanda.

Courtney turns to her. “Thank you!”

Hannah rolls her eyes but can’t stop herself from smiling.

Tomorrow is my first day back at the gym. Vernon agreed to let me take on Millie’s shifts, and, most surprising of all—it was Inga’s idea. I’ve already started to pitch them some ideas about student discounts and a few other things we can do to grow membership over the summer so that maybe I can stay on in the fall.

Millie calls it a night early, since she and her parents are leaving town way before sunrise, and even though I’m not grounded anymore, I’ve got an early curfew until my mom says otherwise. As we’re all saying our good-byes, I run back inside for my bag to get the small going-away gift I made her. Yes, made her.

Just as I’m about to walk outside, my phone chirps.

I expect it to be a text from my mom, asking when I’ll be home, but instead I find an email.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Word is the district is upping our budget for next year. It won’t be much, but it’s more than we had. Thanks for what you said at the budget meeting.

Melissa

Clover City High School Shamrock Dance Team Captain

I laugh to myself a little. I can appreciate the fact that she went out of her way to use the official team captain email address. Serious alpha-dog move. Maybe she’ll make a good captain after all.

I don’t know if Melissa and I will ever be friends again. It’s hard to say if what we had was strong enough to salvage, but after the last few months, nothing surprises me.

I run out the door barefooted into Amanda’s front yard, where Mitch waits for me. I stand in front of him with his arms wrapped around me.

“You got it?” he asks, eyeing my bag.

I lean against his shoulder. “Yup.”

Millie makes the rounds, saying good-bye to everyone, including Amanda—they share some kind of secret handshake and a tight hug—until it’s just me.

Hesitantly, I reach into my bag. This particular gift is not what I would call my best work. “You better not laugh. Hold out your hands. Close your eyes.”

She does as I say with a wide grin.

It took me six hours, three trips to the Crafty Corner, and a binge of the first few episodes of Parks and Rec on Millie’s advising. (She swears I’m the Ann to her Leslie.) But in the end I created the world’s shittiest cross-stitch. It’s no bigger than the size of my palm, and in simple black thread, it reads AUSTIN OR BUST.

Millie opens her eyes and gasps, swinging an arm around my neck. “Oh my goodness! It’s perfect! Did you make this yourself?”

I nod.

“I witnessed the whole painful thing,” says Mitch.

Millie giggles and claps her hands together. “I love it!”

I beam, blinking away a few fresh tears. It wasn’t so long ago that I was chanting “SAN FRAN OR BUST!” with all the Shamrocks. I’ll make it to San Francisco one day, I know I will. But for now it feels just as sweet to see Millie off to Austin.

I hold both her hands. “Message me every day. Promise me.”

“At least twice a day,” she swears. “And I want pictures of my nephews when you see them.”

“If I can get close enough without them biting.”

She laughs before pulling me close for a hug. We stand there in our matching bikinis, two girls whose friendship was never meant to be, but it is. It really is.

I watch as she and Malik get into the van and drive off toward Malik’s house, where they’ll have their own private good-bye. I certainly hope it involves lots of kissing.

I lean back against Mitch’s chest. Something tells me my night will end in some kissing, too. I don’t know if I’ll end up with a happily ever after, like in one of Millie’s rom-coms, but I am definitely happy for right now. And that feels pretty damn good, if you ask me.