27 ~ The End of the Road
I glanced up from the pile of notes in my lap when Cece walked into the room, looking exhausted. “Are you finished?” I asked as she collapsed onto her bed with a groan.
“Yep, done. Finally. What about you? Just that one final left?”
“Yeah, first thing tomorrow morning. I’m going to be cramming all night long. You might want to go stay with Marissa.”
“Nah, I’ll keep you company. I can sleep all day tomorrow. Well, that and start packing.”
“Don’t even say it!” It was only a matter of days before graduation, before we all packed up and left Winterhaven for good. Just thinking about it made me feel sick to my stomach. “Anyway, how’d you do?”
“Fine, I guess. The essay question kicked my butt. I’m just so glad it’s over.”
“Hey, don’t rub it in.” Beside me, my cell began to ring. “Ugh, it’s Patsy. Probably calling to tell me she’s not coming to graduation, after all,” I said sourly, then connected the call. “Hey, there. What’s up?”
“Just calling to see how finals are going,” she chirped.
“Really well. I’ve got my English test tomorrow, and then I’m done.”
“What about the calculus test you were so worried about?”
“I think I aced it, thanks to Aidan.” He’d quizzed me relentlessly, until I could work every problem backward, forward, and sideways. “My history paper’s turned in, and we got an A on our final art history project, so it’s looking pretty good.”
“I knew you’d do just fine,” Patsy said. “Listen, I know I said we’d be there Friday night for graduation, but something’s come up at work.”
Of course it had. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Really.”
“But you’ll be in New York next week, right? Before you leave for London? We’ll get to see you then.”
“Sure,” I said. “But look, I’m probably going to stay at Aidan’s when I’m there in the city, okay?” Since it was my place now, technically speaking. Of course, Patsy didn’t know that, but still. It occurred to me that, at some point, I was probably going to have to tell her. Then again, maybe not. Not with her halfway around the world in Australia.
“But we’ll get together for dinner or something, right? We’ll take you both out somewhere nice to celebrate your graduation.”
She was making this way too easy.
“That sounds good. Actually, I better get back to studying now.”
“Okay, sweetie. Good luck. And I’ll be thinking about you Friday night. Paul too. He sends his love.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Talk to you later.”
I ended the call and set down my phone with a sigh.
“She’s not coming?” Cece asked.
“Nope. Big surprise, right?” Still, I was disappointed. There wouldn’t be a single person there to cheer for me when I walked across that stage and took my diploma. How pathetic was that? Aidan and I were lucky that we had each other, since neither of us had anyone else.
“I just don’t get that woman,” Cece said, shaking her head.
“Yeah, me either. It doesn’t matter, though. I just wish Gran could come.” She’d wanted to, and I’d had several long talks with Melanie, her home health aide, debating it. Melanie had finally spoken with Gran’s doctor, who had failed to give his support, and that had been that. Gran wasn’t happy, but I’d promised to come visit them in Atlanta before I went to Paris.
“Well, my grandma’s coming up from New Orleans, and all the aunts and uncles and cousins too. It’s going to be a zoo. I won’t have any time to hang out with you guys while they’re here. Which is annoying, because it is our last weekend.”
“Yeah, but it’s not good-bye, remember? Just a week, and then we’ll be in England together.”
“I can’t wait,” Cece said. “I wish Aidan would let us all chip in on the house, though.”
I shook my head. “He says it’s taken care of. The Trust people know he’s a relative of the original family, so . . . I don’t know. Maybe they worked out a deal or something. I think we’re getting to use rooms that aren’t usually open to the public. Something like that.”
“That’s so cool. Just imagine if they knew the truth—the prodigal son, returned. A freaking century later. Anyway, what about Dr. Byrne?”
“What about him?” I asked.
“I assume he’s going with us, right?”
I nodded. “Looks that way. I’m sure Charlie is thrilled.”
“I actually feel kind of bad for her. I mean, it’s probably hard to understand this thing between you and Dr. Byrne if you’re not a part of it, you know? And then you’ve got to add in the fact that he’s a teacher and you’re a student and, well . . . it must be weird for her. That’s all I’m saying.”
“See, that’s why you’re so popular,” I said, shaking my head in amazement. “You can always see things from other people’s perspectives. What do they call it? Empathy?”
“Hey, you gotta feel for the chick,” she said with a shrug.
“Trust me, I do. I swear I do. It’s just . . . I think she really hates me.” I winced, remembering the cold look in her eyes when we’d met.
Cece gave me a pointed look—lips pursed, one brow raised. “Wouldn’t you hate you? In her position, I mean?”
“Heck, yeah. Of course I would. That doesn’t make it any more pleasant, though.” I glanced down at the notes surrounding me, a painful reminder of my upcoming final. “I really should be studying.”
She nodded, rising and reaching for her bag. “Okay, I’m supposed to meet Josh at the café, anyway. You want me to bring you back anything?”
“Yes, something sweet. That, and a mocha. Actually, make it a peppermint mocha.” The peppermint would help soothe my pretest nerves.
Cece’s face lit with a smile. “You got it, girlfriend.”
I sighed heavily as the door shut behind her. Just one more final—I could do this. After all, I was a tough, vampire-slaying, tattooed, going-off-to-live-in-Paris kind of girl. What was a measly English final in the face of all that?
With a groan, I got back to work.
Friday night came all too fast. The past few days had been a blur—checking grades, packing trunks, waiting for the end to come.
And now it had. I shifted uncomfortably on the hard pew, waiting for my name to be called.
Sophie’s valedictory speech had been brief but inspiring, the perfect combination of serious but funny. How was I going to make it through each day of class at AUP without her there beside me?
As student body president, Cece had made a speech too. All those New Orleans cousins and aunts and uncles had hooted and hollered when she was finished, making her blush, and all I could think was how awesome she was—the perfect roommate. Fate had been so kind to me.
And Aidan, well . . . when I’d seen him walk across the little stage erected at the front of the chapel and take his diploma from a smiling Mrs. Girard, it had seemed so real. Like somehow all the schooling he’d received before now was meaningless—that this graduation was the one that really counted, that marked the true beginning of the rest of his life.
The rest of them who’d been called up before me alphabetically—Max, Tyler, Cece, even Jack—seemed so distant now, somehow just out of reach. I felt numb, disengaged—
“Miss Violet McKenna.”
It took me a second to recognize my own name. Beside me, Shannon McKenzie nudged me in the ribs. I rose, making my way to the end of the pew vaguely aware of the sound of cheering and whistling behind me, where the parents and family were seated. I glanced back, surprised to see Patsy and Paul on their feet, smiling in my direction.