Ariana looked down at her black graduation gown. Her hair was in beachy waves and her makeup was done. She held her cap in her hand, with two tassels, one for honor roll. Underneath, she was wearing a form-fitting black dress with a v-neck and short sleeves. It was a few inches above her knee, and she rounded out the look with black pumps with a dash of sparkle.
She looked hot. Underneath the gown anyway. She couldn’t wait for Lucas to see her.
She wondered what Lucas looked like in a suit all dressed up.
“Awesome,” she finally replied.
Jimmy, meanwhile, was in just-ironed slim-fitting black dress pants, a lavender dress shirt and patterned tie, and to top it off, a tight black vest.
“We both look hot today,” he said, glancing in the mirror behind Ariana. He took his phone out and they posed for several minutes as they took selfies.
Jimmy put his phone back in his pocket. “Come on. Let’s get going. I think Mom and Dad are ready too.”
It was Friday night. Seniors hadn’t gone to class today. They’d already taken all of their finals. So she hadn’t seen Lucas yet. Mayra had swung by earlier but was probably heading to the ceremony about now too.
“Mayra just texted me she’s on her way there with her mom,” Jimmy said with his phone in his hand. He began tapping out a message before walking down the hallway. Ariana was right behind him.
Then she went back for her purse. She probably wouldn’t need it, but she’d probably just leave it in the car in case.
She glanced at her phone. Yep, it was time to go. She had to be there early for rehearsal.
The two days of ISS had sucked big time, but she was so glad all that was over now.
High school was over now, she realized.
Good riddance, Wendy. See ya never, she thought. Her stomach still felt weird at the thought that she’d be gone and Lucas and Wendy would still be here, but she trusted Lucas one hundred percent.
She sighed. This graduation, this day, meant it was the end, the end of her life here.
No, she thought. The end here, a new beginning in Athens.
###
Ariana tried to take deep breaths as her row stood up and headed to the stage. She was in the very first row since she was an honors student and her last name started with an A.
She had to admit most of the speeches were pretty boring and took forever, but now it seemed like everything was happening in a blur.
The first person, Daniel Ackerman, was called. Applause. Second person was walking across the stage, a girl named Patricia Adwell. She heard a horn in the audience, and the line crept forward.
She walked up the steps to the stage. It was her turn.
“Ariana Aguilar.”
This was it.
She focused on putting one foot in front of another as some distant noises reached her ears.
Her family screaming her name?
Was her back straight or hunched? Please don’t trip, she thought as she neared the assistant principal with her diploma in her hand.
She had made it. She couldn’t help it.
A huge smile broke onto her face as she accepted her diploma and glanced at the crowd.
She saw her family standing up, jumping up and down, and screaming for her. She continued walking until she was off the stage and back in her spot in the rows of graduating seniors.
She took a seat and turned around to wave at Mayra and Lucas. About fifteen minutes later, she watched Mayra’s row a few rows down stand up and head to the stage. The line steadily kept moving until Mayra was on stage and her name was called. She put her diploma down to clap her hands and scream. She heard her family and Mayra’s mom scream too. She smiled at Mayra as she walked past back to her seat.
She looked around and took it all in. She grabbed her phone from under her seat and snapped a couple of selfies, not caring how crazy she probably looked. She would never forget this.
A few minutes later, Lucas was on stage.
“Go Lucas!” she screamed, her hands cupping her mouth. She took a picture of him as he headed back to his seat and passed her.
He went over, grabbed her by the waist, and kissed her.
Ariana kissed him back, her hands around his neck.
Then he was gone, ushered by a teacher to his seat.
How had her smile gotten even bigger?
She sat back down and turned back to wave at Jimmy and her parents. They waved back.
Row after row of her peers went across that stage to receive the piece of paper they waited for four years to receive.
Ariana realized she had tears in her eyes as the last person walked across the stage, and the superintendent said something about making their high school degrees official.
They moved their tassels over to the other side, and the valedictorian came on stage.
“We did it!” she screamed, and everyone threw up their caps.
As they filed out a minute later, she passed her parents, Jimmy, and Mayra’s mom. Lucas’s family was close too. They waved at her, and she smiled back but kept moving.
Outside the arena, graduates and family members filled the place like ants. There was a constant buzz, and the flash of cameras started. She walked around, looking for Mayra, Lucas, and all of their families.
Someone snatched her from behind.
“Jimmy,” she said as she turned to see him.
“How does it feel to finally be free of high school?” he asked. Her parents were right behind him.
“Ah-mazing,” she said as her mom came in for a tight hug. She hugged her dad next.
“Felicataciones, mija,” her dad said.
Her mom kissed her on the cheek. She couldn’t stop smiling, but at the same time tears threatened to take over. She had no idea she would feel so emotional.
She swallowed and looked around. “Thank you. Hey, do you guys see Mayra and Lucas?”
Jimmy scanned the crowd. “I think they’re over there. Let’s go, and we can take pictures,” he said, putting his arm around her.
As she approached Mayra, they sped up until they were hugging.
“This is amazing,” Mayra said.
All Ariana could do was hug her back. She turned to Lucas and kissed him on the cheek as they put their arms around each other.
“I love you” Lucas said in her ear. She saw his mom and sisters walking towards them.
“I can’t believe we made it,” she replied.
###
That weekend, Ariana hugged Mayra and handed her a gift. “Happy birthday? How old are you now? Twenty-one?”
Mayra laughed as they pulled back. “I wish.”
They were at all her house, her family and Mayra’s mom. They had decided to celebrate graduation and Mayra’s birthday together.
They were inside working on the food preparation so they could take it all outside and grill out. Her dad and Jimmy already had some fajitas on the grill, and all the women were in the kitchen finishing up the rice, refried beans, tortillas, pico de gallo, and salsa.
Ariana’s mouth watered with the pico de gallo.
“I am so hungry right now,” Ariana said, staring at all of the food.
“Me too,” Mayra said, using her finger to grab some mashed beans from the edge of the pot.
“Let’s start taking all of this stuff outside,” she said.
“I’ll be right back. I’m just going to change my shirt,” Mayra’s mom had said. She had actually been able to get the day off to do all of this.
Ariana grabbed the large bowl of pico de gallo while Mayra grabbed the rice. They went to the backyard, where a table and chairs were already set. The table cloth was coming off of the table with the breeze.
Jimmy saw and went over to put it back. They set all of their stuff down. She saw Mayra glance at Jimmy as he headed back to the grill a few feet away.
“So is Lucas coming or not?”
“Nope. He has to work until nine tonight.” They took a seat at the table for a minute, and le
t the breeze tease their hair and the sun touch their skin. “We’re gonna be able to see each other a little bit more, but it also sucks because now he’s working more hours.”
Ariana’s mom brought out more food before heading back in.
“So what’s your mom think about you and Jimmy?” Ariana asked quietly.
Mayra looked at Jimmy again. He stood taller than Ariana’s dad. He was flipping some meat while her dad grabbed a soda from the cooler nearby.
“She’s never really gotten in my business before, but lately, she’s been giving me lots of advice,” she said, using air quotes. “I just listen and nod or whatever.”
Ariana nodded. “So is she taking it better than you thought?”
Mayra shrugged. “We’re not grounded anymore, so we can all go out again, but she’s definitely careful. I don’t know why, if it’s me or him or what.”
Ariana just looked at her, not knowing what to say.
“I mean, he’s your brother. He’s an amazing, good person. He deserves the best.” Mayra looked down then at the table.
“He has it,” Ariana said, speaking the thought that immediately came to mind.
Mayra smiled with her eyes and mouth, and it made Ariana smile too. Then Mayra leaned her head onto her shoulder.
“Hopefully your parents don’t hate me now,” she said.
“That’s literally impossible. You know they love you to begin with, and now it’s like you really are part of the family,” Ariana said. “Imagine if we’re sisters-in-law one day.”
Mayra looked up at her. “Not sisters-in-law. Just sisters.”
###
“I missed you,” she told Lucas.
“Mmm,” he said as he left a trail of kisses down her neck. “Me too.”
Lucas finally gave her one more kiss on the mouth before settling back on the couch. They were at his house. His mom and sisters were grocery shopping, which she hadn’t shared with her parents. Actually, his mom didn’t really know she was here either.
“We need to stop doing this,” she said, but she couldn’t keep a smile off her face. “We’re going to get caught one of these days.”
“Maybe,” Lucas said with a wink. “There’s only a few more weeks of summer left, though, so hopefully not before then, right?”
She nodded and put her hands on his chest and swung a leg over him so she was kind of straddling him.
She looked down at him, and his mouth fell open a bit. She could see his Adam’s apple. She wanted to kiss it.
Ariana bent down until her mouth was on his neck. She heard Lucas give a small groan, and his hands went to her hips. She kissed his neck a little longer and then moved to his mouth.
Lucas pulled away and looked her in the eyes. “Wanna go to my room?” he said quietly.
She hesitated, not sure about what he meant until after a couple seconds. She had told him about being on the pill, but they hadn’t talked much beyond that except they would use protection whenever they were both ready.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, sitting up and taking his hands off her waist. “We can stay here and —”
“No,” she interrupted. Her heart beat so fast it was hard to catch her breath. “I want to.”
Lucas looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
“Do you have a—” she asked.
He nodded, and they got up. He took her hand and led her to his room.
A minute later, they were on his bed, and she wondered what to do next. Lucas stroked her hair.
“Can I just say something before we…” he didn’t finish.
She nodded.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m saying this because we’re about to do it. But I don’t want to do it without you knowing this. ”
Lucas took a deep breath and held her gaze.
“I love you so much.” It was so quiet, Ariana wasn’t sure she had heard it.
“I love you too, Lucas.”
She smiled, and she saw Lucas smile for a moment before bringing his lips to hers.
chapter twenty-four
“Me and Lucas…” Ariana began a few days later.
“You did it,” Mayra finished, looking up from her phone. They were on Mayra’s bed. The TV was on, but they weren’t watching it.
“Yeah,” she confirmed.
“Oh my God,” Mayra said, staring at her. “You finally lost your V card.”
She ran to the window and peeked out.
“What are you doing?” Ariana said, laughing.
“Checking for tornadoes, hurricanes, and UFOs,” she said, jumping back on the bed.
“Oh wow,” Ariana said. “Really?”
“Really,” Mayra said. “Nah, just kidding. Eighteen is a good age to lose it. Got all your stuff figured out. I don’t even know if the right word is “lose it” because you chose to give it to someone you trust.”
“True,” Ariana said, thinking about that.
“So how was it?” Mayra said, chin resting on her hands and ready for all the juicy details.
“It was good,” she began. “Not that Lucas wasn’t, you know, but it just kinda hurt.”
Mayra nodded and winked. “It’ll be better next time.”
A second passed, and Ariana got distracted thinking of what it had been like. Awesome. Kind of painful, but awesome.
“So only five weeks of summer left.”
“I know,” Ariana replied. “It sucks.”
“We’re gonna have to start registering soon for classes and buying books and all of that,” Mayra went on. “Have you and Lucas been talking about all of that?”
“Some. We try not to. Just enjoy now.”
Mayra made a face like she felt bad for them, but Ariana tried not to think about it.
“Have you guys talked about what would happen if you were to meet someone else?” she asked slowly.
Ariana shook her head.
“What would you guys do if one of you met someone else that you liked?”
Ariana shrugged and looked down. “I guess talk about it.”
She tried not to think about Wendy. She trusted Lucas, but what if someone else came along?
###
Where was Lucas? Ariana had been waiting half an hour for him to arrive, but so far, nothing. No text. No call.
They were supposed to be meeting up to grab something to eat before he ran into work at the mall.
If he didn’t get here right this minute, they weren’t going to have time to eat at all.
Ariana paced and kept her growling stomach at bay. She had skipped lunch at her house and left to meet Lucas instead. And begged her parents to let her come alone. Her dad had finally agreed.
Ariana watched people walking into the fast food place. She hadn’t even asked to go somewhere nice. Just somewhere they could grab something together before he had to get to work.
Ten minutes later, there still wasn’t any sign of Lucas, and Ariana was ready to go home.
Just as she went to get back in her car, her phone began ringing.
No surprise there.
She swiped to answer and put the phone to her ear as she got in the car and closed the door.
She sighed and said, “Hey.”
“Hey, I’m so sorry,” Lucas said.
“Where are you?” Ariana said, hesitating to start her car but trying not to suffocate from the heat.
“I’m…barely leaving my house.”
Ariana glanced at the clock on her dash. “There is no way you’re going to make it here.”
There was a brief pause before Lucas went on. “I know. I’m heading straight to work.”
Ariana decided not to say anything.
“I’m sorry,” Lucas said again. “My little sister got sick, and I had to take her to the doctor. My mom’s car isn’t working since last night, so we’re having to share mine until we can get it fixed. I was gonna call you earlier, I swear, but there was throw up everywhere, and—”
“It’s okay,” A
riana said, turning on the car.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m just gonna head home and eat there.”
“All right. Maybe we can meet tomorrow? Oh, but I have to take my mom to work.” Lucas sighed.
“It’s okay. Just figure all that out first.”
“Thanks. I hate that this happened. I really wanted to see you.”
“Me too,” Ariana said, pulling out of the restaurant and putting her phone on speaker. “I just feel like I haven’t seen you in ages, and there’s literally like two weeks before I have to leave.”
“I promise you I will figure this out, and I’m going to spend some time with you. Monday is my day off, and I will make sure I get to see you.”
“Okay. I just hate that this summer hasn’t been what we thought it would be. It’s kinda sucked. I mean, if we were going to be going to the same school in the fall, I honestly wouldn’t care…” Ariana had to stop there to swallow hard and keep Lucas from hearing the tears in her eyes.
“I get you,” Lucas said. “Believe me, I feel the same way.”
“It’s just not fair,” Ariana said.
###
“Happy birthday,” she whispered in Lucas’s ear. It was a bittersweet day. She and Lucas were finally getting to see each other, but there was less than a week left until she had to leave for UGA.
She gave him a peck on the lips since his mom was there but gave him another squeeze before giving his mom a hug as well and then his sisters.
They finally went outside to talk and walk around. They began strolling down his street, hand in hand.
“You look good today,” she said. He did. She tried not to stare too much, but Lucas looked hot in his cargo shorts and slim-fit t-shirt.
“You sayin’ I don’t look good every day?” he asked, a smile forming from the corner of his mouth.
“Uh,” she said.
“You hesitated,” Lucas said, acting offended.
Ariana laughed.
They began walking again and Ariana said, “Last week was so crazy. Even with your day off, I didn’t get to see you.”
“I know. Taking the car to the mechanic and getting it back took forever. And my mom needed to run errands before and after.” He shook his head.
“I made sure to have Friday afternoon and Saturday morning off, though. I’m gonna need to work a crapload of hours after that, though, to help pay for the mechanic, but I don’t care.”
Without You: Book 1 of the Changing Hearts Series Page 20