the Art of Breaking Up

by Elizabeth Stevens

  He shook his head, sparing a smile for Lisa. “No. She wouldn’t tell me what step two was.”

  “What?”

  He grinned. “Nothing.” He kissed my head absently. “We’d better get to class. I’ll find you at Recess?”

  I nodded. “Sure.”

  He gave my hand a squeeze and headed off down the hallway.

  I hurried over to Lisa, who was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet excitedly.

  “So…?” she asked.

  I shrugged, coy and nonchalant. “So, we’re dating.”

  She squealed. This time, she didn’t bother covering her mouth. Instead, she just burst back into ‘Tell Him’ as we walked to class.

  “Should you not be keeping some of this advice for yourself?” I laughed.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she said, but she looked at me all coquettish.

  We linked arms and leant into each other with a laugh.

  Things felt good again. I didn’t hate my new normal. It was going to take some getting used to, but I felt like I had the tools to get through whatever life threw my way. I just had to remember to use them properly.

  Chapter Thirty

  With the end of school so close, we didn’t really have to try navigating the school corridors as a bona fide couple. In fact, we didn’t really see much of each other for the first four weeks of our official relationship what with SWOTVAC and exams. We started doing group calls. Me, Wade and Lisa. The dynamic was just like it used to be, except Wade held my hand now instead of Lisa’s. It was weird how normal it was. Lisa said that just went to prove that Wade and I were the ones meant to be together.

  Lisa had tentatively made things official with Matt. By which I mean, she’d agreed to go to the formal with him which was, in itself, a pretty big deal. She’d also been talking to him quite a bit and she was planning a date for us all after graduation.

  With graduation came the formal. We realised it was pretty weird to have it in December at graduation time, instead of earlier in the year like everyone else seemed to do it. But it had somehow become tradition for our school to have it on the Wednesday night before Graduation. Maybe it was to see how many of us could graduate hungover.

  Wade and I, of course, were going together. Neither of us really asked the other, we just sort of got talking about how we’d get there and what colour I was wearing and that had been about it.

  Erin was going with Nate, a friend of Matt’s.

  And I was getting worried that Lisa was going to pull out of going with Matt with mere hours to go.

  “It’s not rushing things, right?” she asked for the thousandth time as we got ready at my house beforehand.

  I shook my head. “No. A school organised event isn’t rushing anything,” I promised her. “If you’d gone and booked a room at the hotel and planned to lure him up there after for a night of smexy shenanigans… Well, then I might suggest you were rushing things.”

  “As it is, not rushing,” Erin backed me up. “Just because I’m going with Nate doesn’t mean anything.”

  Lisa nodded. “Okay. Good. No. Right. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “For Erin,” I added. “For you, it’s huge.”

  “Excuse you?” she laughed, only semi-offended.

  I shrugged as I pulled on my shoes. “What? It can be a big deal and you not rushing things, Lis. The two aren’t mutually exclusive…” I paused. “Are mutually exclusive…?” I looked between them. “Can happen at the same time,” I finished.

  Lisa smirked. “I guess so. I just don’t want to ruin it.”

  “And that’s okay,” I said.

  Erin nodded. “That’s good.”

  “That’s good?” Lisa asked.

  “You think I’m not worried I’ve ruined things with Wade?” I said.

  She looked at me. “But you two belong together!” Then, of course, she broke out in song. “You go to-gether like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong!”

  I snorted at her bastardised lyrics as I waved her quiet. “Like you and Matt don’t.”

  Lisa looked between Erin and me like she needed the reassurance. Erin and I spared each other a ‘we got this’ look and both surged forward to hug her together.

  There was laughing and some teary moments as we all came together for the second last thing in our high school careers. Despite the fact that we were likely to see each other at uni every day the next year, it felt like the end of an era. We weren’t kids anymore. And that was as scary as it was exciting.

  The doorbell rang and we pulled away from each other to do a makeup check before heading downstairs.

  Wade, Matt and Nate were being met by Koby in the entry hall. The three dates were all in their black tuxes, with ties to match our dresses. Nate’s was blue. Matt’s was pink. Wade’s was red.

  “Wade Phillips,” Koby was chuckling as I came down the stairs. “Long time, man.”

  Wade nodded. “Too long.”

  “You treating my little sister well?”

  “As well as I can, mate.”

  Koby nodded. “All I can ask, dude.”

  “That’s it?” I asked and they both looked up.

  “What?” they both asked.

  I picked up my skirts and walked down the rest of the stairs. “That’s all the big brother talk he’s going to get?”

  Koby shrugged. “What do you want from me?”

  “I dunno. You’ll wail on him if he hurts me?”

  Koby and Wade shared a look like they were considering that as a possibility for a moment, then both broke out laughing and clapped each other on the back.

  “That’s…” Koby laughed.

  “As if…” Wade laughed.

  I nodded, feeling my ego slightly bruised. “Yeah. All right then. So much for big brother clichés…”

  Matt and Nate meanwhile were fawning all over Lisa and Erin, telling them how beautiful they looked and giving them their corsages. I felt all at once glad and weirded out that, instead, my date was laughing with my brother.

  “Koby,” Mum fake-chastised as she and Dad came into the entry hall with us. “Can you stop getting in the way?”

  “Leave your sister alone,” Dad said with a smile.

  “I’m just catching up with Wade.”

  “On the weekend?” Wade asked and Koby nodded.

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.” Koby went to ruffle my hair then, realising it was all done up, thought better of it. “You look stunning, Young Linc. Super proud of you. Have a good night, yeah?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  He pulled me into a gentle hug. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Have a good night, guys!” he called to the others as he made his way out of the house.

  “You just invite yourself over to my house now?” I asked Wade.

  He grinned. “For a playdate with your brother, yeah. If I was seeing you, I’d have organised it with you.”

  I rolled my eyes, but had to be glad that my brother and my – gasp – boyfriend got along.

  “Can we get some photos before the limo gets here, please?” Mum called. “Your parents are counting on us.”

  With much put-on grumbling, we let them take our pictures, then bustled out to the limo.

  “Okay, I’ve gotta know,” Erin started when we were all piled in the limo.

  “Gotta know what?” Lisa asked.

  “Why her, Wade? Why our Norah?”

  “Oh, yes, Wade. Why her?” Lisa asked him pointedly, with much batting of eyes and pouting of lips. I had a feeling they’d covered this in whatever chat they’d had over that weekend.

  I hadn’t really wanted to know, for the longest time, what made him want to stick it out with me when he hadn’t been able to with Lisa. I hadn’t wanted to know what it was about me that was different to her. Part of me thought it couldn’t possibly be anything good because how could something about Lisa be lacking?

  But now
I wanted to know. What did make me so special that Wade suddenly felt he could commit to someone.

  Wade gave Lisa a lop-sided smile that turned far more cheeky when he slid his eyes to me. He gave that nonchalant shrug. The one so full of conceited self-confidence. The one I’d come to quite like.

  “Maybe I like being with her more than I like sabotaging myself,” he answered casually. He put his arm around my shoulders and leant his lips to my ear. “Maybe the thought of losing you is scarier than the idea of being happy with you.”

  That was an answer I could live with.

  We all talked and joked and laughed on the way to the Hilton and into the formal. Teachers welcomed us and wished us well. Friends stopped us to say hi and comment on the year behind us. Some freaked out about their exam results. Some were making jokes about stunts that Dave was going to pull at the graduation ceremony.

  The whole night was full of nostalgia as we danced, ate, talked and reminisced with teachers and students alike. There was even the drama teacher, bopping along to the music.

  “Mr Rankin, how do you know this song?” Lisa asked him.

  He grinned at her as if to say ‘oh, my sweet summer child’. “You kids would be aghast to hear that the playlist has barely changed since my Year Twelve formal.”

  I looked him over, both wondering and trying not to imagine how many years ago that was.

  “And…when was that?” Matt asked for all of us.

  “2006,” Mr Rankin answered.

  I blinked. “The music hasn’t changed since then?”

  Mr Rankin shook his head. “Pretty much.”

  “Oh, boy,” Lisa muttered.

  “You kids have a good night,” he said with a smile and boogied off.

  “While we’re on the topic of things to bum us out…” Erin started.

  “Oh, yeah?” Wade asked. “This oughtta be good.”

  “This could very well be the last time we’re all in the same room together,” Erin said.

  “Not including graduation,” Wade added.

  “Not including graduation,” Erin agreed.

  “You ever think how lucky we are?” Lisa asked as we watched everyone around the room.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, the six of us all applied to unis in Adelaide–”

  “Were we supposed to apply interstate?” I blurted out, suddenly worried I’d misjudged the expected norms of Year 12s in Adelaide. Here I was thinking we lived with our parents until our mid- to late-twenties while we studied as long as possible and put off getting a job.

  “No,” Lisa snorted. “But, think. It’s proper normal that we’ll still be living in close proximity to each other next year. We don’t have to worry about new boyfriends moving to a different state. For us, it’s normal.”

  “Have you been watching ‘the Kissing Booth’ again?” I asked.

  “What?” was Lisa’s justification to my accusation. “It’s a reasonable question.”

  I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

  Wade stood behind me and put his arms around my waist. “That means you’re stuck with me, Lincoln.”

  I looked back at him and smiled. “I think I’ll manage, Phillips.”

  “Yeah? You prefer the handcuffs or silk rope?” he teased.

  “This another one of your kinks?” I teased back.

  “Everything about you is one of my kinks,” he replied, spinning me to kiss me.

  I’d got the guy.

  I got to keep my best friend.

  I was going to have my family, we were just going to be a different shape.

  Wade Phillips had helped me learn the art of breaking up.

  With the life I knew. With unhealthy coping mechanisms. My parents’ divorce. My assumptions about people and the world. My best friend’s attitude to her break up with Wade.

  I wasn’t an expert or anything but, like he said, it was a work very much in progress.

  Whatever happened now, as long as I kept letting people help me and didn’t shut them out, I was going to be okay.

  Bonus Scene

  Behind-the-Scenes sneak peek

  Lisa & Wade’s Chat

  Lisa

  So…I hear you hooked up with my best friend.

  Wade

  Am I supposed to apologise?

  Lisa

  Depends.

  Wade

  On what?

  Lisa

  If you have anything to apologise for.

  Wade

  Look, it just happened. She was upset about her parents and I was there. I understood. We didn’t plan it.

  Lisa

  Hang on. What?

  Wade

  I don’t know how much she told you, but neither of us meant to hurt you.

  Lisa

  Woah. Woah. Woah. Go back to the bit about her parents. What about her parents?

  Wade

  Their divorce.

  Lisa

  WHAT????

  Wade

  You didn’t know?

  Lisa

  I did not. Believe you me, someone is getting a talking to. But that’s a whole other issue. I’m asking you about you hooking up with Norah.

  Wade

  Look, she told me how you feel about me…

  Lisa

  How did she say I feel about you…?

  Wade

  It’s okay. I’m flattered, Lis. I am. But I think we both know it was over ages ago.

  Lisa

  Wade…what did Norah say about me?!

  Wade

  She told me you still love me.

  Lisa

  Well, isn’t this awkward at all, then…

  Wade

  It doesn’t have to be. Just so long as you know where we stand.

  Lisa

  While I appreciate this weirdly mature outlook on life you seem to have found… I don’t like you, Wade.

  Wade

  What?

  Lisa

  I mean, I don’t dislike you. But I don’t love you. I got over you ages ago. It has been two years, you know.

  Wade

  I did know. Two years did seem like a long time to still be into someone.

  Lisa

  That’s because it is, Wade.

  Wade

  You really don’t? not just trying to save face?

  Lisa

  I’d like to think I’m confident enough as a person to be truthful in these situations.

  Wade

  I have no doubt you are.

  Lisa

  Good. Now that’s out of the way, what are you going to do about Norah?

  Wade

  Nothing.

  Lisa

  What? Why?

  Wade

  She made it painfully obvious how she felt about me.

  Lisa

  Did she?

  Wade

  Yes.

  Lisa

  And what, pray tell, did she imply she felt about you?

  Wade

  Do you really want to have this conversation?

  Lisa

  Yes

  Wade

  Why?

  Lisa

  Because I know you’ve liked her since you broke up with me.

  Wade

  …

  Lisa

  There’s no point denying it. There’s no hard feelings.

  Lisa

  Now.

  Lisa

  I was a little miffed at the time, I won’t lie.

  Wade

  …

  Wade

  She wasn’t the only reason I broke up with you…

  Lisa

  I guessed.

  Lisa

  But we’re not talking about old history.

  Lisa

  We’re talking about what you’re going to do about Norah.

  Wade

  Why does it matt
er to you?

  Lisa

  Because unlike me, she is in love with you.

  Wade

  She’s got a funny way of showing it.

  Lisa

  Don’t blame her for her misguided sense of loyalty.

  Wade

  Being loyal to you doesn’t make her misguided. I’m just obviously not important enough to earn her loyalty.

  Lisa

  That’s bullshit. And it is misguided if she honestly thinks I still love you and that’s the only reason she broke up with you.

  Wade

  We weren’t technically together in the first place.

  Lisa

  Semantics.

  Lisa

  Fact remains, you love each other. She loves you. Let’s celebrate love!

  Wade

  Love’s worthless without trust, Lis.

  Lisa

  So, you admit you love her?

  Wade

  I don’t know. Maybe.

  Lisa

  I’ll take it.

  Wade

  Well, good for you.

  Lisa

  All I’m asking is you give her another chance.

  Wade

  I don’t think she wants another chance. And, if she did, I think it’d be better coming from her, don’t you?

  Lisa

  Are you saying that if she asked you for a second chance that you’d consider it?

  Wade

  I’m saying I might listen. MIGHT. Heavy on the might. But I don’t do errand girls.

  Lisa

  Whew. She did a number on you.

  Wade

  Let’s just say, she hit a few nerves she should have known not to hit.

  Lisa

  Fair. Okay then.

  Wade

  Okay then what?

  Lisa

  Never you mind. Step one is complete. On to step two!

  Wade

  What do you mean step one? What’s step two?

  Wade

  Lisa??

  Wade

  Seriously…LISA! What’s the fuck’s step two?!

  the Roommate Mistake

  If you like the Art of Breaking Up, you might also enjoy my concurrent release, the Roommate Mistake. Also a YA romance, it focuses a little more heavily on the comedy side of things as our main characters find themselves in a most ridiculous situation.