May

Remember when you were a kid and still believed in wishes coming true? Whether it be from a shooting star, blowing out birthday candles, or blowing an eyelash from your fingertip. Now, I'm at my computer, wishing with every kind I know as I crack my knuckles before clicking the refresh button and watching as it loads for the hundredth time, hoping for that update.

"Doing that isn't going to make the time move faster, M," Carmen drawls, sprawled out on the worn-out love seat in the corner of my room or as she likes to call it her 'throne', her legs dangling over one arm as she lazily flicks her wrist at me as if dismissing my stress.

I narrow my eyes at my best friend as she reapplies a coat of dark red lipstick using her phone as a mirror. "Easy for you to say, you got your acceptance letter weeks ago," I grumble and frustratingly refresh the page again. "This is so annoying." I groan in exaggerated despair.

Carmen snorts and stands, she adjusts her stance in the mirror, smoothing her patchwork bohemian skirt and tugging at the tied-off white crop top, making sure every detail of her bold, free-spirited look falls perfectly into place, and fixing her braids. Clearly ready to join the party downstairs. "I wonder if Luke's here."

I roll my eyes at her, " A-It's his party, and B- he lives here." Her crush on my twin brother concerns me sometimes. Luke decided to throw a party in honour of him and a couple other of his friends getting in at Hudson Uni on a full ice hockey scholarship.

She sticks her tongue out at me and then plops down beside me, resting her chin on my shoulder, staring at the stupid screen with me. It made me feel guilty when she sighed as I went for the refresh button again. She came here for the party but instead wanted to make sure her best friend wasn't sacrificing Earl - my fossil of a cat- to the universe to get a response from her dream college.

I rolled my eyes at the idea of sacrificing my grumpy baby. I watch as said grumpy baby take a nap on a pile of dirty clothes in the corner of my room. 

"You can go downstairs if you want, you know," I tell her, placing my laptop aside for the sake of my sanity. She opens her mouth to argue, but I cut her off. "Luke's been parading around some new tattoo like he's a chick magnet."

It's almost comical the way she gasps, "You're shitting me."

 I barely fight the urge not to crack a mischievous smile, "I shit you not."

She blinks like I've just handed her the juiciest gossip piece, then bolts for the door. "You better not be bullshitting me, Choi!" she calls as she disappears, leaving my door ajar.

​I chuckle, shaking my head as I get up to close it, but my hand freezes on the door handle as I look over my shoulder at my laptop. Anxiety claws at me. I've applied to every university I know and have gotten nowhere, my last chance was Hudson University. I find myself looking back out my bedroom door, where the music vibrated throughout the house.

I bite my bottom lip as I make my decision.

"Fuck it. I need a drink." I yank a hoodie off the floor and head downstairs, beelining it to the kitchen.

I glance around the island and find a bunch of empty beer cans and bottles and practically have to shove a couple making out against the refrigerator, only to sigh in disappointment when I don't find what I'm looking for. No alcohol worth saving myself with.

I decide to venture to the backyard where the actual party seems to be and make my way through a group of dancing bodies, out onto the patio in the backyard. Cringing at the sight of the mess already made. Solo cups scattered across the yard like confetti, someone's puke in mom's rose garden and a group of people splashing around in a random kiddies' pool. 

 Luke is so dead if he doesn't clean this disaster before Mom and Dad get home.

As I look around, I finally spot it, the keg. As I get closer, I see Carmen, some random dude in a very ugly Hawaiian shirt, and my heart nearly does a summersault at the sight of Dylan Brown, laughing at whatever ugly shirt was saying.

Carmen notice's me first and gives me a bright smile, "Well?" She asks as I come to stand across her. I simply shake my head and look at Dylan.

"You handling the keg tonight, Brown?" I ask and nearly swoon at the sight of his surprised yet happy smile.

"Hey May, didn't except you to join the party." 

I shrugged, "I just needed a break from that stupid laptop-"

Hawaiian Shirt Guy looks me up and down with bloodshot eyes. "Yo, you look familiar," he slurs interrupting me, reeking of weed like he bathed in it.

I ignore him as I grab a clean solo cup and began pouring myself a drink, filling it to the brim then feel three pairs of eyes watch as I chug everything down like it was water instead of really cheap, bitter beer.

 Dylan chuckle's awkwardly, "you okay there?" He asks, in slight concern as he watches me fill my cup for a second round.

"Nah, like I swear I've seen you before." Ugly Hawaiian says again which we both ignore again when I shrug my shoulders at Dylan as I gulp down the rest of my drink.

"Whoa, slow down," he says, holding my wrist before I could pour myself another drink. His touch makes my heart do another stupid backflip. "Since when do you drink beer like this?" He asks and looks at Carmen when she sighs,

"She's just really stressed about the Hudson thing.

I smile at him, "Stupid Hudson University." I mumble and even Carmen saying it out loud makes me want to recoil in a nervous wreck.

"Shit, did we fuck?" Hawaiian shirt asks before covering his mouth in disbelief.

"No." The three of us say in unison, "Dude just shut the fuck up." Carmen scolds him.

"How would you know?" I narrow my eyes at Dylan in suspicion, then turn to look at Hawaiian shirt, giving him a once over. "He could be my type."

"Girl please." Carmen deadpans.

Hawaiian shirt smirks at me satisfied, "Thanks."

"No, because Luke would have his head on a pike if he found out since Brian over here knows your off limits," Dylan says and slaps the back of his friend's head.

"Oh fuck, you're Willson's sister?" Brian stumbles back in surprise.

I draw my head back like I've just been bitch slapped and scoff.

"Off limits?" Carmen and I ask, mirroring the same 'what the fuck' stance, arms crossed, hip cocked.

Dylan drags a hand through his hair, looking guilty. "Shit, May—"

Before I can bite his head off, Luke appears like the devil summoned by curse words. "May? So you've finally decided to join the party, huh?"

Ugly Hawaiian shirt takes the opportunity to bolt.

"I'm off limits?" I snap, blaming it on the alcohol as I jab an accusing finger at Luke. "So that's why everyone whispered about me all year."

Luke laughed almost confused as to why I look so pissed, "Yeah, it's a stupid little threat I made to the guys on the team. You know, like guy code or whatever." He explained, then has the audacity to sling his arm over my shoulder.

"So you're the reason why May got so much crap this year?" Carmen frowned at Luke, and as much as I know she likes my brother she'll always stick up for me. "What the actual fuck dude."

"What? The guys on the team are slobs." He frowns at her confused.

I shove him off. "You're the reason my senior year was hell," I could actually feel a lump form in my throat.

"You're being dramatic." He rolled his eyes.

Dramatic!? "You think I'm being dramatic when I had to walk the halls and have everyone point and stare, snicker at me because someone said I had an STI? Having to be humiliated when my English teacher asked me in concern if I was trying to abort my supposedly unborn child by drinking myself into a coma. Or having someone deliver me a box full of rash cream to my fucking locker? Yeah, how real dramatic of me." I huffed out and my cheeks were on fire after my little outburst.

Luke's smirk disappeared and confused but angry expression replaces it. Dylan's brows knit together.

"May, we never spread those rumours," Dylan says firmly. "All we did was tell the team to back off."

I blink. "...Wait. So it wasn't you guys?"

"Of course not," Luke snaps, his voice edged with hurt. "Why didn't you tell me?" I push away whatever guilt I knew I was going to feel if we got into why I haven't been talking to him as much anymore.

"Doesn't matter anymore," I mutter, taking his beer and gulping. "We graduated and some of us are going to college soon. Whoever started the rumours can shove a cactus up their ass."

"I don't like the idea of a cactus far up my luscious ass." A cocky voice from behind me nearly makes me chock on my beer.

I turn around to finally face the cause of all those rumors and months of teasing. He has the nerve to flash a smirk at me, "Don't glare at me like that, Mayo, you look constipated."

"What the fuck, Kade?" I don't know if it was his brother or mine who yelled this nor could I give a shit as my blood pumped so loudly in my ears and all I could see was red and before I knew it, my fist punched the stupid grin right off his face.

And then hear a painful crack.

I think I just broke my thumb punching Kade fucking Brown.

"Uh May, you got accepted." 

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