Second Helpings (43 page)

As for the others well, I hope it goes without saying.

One hundred and eighty caps flew into the air in celebration, and for a split second, the sky was red.

But not the same fiery orange-red I saw bounding toward me once the bleachers were cleared and the field was filled with camcorder-toting parents.

Hey, you ! she yelled, from twenty yards away.

You ! I screamed, sprinting toward her.

Hope. Hope was here.

I wanted to surprise you!

Roget could not come up with enough synonyms to adequately describe just how surprised I was to see Hope standing right in front of me.

Omigod! Omigod! Omigod! I shrieked as I bounced on my tippy-toes.

Hopes face fell. Oh, Im sorry, Sara , she said, gently mocking my Clueless Two-like enthusiasm. I thought you were my old friend Jessica Darling. Its been a while since Ive seen her, you know. I apologize for the error.

She turned and started to walk away, but I grabbed her before she made it two feet.

Im just so happy and totally shocked to see you here, I said. I mean, this is even better than Jake Ryan

Hope knew exactly where I was going with this. Surprising Samantha Baker after her sisters wedding she continued.

At the end of Sixteen Candles ! We finished the thought simultaneously, before tackling each other into a hug.

As we held on to each other, I thought about how this is all I had ever wanted. My best friend. Right here with me.

When we finally separated, we just stood there, having far too much to say to actually start talking. Then I saw her eyes drift over my shoulder. And I knew why.

I knew Marcus and Hope had spoken on the phone, that, in fact, she was responsible for the miracle of us getting together at all. I truly believed that she wanted us to be a couple. Yet I couldnt help but worry about what would happen when the three of us were together for the first time. Would they see each other as competition? As the enemy? Or worse?

But then all the fear and guilt and worry washed out with one simple gesture.

Hope held out her hand. Hey, Marcus.

Marcus held out his hand. Hey, Hope.

I stood there on the grass, watching the Darlings chatting happily with the Fluties, my two best friends pressed palm-to-palm, and a wave of calm washed over me. For the first time in my life, I wasnt thinking about what would happen in the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years to come. I was right there in the moment, my world finally, albeit briefly, complete.

And I was happy. Deliriously, deliciously happy.

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Jessica Darlings Graduation Address

Real-World Revelation: A Malcontent Makes Peace with Pineville

I bet that a lot of you think Im going to stand up here and go off on one of my anti-Pineville High diatribes, the likes of which I used to publish in the school paper, before I was unfairly silenced by the administration. I must admit that Ive been looking forward to the opportunity to express my often controversial opinions in front of a captive audience, since I was unable to do so all year long.

But Im not going to do that today. Ive vented enough about the shortcomings of this school. What I havent done is consider what I gained from my experience here, and how going to Pineville High School has actually benefited me.

For the past four years, Ive wanted nothing other than to escape this place. I couldnt wait to graduate, go to college, and get out into the real world that exists beyond Pineville. I longed for the place where I could finally be free of the social inequities and teen trivialities that dominate high-school life.

But you want to hear something insane? I dont think I would change a thing about my high-school experience. Not even the really bad stuff, like my best friend moving away, or my grandmothers death. If youre sitting next to two people having heart attacks right now, they are no doubt my parents, as this is probably particularly shocking news to them.

No doubt Pineville would have been a more pleasant place without all the backstabbing, social climbing, and cattiness. But the Jessica Darling standing in front of you today is the result of everything Ive been through up to this point. Change one event, make a left instead of a right, and who knows where, or more specifically, who I might be at this moment. And heres the thing: I like who I am. I like the person Ive turned out to be, and I know Im not done evolving yet.

I believe that what we get out of life is what weve set ourselves up to get, so theres no such thing as an inconsequential decision. Our destinies are the culmination of all the choices weve made along the way, which is why its imperative to listen hard to your inner voice when it speaks up. Dont let anyone elses noise drown it out.

Looking back on my four years here, Ive realized that my lowest moments were the direct result of paying more attention to what other people were saying than listening to my gut. That doesnt mean that you shouldnt ever take someone elses advice, or turn to others for guidance just be sure they have your best interests at heart.

If theres one thing Ive realized throughout my four years of Pineville High, its that the real world, whether we like it or not, is right here, right now. All of this, every day, is important. Everybody matters. Everything we do has an effect on others, directly or indirectly, whether we realize it or not.

But even those who arent looking out for you can end up helping you in the end. And as much as I dont like to admit it, I have to thank the Pineville High School Class of 2002 for the influence youve had on my life. For better or for worse, you have helped me become the person I was always meant to be: me. Yes. Me.

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Acknowledgements...

Many thanks to:

My agent, Joanna Pulcini, who loves Jessica Darling almost as much as I do.

My editor, Kristin Kiser, and her assistant, Claudia Gabel, for convincing me that I hadnt succumbed to Sucky Sequel Syndrome. And the whole team at Crownespecially Philip Patrick, Brian Belfiglio, and Lindsay Mergensfor truly believing that the follow-up can outdo the first, and busting their butts to make it happen.

Everyone who sent enthusiastic e-mails begging me to WRITE FASTER because they were DYING to find out what happened between Jessica and Marcus. Those messages inspired me to keep it smart, honest, and funny.

The Fitzmorris and McCafferty families, who have served as personal assistants, bodyguards, chauffeurs, PR agents, presidents of my fan club, and so much more.

Collin James, for helping me get outside of my own head for a change.

And Christopher Joseph, for everything he does so I can do what I do.

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About the Author

MEGAN McCAFFERTY is the author of Sloppy Firsts . A former senior articles editor at Cosmopolitan , she has written for Seventeen , YM, CosmoGirl, Glamour , and other top magazines. She created a fiction serial from Hopes point of view on twistmagazine.com, and currently writes The Annabelle Chronicles for ELLEgirl and its website. McCafferty graduated with honors from Columbia University and lives with her husband and son in New Jersey, where she is at work on a novel about a singer in a wedding band. Write to her via [email protected] .