So I'm a Double Threat (Double Threat Series) (26 page)

He smiles. “If things work out according to my plan, you’ll experience the high school experience, I’ll work my ass off in college, and then someday, if it’s meant to be, it’ll just happen. We’ll be together.”

“Someday, huh?” I grin.

“Someday.”

“So I guess that means you’re not going to throw me in the backseat then?” I joke.

He chuckles a bit. “Not tonight anyway.”

“So, wait a minute. I have another question.”

“Shoot,” he says.

“You want me to experience high school and you want to experience college?”

He nods in agreement.

“Are you just saying that so you can screw your way through all the sorority houses? I mean, I just want to know so that I can do the same here.” Not that I really would, but come on now. That’s what it kind of sounds like he’s saying.

He actually laughs at my rather blunt question. “Meg, you have it all wrong. I honestly don’t have any intention of sleeping around or hooking up with anyone. I’ve had girlfriends before. I’ve been there, done that. You haven’t.” He takes a loose strand of my hair and tucks it behind my ear, smiling his sexy grin. “And if you want to, I don’t want to stand in the way of that. Am I hoping you’re going to go out with other guys? Hell no, but I want to give you the freedom to do just that if you want to. School isn’t going to be easy. Berkeley is going to suck the life out of me in terms of academics; I can’t imagine I’ll have a lot of time to work my way through sorority row, anyway,” he teases. “Any more questions?”

“Not right now.” 

We gaze at each other in silence.

“Oh wait.” He startles me. “I almost forgot.” He grabs a paper bag from the backseat. Oh no, he better not have
lunch
in there. He reaches in slowly and pulls out a small pink box.

“This is for you,” he says, with a mischievous smile.

“What is it?” I set the little box in my lap to open the lid. “Oh, my gosh.” It’s a cupcake. There is a pink polka dotted candle coming out of the top.

“Happy birthday, Meg,” he says, reaching over to light the candle.

“How did you know?” What a surprise.

“The girls told me. They said your mom usually has a big party for you, but this year you didn’t want one. Happy Birthday, make a wish.”

I close my eyes, make a wish, and softly blow out the candle.

“Thank you, Alex.”

I lean over and hug him. His hair has grown out since we first met, and I love the feel of it underneath my fingers. I could stay like this forever. We hold each other close for a minute and then let go with a big sigh. He takes my hand. “Is this okay?” We look down at our intertwined fingers.

“Yup.”

For the rest of the night, we watch the two movies, hand in hand, only taking a break to drink or eat something. After each break, he grasps my hand again like we’re magnets being pulled together.

I feel like I’ve rushed into so many things this year. With Ben and with Eric. It’s a breath of fresh air to finally be spending time with Alex and taking things slow.

I look down at our hands, my small, pale fingers interlaced with his strong, tanned ones. The image is perfection.

Alex is a good friend, and he has proven over and over again this year, how much he values me. I just hope it will be enough. I just hope that there will be a someday with him.

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S
tores are filled with graduation balloons, cards, little stuffed animals, and other celebratory goodies. The school year is over and there isn’t anything I can do to stop Alex from graduating tonight. I’m pretty sure my grades went down. I couldn’t focus on studying for finals. Everyone in our tight-knit crew of friends feels the exact same way; none of us want to see the seniors go. I don’t think they want to leave us.

There’s something magical that happened the night of Prom. While it pretty much sucked, the results have been so much better. Keesh, Steph, and I have become pretty good friends with Vanessa and Erica. Vanessa has turned out to be a lot nicer than I thought she was. I guess I shouldn’t have judged her by her pom-poms. Josh and Jonathan have also become tight with Dominic, Ben, and Alex.

Next year, things are going to be so different. Alex is headed up north to Berkeley. Ben, Vanessa, and Erica are staying close at a community college. At least, we can see them anytime if we want to. Emails and phones calls will have to do for Alex and me.

Keesh, Steph, and I convinced Mr. Mitchell to let us all in the stadium for graduation. There is no way we could score enough tickets, so being in ASB helped us out again. It’s not so bad being a “Double Threat.” There have definitely been some perks to go along with this title.

We anxiously wait for our friends to walk out as
Pomp and Circumstance
comes through the speakers. It’s a huge graduating class of four hundred students. And there they are: Ben first, then Vanessa, Erica, and last, Alex.

Tears stream lightly down my cheeks. I’m so happy and so sad at the same time.

“This is going to be us in three years,” Steph screeches.

We quiet down with the rest of the crowd to listen to the graduation speeches and all the rest of the crap that goes with it. Who cares about all the formalities? We just want to see them get their diplomas. When the time finally comes, the graduates stand up row by row, and march toward the stage.

“Here they come,” Keesh squeals.

“Ben Calloway,” the counselor calls. We scream.

“Vanessa Reyes.” She crosses the stage. We scream again.

“Erica Martinez.”

Josh yells, “Yeah, Erica.”

“Alex Aguilar.” He takes his diploma, looks up at us, and winks.

We scream, yell, and clap some more.

We try to settle down after our friends cross the field.

“Now what?” Jonathan asks.

Dominic answers, “Ben said to meet them by the buses so they can say bye before they go to grad night.”

“Let’s go then.” I stand to leave.

“Don’t you want to see them turn their tassels?” Steph stops me.

We wait and cheer them on again. I’m anxious to get to the buses. I’m dying to see Alex. I know I’ll see him during the summer, but for some reason, tonight makes everything seem so final. I feel like it’s all over. Once he gets on that bus...it’s...it’s all up to fate.

“Let’s go,” I instruct everyone as I start to make my descent down the bleachers. The crew follows as I head out toward the buses.

“Chill, Meggie,” Keesh says. “They’ll probably be a while. They still have to see their parents, take pictures and all that crap.”

Oh, I forgot about that stuff.

It isn’t too long before I hear Dominic yell, “Congratulations, man.”

The hugs begin as each of us takes our turn congratulating all the graduates.

“When do you guys leave?” I ask Alex.

Just then, Mr. Mitchell shouts into the bullhorn, “Graduates, you need to get on the buses, we leave in five minutes.”

Alex shrugs. I look up at him. Everyone else is invisible now.

“Did you bring it?” he asks.

“Yup.” A single tear falls down my cheek.

He wipes my tear and we exchange yearbooks.

He throws his arms around me, and I wrap mine around his waist. I inhale his scent and soak in his warmth not wanting this embrace to end. But it has to. He pulls back, and gazes in my eyes. He brings his right hand up, sliding his fingers through my hair, and rests it on the back of my neck.

And then...and then...he kisses me. Not just a peck either. A passionate kiss like the ones I’ve read about in my mom’s romance novels. His breath
is
sweet. Our lips join perfectly, fitting together like puzzle pieces. He slowly pulls away again, planting a few gentle kisses on my lips, and finally, one last peck on my forehead where he lingers for a few seconds. Perfect. He hugs me again and whispers in my ear, “I’ll be thinking of you.”

We’re interrupted by cheers and clapping.

“Wooohoo.”

“Get it, girl.”

“All right, Alex.”

“It’s about time.”

“Yeaahhhh.”

We turn to look at our friends and we laugh.

He hugs me one last time before joining Ben, Vanessa, and Erica to get on the bus.

I watch them board. I watch the bus pull away. And I’m giddy and content at the same time. I hadn’t known that was actually possible. Giddy as all hell, because the guy I’ve swooned over since the day I met him finally kissed me. Content because, even though I’m watching that big hog of a yellow bus drive away with him in it, I know this isn’t the end for us.

I open my yearbook to the Backwards page, where there’s a huge picture of Alex wearing his crown. I knew this is where he’d write. I’m not surprised to see the one special word scrawled out in his writing, because I wrote the same one to him.

Someday...All My Love, Alex

We don’t need to say anything else.

Someday...

T
here are many people—family, friends, and colleagues—that I would like to thank for their undying support and enthusiasm for
So I’m A Double Threat
.

First, much love and thanks to my husband, James, and my children, Corey, Vanessa, Samantha, and Sara, for humoring me in this endeavor. James, thank you so much for the encouragement and always believing in me. Corey and Ness, thanks for helping me with the voice of a teenager. Samantha and Sara, thank you for giving up so much time with mom. I doubt I will ever be famous enough to help you meet the Jonas Brothers, but maybe we can hit a concert.

To Sylvie, you’re a reader now. I’m proud. Thanks so much for reading this book chapter by chapter and motivating me to keep writing. I loved getting text messages from you with predictions such as “Amy and Eric are having lunch, aren’t they?” You have been an inspiration.

To Pam, a simple thank you is not enough. You were such a great supporter of this project from the very beginning. Thanks so much for reading the entire manuscript in its roughest version and helping me revise. I truly value your opinion, and all the suggestions that you made. I am so grateful for all you do.

To my brother, Mark, for landing me my first TV appearance. I can’t wait. Well, I guess I’m going to have to write a picture book if I want you to read my work. Until then, you will have to stick with Tucker Max.

Finally, to my mom, Dolores, and my sister, Monica, who have told anyone who will listen about this book. You have always been some of my biggest cheerleaders for everything I do, along with Dad. In his absence, there have been giant shoes to fill in that cheering section and you have not let me down. Thanks for listening to and reading my chapters over and over. Without your encouragement, I’m not sure I would’ve finished. I love you.

I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the following people for their support, many of whom read the entire manuscript and gave me suggestions, or may have been the
constant
little bird in my ear encouraging me to finish:

Juanita Prestsater, Amy Scherbarth, Daniel Davis, Annie Marin (& Uncle Pete), Kristen Gracia, Genevieve Brown, Dr. Jan Pilgreen, Joni Siegel, Melissa Dietzman, Cindy Beck, Kristine Sweet, Alegria Arizaga, Christian Ceballos, Nimsi Velasco, Jasmine Pinones, and Philip Siegel.

And last, but certainly not least, I have to thank all who contributed to bringing my characters to life on the cover of this book. I will be eternally grateful for your time and enthusiasm in making this dream come true. To Matt Ford, Jurnee Mroczek, Gabriel Quesada, Daneen Solomon, Sasha Perez, and Stephanie Barker: THANK YOU a million times.

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J
ulie Prestsater loved high school so much that she went back as a science teacher and currently teaches reading. Julie never enjoyed reading in high school. In fact, the only book she ever read cover to cover was
The Day I Became An Autodidact
by Kendall Hailey, assigned by Mr. Norm Rush during her junior year of honors English. She credits her love for reading now to her instructor, Monica MacAuley, who assigned the Biobag project in a children’s literature class at the University of La Verne.

With only three books—Haliey’s,
Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson, and
Are You There God It’s Me Margaret
by Judy Blume—to fill her biobag that was to trace her life through literature, Julie embarked on a search for books or genres that interested her. Throughout the semester, she read book after book, falling in love with chica lit authors Mary Castillo and Alisa Valdes-Rodgriguez, the Heather Wells Series by Meg Cabot,
Summer Sisters
by Judy Blume, anything by Jerry Spinelli, Laurie Halse Anderson, or Jodi Picoult, and of course, the Harry Potter series. She is not afraid to admit that she waited in line for a few hours for the midnight release of the
Deathly Hallows
. “The biobag project changed my life,” she says.

Julie is convinced that it only takes one good book to metamorphose a reluctant reader, such as herself, into a life-long reader.

T
his is Julie’s first young adult romance novel. She has also written an adult series. Against The Wall is actually a spinoff from her teen series and is recommended for mature readers who are 17 years or older.

If you were to read both series, here’s the order:

So I’m A Double Threat

Double Threat My Bleep

Against The Wall

Double Time

Between The Sheets

Double Threats Forever

Straddling The Edge

Straddling The Edge

Playing Chase

Alex’s Story (Spring 2014)

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S
tandalone Titles

More Than A Friend Request

(Adult Romance—novella)

“This really sweet story of long lost love recaptured grabbed my attention from the first page. I couldn't stop reading until I was finished. It gives such hope that some things like true love never die. I absolutely loved it!” – Kelli Kamryn, author of
Monkey’s, Sex, and Other Birthday Surprises
, and the Love and Balance series