OH! You know who else was a fan? Principal Lynde. I kid you not, she sidled up to me by the chips and dip at the party and told me she thought I was “incredibly brave” for getting in the flying apparatus.

“I like a student with a bit of steel in their veins,” she said, with a nod.

“Really?”

“Quite a lucky thing for this school,” she added. “To have two new bold talents under our roof. I look forward to see what you’ll bring next!”

Who knew all I needed to do to get Principal Lynde’s respect was put on a harness and fly over the gym in a Peter Pan pose?

(Davidson admitted later that he might have played up the dangerous elements of the flying apparatus. Which says a lot about Principal Lynde. But still. I’ll take it!)

Aside from my parents, Berry’s parents were possibly the most exuberant parents at the play and the after-party. Berry’s dad was wearing yet another shirt, gold with huge cuffs, that I plan to steal at some point.

Instead of flowers, Berry brought me a bright orange top hat.

Because Berry Blythe, who is officially my girlfriend, by the way, is the most amazing.

We left the party early, hopping in Mato and peeling off into the sunset. As we crested the hill, I put on Berry’s current favorite song, “Hang On to the Night” by Tegan and Sara, a Canadian pop duo who also happen to be twins. “Hang On to the Night” is from their 2016 album, Love You to Death. Which is a great album, actually.

I like this song mostly because I like the way Berry looks when she sings along to the lyrics. You think I like disco; you should see what Berry looks like when she sings, which she does more and more these days. Like when Berry sings a song, she’s int o it.

She sings it like she’s telling you a truth you don’t necessarily see right away. A truth about you and her, her and me. Her voice gets louder and louder and I roll down the windows as she gently turns the wheel to follow the curves of Greenville’s many impossible roads. Which are now my roads.

Just like Berry is mine and I am hers.

We are not Forevers, but we are here.

Home.

And that’s a great place to end a story, I think. Our wheels are turning and we are flying. We’re going somewhere. We’re on our way.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to my love, Heather Gold, who has been the source of many Anne-like adventures. You are bright, bold, amazing, and you are the disco in my life.

Many, many, many thanks to Melissa de la Cruz for bringing me onto this project and gifting me this incredible opportunity.