She waited, sipping her drink while Ryan filled Kaylee back up and winked at her. “We could still have our moment, Kaylee Collins. I don’t leave for UW for another three weeks. Summer fling?” He held his arms wide in a final bid to get Kaylee to jump into them.

“Stick to making the drinks,” Kaylee said and blew him a kiss.

Ryan’s head fell back like he’d been shot. “You’re killing me,” he said as the girls both shook their heads and headed back toward the front door.

Ryan Edwards had been trying since their freshman year to get into Kaylee’s pants. “That guy’s still got it bad for you,” Clare said.

“Please. He’ll give the exact same song and dance to the very next girl who walks up to his table with two boobs and a pulse.”

Clare laughed. “Come on.” She took Kaylee’s free hand in hers so she wouldn’t lose her in the now even more crowded house as they wormed their way toward the exit. “Let’s go find your brother,” she called over the voices and music.

Outside, the music and lights filled the warm night as people danced, drank, smoked, laughed, and made out with each other all over the Robertses’ front porch and steps. In the front yard, Clare and Kaylee still held hands as they made their way over to the now-larger group of people standing around one of the kegs. Someone had brought their beer bong, and a separate circle had formed to the right of mostly guys chanting, “Chug it! Chug it!” to Steven Channing, a junior on the football team, on his knees with a clear plastic hose coming out of his mouth. The other end was held high over his head by Blain Dixon, the captain of the football team, who was helpfully pouring a beer into the blue funnel on the other end. Clare didn’t see Adam anywhere around—not that beer bongs were exactly his thing.

“What’d I say?” Kaylee asked as she lifted her drink toward the chanting group of guys. “Neanderthals.”

Clare laughed, and they both drank their drinks and watched to see if he could get the whole beer down in one swallow. When Steven’s throat seized and beer sprayed from his mouth onto half the guys standing and watching, everyone laughed.

“You suck, man!” Blain shouted. “Who’s next?”

Kaylee put her arm around Clare’s waist and her boozy head on Clare’s shoulder. “Cheers, girl,” she said and lifted her cup.

“Cheers.” Clare tapped her cup with Kaylee’s.

“Here’s to finally being finished with high school and this one-horse town.”