Chapter Song: Like a Star- Corinne Bailey Rae

Part of me had entirely forgotten what I put in the damn thing. Another part of me wanted to sit through the box and stare at the contents for hours. Yet I was slightly terrified to bring up old memories.

"Oh my god our state ring," Cal grinned at the boys. He held up the shiny metal with his dimples deepening. That smile was always my favorite.

"Who put that in?" I asked.

"I did," Liam smiled. "I loved being able to play with the guys one last time and win. Four years in a row."

"Sooo cheesy," Riley teased him.

"Show off," Ty muttered.

"Oh don't act like you're not a state champion either," I scoffed.

"Look at this," Mason pulled out a picture that I threw in from our snowball fight years ago. "That day I almost lost my penis!"

"Oh my god you weren't going to lose your penis," I laughed taking the picture from him. I felt a thud on my shoulder, and smelled Cals cologne. I turned to him grinning at the memory handing the picture to him.

"I very well could have," he stated.

"Those poor poor people never knowing what Masons penis would be if you did lose it," Ty snickered.

"I know the horror," he groaned gripping his chest faking agony. What a drama king.

It was my turn to pull an item out of the box. I reached in and felt a folded piece of paper. I quietly unfolded it suspecting what it was.

Yup.

On the paper in my own handwriting was Cal's Forgiveness.

I crumpled it up and forced it in my pocket taking out another item. It was another paper but only folded in half. So naturally I opened this one too and it was a drawing of a building. I turned to Cal and wiggled it in his face.

He looked a little sad taking it. "Something you want to accomplish. That was one of them right?" He looked up at us unable to meet my eye.

"Ooooo look Ty you put your acceptance letter in here!" Riley exclaimed taking the box from me. I knew she was trying to change the subject.

I watched as Liam muttered something to Cal. They exchanged a few words hushed while the rest of the group carried on pulling things out. Mason completely oblivious to Riley purposely trying to change the subject and Ty just going along with it.

"Kenny! Your plane ticket!"

It plopped in my lap and I couldn't help but smile. I didn't know then I would spend so much time away from home. I don't know if I would have changed things though. I think I was meant to go even if it hurt a lot of people including me.

It helped me grow in ways I didn't think possible. Yeah, it killed me to be away but there was something liberating.

"Wait there are two papers in here that have the word games on them?" Riley looked up.

I don't know why I started laughing but I looked at Cal anyway. When he met my eyes he was nervous but a slow smile crept up. We both had written the same damn thing.

"Great minds think alike right," he chuckled. I nodded in agreement.

"Oh my god our dares." I gasped as I pulled them all out. We put those in a sandwhich bag together. "Liam my dare for you was to ask Riley on a date." I smiled at them and at the fact they had come so far.

"Hey Riles what are you doing next week?"

"Mmmm can't say I have anything going on," she smiled slyly.

"Wanna get married?"

"I'll see if I can pencil you in," she leaned into his chest and kissed him.

They were sickeningly cute in the best way possible. God I loved them.

"What are the other dares?" I asked giving each of us the ones with our name on it.

I held mine in my hands for a minute. I didn't want to open it. It might have been Ty's handwriting. I couldn't tell.

"Kenny, I wrote yours," Mason gave me a quick nod. "Don't ask what I put. No clue."

"Thanks Mase," I told him opening up the paper.

"Get your shit together." I smiled at it. "I think that's a dare for all of us."

"If not it should be," Ty shrugged.

"I think we're all doing pretty well actually," Cal muttered.

"Okay letter me," Liam said holding his hands out.

I scrounged through the box to find his crappy handwriting written on an envelope. I slapped it in his palms and went back to the box. I sorted through all of them passing them out. I hesitated pulling the one out for Cal that I wrote.

I sucked in a breath and glanced at him. He met my eyes his brow furrowing. I let out a breath and gave it to him forcing a smile. Besides I wrote it five years ago, and it wasn't mine to keep anymore.

I found one with my name on it and smiled at the writing knowing it was from Riley. I should have written her a letter. A guilty knot formed in my stomach.

"You have written me so many notes and letters for every gift and every birthday. I thought it was time for me to write one," she smiled leaning her head on my shoulder.

I didn't even say anything but she just knew. She was a once in a lifetime kind of friend. A soul mate.

"I love you," I whispered resting my head on top of hers.

"I know," she sighed happily. "I love you more."

"Not possible," I said as another letter fell into my lap.

I looked up and when it was addressed to Parker I knew it came from Cal. I glanced up at him and he gave me a small smile.

"Unsaid words."

"Do we open these now?" I asked out loud looking away from him. I felt like I was back in high school again pining over him.

It was strange. How you could grow up with the same group of people and know them your entire life. Then one day you all really grow up and it's like you're getting to know your friends all over again. I mean you should already know them but there's a new part you don't. But they're still the same people you've always known. 

"No open them alone," Ty said. Mason and Cal nodded in agreement.

"Why? Too afraid to cry in front of us?"

"Is the bachelor on tonight?" Mason asked. "Because if so I'll cry during the final rose ceremony to prove a point."

"I knew you liked it!" Riley yelled.

"We'll you guys made us watch it so much it kind of stuck," he raised his hands not knowing what to do.

"Don't lie Mase you're just trying to find them on Instagram aren't you?" I smirked.

"That's just a bonus," Ty chimed in.

I grinned looking around the group of people that were now bickering about a tv show. I grew up with these people and somehow we were all still in each others lives. I didn't know how but there was some magic to that.

———————————-

After everyone left I ripped open Riley's letter. I didn't want to read mine yet and there was no way I was going to read Cal's

Kenny,

You've written me how many thoughtful birthday cards and notes? I've lost count even though I have them all in a box. I've kept every single one. Crazy right?

I don't even know what I'm supposed to say. I mean you already know you're my best friend and there is no way that would ever change.

It's so selfish of me but I wish you were staying to go to college. I know we'd go to different places. But a part of me wishes I could convince you to come to NYU with me. You'd hate it, but would pretend to love it for me. I think you'd spend all your time in Central Park.

Sink or swim right? I mean if you came to New York you'd probably feel like you're sinking. You need to swim. Kind of like letting a bird leave the nest and fly right? I'm bad with this I hope you get what I mean.

I couldn't help but laugh. She was right I would have hated it. New York was never my favorite place. I liked the city, but it was too cluttered. Central Park was a soft spot.

I want to be selfish. Part of me is jealous you're going to see the world. But we have those plane tickets we can visit eachother. We need to take a girls trip too before we're old.

You're an amazing person. You are the strongest person I know and sometimes I wish I could be like you. You inspire me Ken. I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for you. Thank you for being a part of my soul.

I wonder what we'll be like in five years. Do you think you and Cal will finally get married?

I laughed and rolled my eyes at that. Oh how wrong she was. And how the tables turned. I think our senior year selves would find this whole scenario hilarious.

I hope I have a successful dance career or have a studio or something. I want to teach and dance and love it. I hope you're happy because you deserve it. I hope you find something that you love to do and makes you excited. Even if it's sitting in a boring office or something. Whatever it is I hope you find your happy.

All the love in the world, universe, everywhere possible,

Riley Daniels

I wiped a few tears away clutching the letter to my chest. I shouldn't open the others but I decided to open up mine next.

Hi Ken,

Or I guess I should say me. It's weird writing to my future self. I wish you could tell me how we turned out. Is everything okay? Did we figure out what we wanted to do?

I leave soon and I'm panicking about it. I feel like everyone is mad at me about it. How do I explain to them that it's the one thing that's felt right all year? That college sounds miserable and this is the one thing that makes me feel hopeful about the future?

I dont know I guess they'll just have to live with it. I am at least. I mean I still worry about if I'm doing the right thing or not. I guess you know thag answer.

I hope that we forgive ourselves for everything. I hope that we forgive Cal for everything too. He's too good of a person not to. I don't know what will happen to us now that we're going different places. I mean we haven't been on the best terms since her found out. I can't say I blame him. I'd be upset too.

We never got it right did we? Maybe we were never mean to be in the first place. I hope that when you read this we're at least friends. We were friends before we should be able to do it again right?

I think we've come along way so im excited to see where we'll be in five years. I hope we live with Riley. God I hope Riley and Liam finally do something about their feelings. They are killing me here!

I should wrap this up. I will see you in five years!

Love me.

I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do. There' too many things I wanted to do. But even in the five years I've come along way. I guess I kind of live with Riley. At least temporarily that was something. And the fact that Liam and Riley did something about their feelings. Again, thank god.

I walked through the house to my "parents" bedroom. "Are you guys naked or clothed?" I yelled banging on the door. I paused to wipe my eyes.

"We're clothed!" Liam's voice rang through the door. He sat up at I walked in eyes widening. "What's wrong?"

"I need Riley," I said. I joined them on the bed and snuggled in between them.

"Hi," she smiled wrappping her arms around me in a hug.

"Thank you," I whispered to her.

"You read the letter?"

"Yours and mine," I muttered.

"What do you need from me?" It wasn't rude. It was genuine concern coming from her. I loved how considerate she was.

"Nothing. I just missed you." I pulled the blanket from Liam closer to me. I turned to him, "I need you to leave."

"What? No! I'm not leaving."

"C'mon," I groaned. "Please."

"No!"

"There is no need to shout I am right here."

"I'm not leaving Ken."

"We'll you need to."

"Why?"

"Because I declared it," I shrugged. It was a statement, a matter of fact, a law at that point.

"It's my bed," he looked at me bewildered.

"It's my best friend."

"I thought I was your best friend?"

"You are," I pointed out. "But Riley was my friend before she was your wife. And you get forever with her in this bed. So let me have my moment."

"Babe really?"

"I mean she is right." Riley shrugged at him. I grinned into the pillow.

"You guys are ridiculous." He rolled his eyes getting out of the bed. "I'm not sleeping on the couch."

"You can have my bed."

"You're lucky I love you guys," he grumbled.

"Love you too," we both called to him.