Epilogue-1

"So kiss me and smile for me Tell me that you'll wait for me Hold me like you'll never let me go 'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane Don't know when I'll be back again Oh babe, I hate to go." John Denver, Leaving on a Jet Plane ---- Epilogue August 30, 1 Year Later I ducked as a volleyball came hurtling towards me, letting out a pathetic scream. Shea jumped in front of me with his fist, sending the ball flying back over the net, landing on the sand opposite to win our team the point. Shea, laughing, wrapped his arms around me. "I got you, Sara," he said, kissing my temple. I rolled my eyes but kissed the "Saraphine" tattoo on his chest, before I said, "I'm out. Have fun." I walked off the makeshift beach volleyball court that the boys had set up and I made my way over to wear Cece and Zoey were sunbaking near the cooler of drinks. I heard Shea cheer along with several of the other guys behind me so I assumed they had scored another point. I pulled a soda from the cooler and opened the can. There was no beer at this party. Not when my dad could see us from our kitchen window with his super-sonic eyesight. We would have to wait for college next week for that. I sat down in between Cece and Zoey and sipped my soda. "Not fun anymore?" teased Cece. I rolled my eyes again. "I mean, they do have an unfair advantage," I insisted. "They're pummelling volleyballs at me with lycan strength." I was honestly surprised the ball was still inflated. "That's why we tan, Sara," interjected Zoey, stretching out her long legs. "Make the most of the North Carolina summer before we transition to a New York climate." She grinned at us both before turning her eye seductively to her boyfriend, who had been back home in Providence for the summer. Josh's natural athletic ability helped him to compete really well with the other guys. I also noticed an addition to his chest as well. Obviously as humans, we didn't develop those tattoos, so at some point during the year, Josh had gotten Zoey's name tattooed on his chest. Seeing that honestly made me feel really happy for Zoey. Having her boyfriend away at college all year while she was stuck in Providence completing her senior year had been hard for her. Coupled with the natural worry of her kind that humans were pretty untrustworthy when it came to love, it had been rough. But they had handled it well. And Josh came home on breaks. And we all heard. I did share a wall with her, after all. Josh had ended up selecting Cornell University in New York as his college of choice. He got a full ride thanks so a spectacular senior varsity season, and he was already a starter for the CU team. Cece sat up and adjusted her bikini so that nothing was riding up. Do you know how when you usually sit down, your stomach sort of folds, like you've got fat rolls? Yeah, well, Cece's didn't do that. If anything, she had developed even more of a six-pack cheerleading this year. Both she and Zoey had worked very hard on the squad this year, and their efforts had paid off in securing them partial scholarships to college. My dad had sold his construction company in New York upon moving back to Providence permanently and had invested the money in property in the city, which was what he was using to fund our college tuition. He was paying my full ride, as not even a 3.9 GPA could help me beat the smart kids in my incoming class. He was also paying the difference in Cece and Zoey's tuition as well, and he wouldn't hear any objection. Zoey hadn't spoken to her parents since she had been kicked out. There was no way they were helping with anything financially. But she hadn't looked back. Zoey was happier, and nicer than ever, and I honestly had loved having her as a roommate this year. And Dad had really taken Shea and Cece under his wing this last year. Especially Cece. "I mean, it's not like it's our last day in Providence or anything," Cece sarcastically complained, eyeing Jamie in particular, who was still participating in the volleyball game. This was supposed to be our farewell party. Mine, Zoey, and Cece's. Summer had come to an end. We had long since collected out diplomas from Providence High School. We had celebrated homecoming. We had been to prom. I had taken dorky pictures with my parents at graduation. It was time for the next step. College. Four years. I sat up as well and cared little about how my stomach rolled. I didn't care much anymore how I looked. I wore my battle scars with pride. I'm sure a lot of people would have been quite self-conscious if their stomach looked like mine. And trust me, I had been. But this large, arch shaped scar across my abdomen told anyone who saw it that I was a fighter and a survivor. I had survived hell, and I had fought through recovery. I had turned my trauma into something positive. I studied my ass off senior year, and now I was a pre-med at New York University. I had never thought I would go into medicine, and I was still unsure if I would cut the mustard, but I was going to give it my best shot. I wanted to be on the other side and help people in the midst of trauma like I had been. I watched Shea as he played, a happy smile on his face, and his happiness made me smile. It was hard to fathom that it would be two years we had been together in October. It honestly hadn't seemed like that long. And yet, sometimes it still felt like the beginning. I still got nervous. I still got butterflies. But I loved him. I loved the person he was. I loved the person I was when I was with him. And I liked to think that I brought out the best in him. Shea hadn't gone to college in the end. Things had really settled down after our ordeal with Lex, and we had achieved a sense of normal this last year and a half. After his graduation last June, Shea and a few of his friends, including Jamie, took out a small business loan and started a garage. They were boys who liked to tinker with their cars, but they knew what they were talking about, and their reach and influence had helped them to drum up quite a bit of business. They were even looking to open a second garage in Newtown in the next year. I was proud of Shea. I knew he hadn't gone to college because he didn't want to be far from me, but I was still glad he had used his intelligence and his skills to start something successful. "These four years are going to suck, aren't they?" I worried. Pangs of dread hit me at random times. I was so excited to go to college, but the thought of being away from home for so long just got to me. "Hell no," Zoey said forcefully. "NYU won't know what hit it." Cece laughed. "Yeah, college parties have got nothing on what you're capable of throwing, Zoey." Zoey had been itching to throw a proper party, like the kind she used to throw when she lived with her parents. That was the one thing my parents drew the line on.