Jay Asher - The Future of Us

The doorbell rings while I’m brushing my teeth. Just like I asked them not to, I hear my parents opening the door.

I bolt down the stairs, zipping up my black sweatshirt. When I reach the front door, Sydney is standing in a sky-blue strapless dress that falls above her knees. Her hair spills down her back in waves. She’s smiling and chatting with my parents while Dad examines her cell phone.

“Hello, honey,” Mom says. She raises her eyebrows at me. “When you told us Sydney was pretty, you were being a little modest.”

Sydney tilts her head. “Thank you, Mrs. Templeton. That’s very sweet.”

I take the phone out of Dad’s hands and give it back to Sydney. “Ready to go?”

“It was wonderful to meet both of you,” Sydney says.

I walk across the threshold and Sydney loops her arm in mine. We start down the path, but then Dad clears his throat.

“Josh?” he calls out. “What time do you think the bonfire will be over?”

I turn back around. Haven’t we already discussed this? “It’s a three-day weekend. Didn’t you say—?”

“You were out late last night,” Mom says. “Let’s stick with the regular curfew tonight. That should give you plenty of time to hang out with your friends.”

THE ROAD TO RICK’S HOUSE takes forever. I drive slower when I reach the unpaved section, partially to avoid potholes and partially because I’m not thrilled about being dragged to this bonfire. I know Kellan is up to something. She told me she ran into Josh while dropping off my car, but she wouldn’t say what they talked about.

I should have begged Kellan to cash in her favor another time. She could have driven out here with Tyson in the pickup, or taken the car she shares with her mom. But she wanted me to come with her. And knowing there’s a pregnancy in her near future, I decided that a bonfire at the lake is an important place to keep an eye on her.

“It must be the endorphins from the bike ride,” Kellan says, jiggling her feet in the passenger seat. “I got home, took a shower, and now I’m feeling totally refreshed.”

We approach a gravel lot full of parked cars.

“Only an hour, right?” I ask.

“One hour,” Kellan says. “We say hi, sit by a few fires, and if you’re still hating it, we can go back to your place and watch a movie.”

I almost laugh and tell Kellan I rented Wayne’s World. But the last thing I want to admit is that I watched it to win over Cody.

I ease behind a bunch of cars. A few kids are hanging around drinking beer, but most people are heading toward a dirt path through the pine trees.

Kellan points to an open space on the right. “Park there.”

At the same time, we realize that would put us two spaces from Sydney’s convertible. When a truck’s tires roll onto the gravel behind us, Kellan and I both glance into her side mirror.

“Tyson’s pickup!” she says. “Let’s park next to him instead.”

I steer over and pull in beside Tyson. There’s a senior guy in the passenger seat and another in the bed steadying a heap of firewood.

“Kel!” Tyson says, hopping out of the cab. “Hey, Em!”

Kellan opens her door and gets out. “We have names,” she says. “Two syllables each.”

The seniors slap Tyson on the back, and then they each grab an armload of logs and head toward the pine trees. Tyson walks to the back of the truck and gathers together a stack of logs.

“Want to help?” he asks. “It’s a short walk to the bonfire pits.”

Kellan crosses her arms over her chest. “Do I look like I’m built for heavy labor?”

I grab a couple logs.

“Thanks, Emma,” Tyson says, shaking his head in Kellan’s direction. “At least someone knows how to be useful.”

Kellan lifts the tailgate of the truck, clicking it into place. “Look at me, being useful.”

She skips off down the path with Tyson following. I reposition the wood in my arms, take a deep breath, and start after them.

THE SKY IS DEEP PURPLE with a thin streak of amber above the treetops. Most of the light down here comes from six flickering bonfires dotting the shore. On the other side of Crown Lake is the public beach. I can barely make out the shadowy outlines of the concession stand and pavilion.

“Anyone want a beer?” a guy asks. He’s a senior. Scott, maybe? He pulls himself a can from a six-pack and dangles the rest in front of us.

“No, thanks,” I say.

Kellan holds up her Sprite. If Scott gave her a beer, I might be tempted to whack it out of her hand to keep her from drinking tonight and making any bad decisions.

Tyson eyes the cans of beer, but Kellan lowers her palm on his scalp and makes him shake his head no.

“Don’t even think about it,” she says. “You’re driving.”

“You’re right,” Tyson says. “My dad would murder me.”

“And I’d hide the body in wet concrete,” Kellan adds.

Scott shrugs and continues down the beach.

The three of us move closer to the fire. Tyson reaches for a log from a nearby pile and tosses it on. It smokes for a minute before flames start licking around the wood.

I run my fingers through the cool sand. Dozens of people are gathered around each bonfire, but I haven’t seen Josh or Sydney yet. The entire time we’ve been here, I’ve watched couples peel away and head into the trees. Imagining Josh in there with Sydney makes my stomach twist up tight.

I look across the water at the quiet shore of the public beach. When Kellan and I were there the other day, I spotted Josh and Sydney’s future house somewhere on this side of the lake. It’s probably just a short walk down the beach. In a way, it feels sadly appropriate that the bonfire is here. Tonight, Josh will begin disappearing into a future where the only place he and I remain friends is on the Internet.

I notice Graham sitting at the next fire over, roasting two marshmallows on a long stick. As Graham pulls his stick from the fire, he catches me watching. He waves at me, and I nod back.

“There he is!” Tyson points down the beach.

I follow Tyson’s outstretched arm. Two bonfires over, I see Josh. He’s sitting with Sydney and her friends on a thick log. Josh is staring into the fire, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweatshirt.

“Josh!” Tyson shouts.

I pull my knees up to my chest and whisper, “Let’s not.”

“Not bother him?” Tyson says. “Seriously, if that boy’s getting too A-list for us, I might have to kick his ass.”

Kellan puts her hand on my back and rubs in slow circles.

“Josh!” Tyson yells again.

Josh lifts his head, but only to look out across the lake. Sydney is talking to a friend. I think it’s Shana Roy, but I can only see the back of her head.

“He’s kind of far away,” Kellan says. “Maybe he doesn’t hear you.”

I grab onto Tyson’s sleeve. “Just let him be, okay?”

“This’ll get his attention,” Tyson says. He cups his hands over his mouth and shouts, “Yo, dumbass!”

In a delayed reaction, Josh turns our way.

I WAIT FOR SHANA to start laughing again. That’ll be my chance to cut into her conversation with Sydney. The drunk college guy sitting next to Shana leans in, makes some remark and… there she goes!

“Sydney?” I say.

She turns toward me, her lips pressed softly together.

“I’m going to say hi to my friends for a minute.”

She looks down the shore to where Tyson, Kellan, and Emma are sitting in the sand around a medium-size fire. “Was that your friend who just shouted ‘yo, dumbass’?”

“Tyson,” I say. “I’m sure he meant it with love.”

“I’ll go with you,” she says. She stands up and shimmies the top of her dress higher on her chest. There’s no denying that she looks amazing tonight.

As we start walking, Sydney steps closer to me. “I haven’t really talked to Kellan or Emma since fifth grade.”

“I’ll be fine,” I say, both to Sydney and to myself. I know Emma will behave, but there’s no telling with Kellan. Earlier this week, she was calling Sydney a skank.

We pass the largest bonfire, where twenty or thirty kids from school have gathered. Most are drinking beer, and a few are smoking. Several girls wave at Sydney as we pass, and then quickly lean into each other and whisper.

When we approach the next bonfire, Emma is resting her head against her knees. I wonder what made her decide to come here after all. She acknowledges me with a faint nod, and then gazes into the flames. Kellan is sitting beside her, rubbing Emma’s back. Tyson glances at Sydney’s chest, and then jumps his attention to me.

“Hey there,” he says. “I didn’t realize you two were here already.”

“You mean the ‘yo, dumbass’ was for someone else?” I ask.

Tyson grins and slaps me five.

“Thanks for letting me borrow Josh for the night,” Sydney says. “I know you guys are really close. Did you all drive out here together?”

Emma and Kellan don’t respond, but Tyson shrugs and says, “I drove my truck. Some seniors needed help bringing out the firewood.”

“Then thanks for keeping us warm,” Sydney says, leaning against my arm. As she does, I catch Emma’s eyes flicker in our direction.

“It’s your dad’s truck,” Kellan says to Tyson. She stands up and wipes the sand off her jeans. “So, Josh, who are you two hanging out with?”

It feels like she’s challenging me, even though I’m not doing anything wrong. “We’re with Sydney’s friends.”