Free Last Call by Michele G Miller

mean?”
    Candace snorted; rolling her eyes like the answer was so obvious. “Duh. Dawson’s Creek. Don’t you remember how Dawson was so oblivious to everything that went on? Seriously, he didn’t know Joey was in love with him? How could he miss that? You’re being just like him.”
    “Oh my God, Sara is totally rubbing off on you. And no, I’m not being a Dawson, because it is NOT so obvious, Cand. Seriously, we’ve always had such a fun friendship. I really don’t know what to do about that kiss.” I begged, “Give a girl a hand - what do I do?”
    "Don't spaz out, Savannah. It was just a quick kiss. Has he called you yet?"
    I pushed my plate to the side and shook my head no.
    "You're right, it might be nothing. I mean, there have been plenty of opportunities for him to hit on you and he never has," she reasoned. "Of course, maybe he's jealous now that he sees you finally wading out into the dating pool."
    "Jealous? What's he got to be jealous about? He knows I'm looking for a wedding date!"
    Candace shrugged. Riley's behavior was as much a mystery to her as it was to me.
    "Speaking of dates," I spoke up while we waited for our check, "this week’s dates weren’t so great. I hope you've got something better planned for next week."
    "Oh yes I do," she sang, rubbing her hands together devilishly. "You’re meeting a special someone Tuesday night for dinner…"
    "Whoa, I said drinks only, Candace," I warned.
    "I know. But Savannah, I promise you this one is different. It's dinner, trust me. Sara picked out your Friday night guy, and we actually agreed on Mr. Saturday night."
    "This is crazy," I acknowledged. "Am I really this desperate to find a date to Mary Anne's wedding?"
    "Yes," Candace deadpanned.
    "Hey, c'mon now."
    Candace grabbed the bill from the table and stood. "No you're not desperate for a date. You are in desperate need of getting back in the saddle, though. Honey, what actually happened the last time you went back home? I've known you for three years and you've never opened up to me about it."
    Slinging my purse across my chest, I followed Candace to the cashier’s counter where we split the check and paid. I didn't fault Candace for asking. We'd been roommates since freshman year. When we first met, she didn't feel the need to delve into my personal life. I’d told her all about Daniel dumping me my senior year of high school right before my coming-out ball, and she sympathized, but never pried. She spent countless nights studying in our dorm with me instead of trying to convince me to go out and party.
    It wasn't until I came home from that disastrous Easter when Daniel had hit on me, that I finally opened up to her about him dating Mary Anne. She'd been so angry on my behalf that I couldn't find the courage to tell her about our kissing or his proposition to meet him. Or my subsequent weakness and shame over that night.
    It had been two years. It was time to tell her the truth so she could understand things better.
    "Cand, you have to promise that what I tell you will stay between us."
    "Honey, of course it will," she promised, crossing her heart. We left the diner and walked down the sidewalk on a street full of trendy little shops. There was a wooded park up ahead, and we silently headed for a picnic table.
    "I'm going to tell you a story that doesn't make me proud, but you have to understand how broken I was back then," I angled, trying to qualify my actions.
    "Savannah," she all but snapped at me. "I know how broken you were. You were like a vacant shell our entire freshman year. You had no idea how to live, and you let your mother rule your every move that year. I half expected you to drop out once the year was over."
    Her perception of me that first year both surprised and hurt me. She was right. I had come to school as half a person. The summer before school started proved to be way more than I could handle. Then as I went home for vacations, I found my past haunting me at every turn. I