Here's To Us

by Becky Albertalli

As Yoshi recovers, I’m sure that I’ve fallen completely behind. Then I see Toad bumping into every canyon wall, and I laugh at how horrible Arthur is at this game. “First time?” I ask, keeping my eyes on the road. “I don’t know what gives you that idea,” Arthur says as he’s driving the opposite direction of everyone else.

I’m completely in love. I’ve been in love all along. But not with Mikey. And when I think about the future, Mikey’s not the one who’s in it.

And you”—I prod his arm—“need to stop rereading that YA book where everyone dies at the end.”

Arthur opens the book, and I’m waiting, but he reads, “Chapter one…” “Wait. Art. I think you skipped a page.” He looks at me. “Did you sneak in a prologue? I thought you were anti-prologue—” He flips back to the dedication page. “To Arthur,” he reads. “My forever husband.” His blue eyes water as everyone gasps. I get down on one knee and pull a ring out of my pocket. “Do you have any edits?”

And you prove over and over how the real world is more magical than anything I could ever write because you’re in it.”

Dylan dabs at his eyes with the cuff of his sleeve. “Folks, I don’t know what to tell you. They’re not straight, but they came straight for our hearts.”