I Kissed Shara Wheeler

by Casey McQuiston

“You—what are you saying? She was right?”

“It’s,”

“complic...

“Oh my God,” Chloe gasps, “you are in love with him.”

Smith’s eyes go wide. “Is that what Shara said? Am I—Does he—?” “Uh-uh.” Chloe holds both hands up to ward him off. “I am not getting involved with that side of this love quadrilateral. Go back to the story.”

That’s why I didn’t say anything after the note from Dixon’s house.” Chloe tries to catch up. “What about the note from Dixon’s house?” “She told me where she was in that note,” Smith says, rubbing the back of his neck. “The G in ‘Graduation’ was capitalized.”

It takes a second for the memory to snap into focus: the name on the back of Wheeler’s sailboat. Graduation.

“You’ve known where she was since Dixon’s party?” “I know! I know! I’m an asshole!”

But at the same time, if you’re not what Willowgrove wants you to be, and if your family believes certain stuff, it can make you kind of crazy. You know what I mean?”

Also, pronouns?” Smith bites his lip. He looks like he might smile. “Same for now.”

“You can go wherever you want to go,”

“We’ll find the money. But I want to protect you.”

“The real reason I ran away isn’t a reason at all. It’s a person. I did all of this

for her attention, and I told myself it was because I wanted to beat her, but really, I wanted to know she was looking at me. This part shouldn’t be a surprise to her—she figured it out before I did. I guess she already won something, huh?

It’s not Shara’s white Jeep, but Rory’s red BMW that purrs into the lot. He’s got the top down, Jimi Hendrix screaming out of the speakers, and Shara in the passenger seat.

“Her parents took the steering wheel off her car, so she came next door and asked me for a ride. We talked. It’s chill.” “It’s chill? After everything she put you through, it’s chill? I thought you weren’t in love with her anymore.” “I’m not,” he says. He slides his sunglasses down his nose and raises an eyebrow. “In fact, I think we might both be gay.”

He raises the bullhorn and says, over a squawk of feedback, “You too, Miss Green.” She does not say, “I kissed your daughter, twice,” but she thinks it. She thinks it hard.

I would like to begin by addressing Principal Wheeler: Respectfully, sir, I’m going to find a way to ruin your life if it’s the last thing I do.

“No!” Chloe snaps. “Say it to my face! Do this for real! Ask me on a date like everyone who has ever liked someone in the history of the universe!”

“I have to study,” Chloe says. “Go home, Shara.”

One junior tells another that some total narc of a sophomore walked in on two girls making out in the B Building bathroom.

“It was Georgia.”

“One of the girls from the B Building bathroom,”

“Georgia? With who?”

“Sum...

“Where’s Georgia now?” “The office,” Shara says. “My dad’s gonna call her parents.”

“There’s time if you run,” she says. Chloe runs.

“Georgia wasn’t the one kissing a girl in the B Building bathroom,” Chloe says, “it was me.”

“Yes,” she says, and for good measure adds, “sir.” Ew. Hated that.

“Sexually inappropriate conduct on campus is strictly against the Willowgrove student handbook,”

“Set a precedent. How about … a ban from the graduation ceremony?” “Fine,” Chloe hears herself say. “That means no walking across the stage, no awards, no cap and gown, no pictures with your little friends.” He pauses,

folding his hands in front of him on the desk. “And, if you happen to get the grades for valedictorian, well … I hope you didn’t waste too much time working on a speech.”

“I’m gonna ask you again, Chloe,” Wheeler says. “Are you sure it was you?” Chloe swallows the burn in her throat and nods.

“I just—” Georgia starts. “You really jumped on the gay grenade for me today. Thank you.”

She was kind of like, the girl who made me realize I liked girls.”

she bought me tater tots, and then … I kissed her.” Chloe gasps. “You kissed her?” Georgia’s grinning fully now. “I did.” “Oh my God!” Chloe punches the air. “What did she do?” “She was like, ‘What happens if I buy you a bacon cheeseburger?’”

“Who do you think threw the Jefferson Davis statue in Lake Martin in the first place?” Ash pokes their head out from behind Benjy. “That was you?” “For legal reasons, I’m joking.”

know things have been crazy, but I just wanted to say: Oh my God, Shara Wheeler is in love with you, and Georgia has been secretly dating a member of the homecoming court. Like, what is going on?

“Okay, fine, I’m attracted to her,” Chloe concedes, “but I’m not going to date her. In fact, I am refusing to date her, as a power move.” “Chloe, I love you, but that is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. You’re still doing things based on what she wants, not because it’s what you want. That’s like, the opposite of a power move.”

“She’s mean.” “Sometimes,” Rory says, returning to her. “Sometimes you are too. I still think you’re cool though.”

“So,” Chloe says, “if that’s not what you fell out with Shara over, then what is?” “I tried to come out to her,”

“and she freaked and jumped out of my car before I could finish. Like, a moving car. I thought she was a homophobe like her dad. Obviously, now I know what was up. One thing about that girl, she is gonna bail before anyone can make her think about being gay.”

Smith say, “Can I ask you something?” Rory’s voices wobbles slightly when he says, “Sure.” “Did you really flood the bio lab on frog week?” A pause. “When’d you figure it out?” “Last week, at the lake.” “It was dumb.” Rory sounds genuinely embarrassed. “I knew you didn’t even think about me anymore, but … I don’t know. You really didn’t want to dissect those frogs.” Smith says seriously, “I never stopped thinking about you.”

“Can I hear one sometime?” Smith asks. “One of your new songs?” “That depends,” Rory says.

“Depends on what?”

“Depends if you don’t mind that they’re all about you.”

He just admitted to having Shara’s grades changed. Which means Shara is disqualified from—

“I think,” she says, staring at the paper so hard, her vision goes blurry, “I think I won valedictorian.”

“Do you know how I got this car?” he finally says.

“my stepdad gave it to me. He’s never given me a gift my whole life, but last year he springs this sweet-ass vintage convertible on me out of nowhere.