The Green Ticket (34 page)
“Alex! I’ve missed you so much! Seriously–– you’re coming out to visit me next month, right? Please tell me you’re still coming out!” she said, her arms still wrapped around me.
“Yes! All us girls are coming out. You better be ready!” We finally pulled away, and Lila grabbed my hand and led me towards the direction of Emma and Corey. “I cannot believe Emma is engaged. If you would have asked me last year if I thought Emma would have a ring on her finger, I would have peed my pants from laughing.”
“If you would have asked me a year ago if Emma would have a boyfriend, I would have peed my pants from laughing,” I said, speaking the truth. It was crazy to look back over the year and think about how much had changed. Lila was on the rise in LA, just booking her first big-time reporting gig that would hopefully catch the attention of the producers of
Buzzworthy
. Emma was getting married next fall to a great guy. Hannah was in love with Peter, I was in love with Henry, and Carmen–– well, Carmen was still Carmen. She had been dating Max on and off, but there wasn’t anything too serious between them. I think they liked to hook up when the rest of us were coupled up, but Carmen seemed perfectly content with her situation. All my friends were happy.
“Everyone’s here!” Emma squealed when we got to her table. I gave my friend a hug, noting how beautiful she looked in her deep teal dress with her blonde hair all in curls. We had thrown her one engagement party already, the weekend after she said yes, but we wanted another one so we could celebrate with Lila.
“We have to get a picture! Peter, will you take one for us?” Hannah asked, handing her digital camera over to her boyfriend.
“Oh, Henry, will you get one of us too? Here’s my camera.” I shoved my camera into his hands and went to take my place next to Lila.
“Corey! Grab mine too, please. I want to get a shot of this,” Emma said, and Corey obliged by going through her purse and pulling out her camera.
“You girls know you can just tag each other on Facebook, right?” Corey asked, making us laugh. We’d heard that line a million times before, but it never stopped us from each getting a picture on our own cameras.
The five of us huddled close together, arms around each other and smiles shining. The flashes went off and we examined the pictures, declaring them perfect. Corey popped the cork on a champagne bottle and filled our flutes, and we toasted to the new life him and Emma would be starting. The night passed in a blur of drinks and dancing. With Lila gone and Emma about to move out and into a new house with Corey, we weren’t technically the Wacker Girls anymore. But I knew that no matter what our futures held, our time together at Kaufman would always be looked back on fondly.
I learned a lot that year, and while some of the lessons I learned were painful, I was still proud of the outcome. I knew better than to let someone intimidate me, and I knew that money would never fix a problem. I grew up. I’m sure a lot more obstacles would be thrown my way in the future, but I know now that I have a voice and how to use it. Isn’t our world just a big game of money versus morals? I wasn’t the only one who walked the thin and complicated line between the two. Heck, I’d probably face the same situation once or twice more in my life–– maybe even more. It might have taken me some time to figure it out, but I know that in the end, I made the right decision. Morals trumps money, and the green ticket isn’t worth the trouble.
About the Author
Samantha March is an author, editor, publisher, blogger, and all around book lover. She runs the popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus, which keeps her bookshelf stocked with the latest reads and up to date on all things health, fitness, fashion, and celebrity related. In 2011 she launched her independent publishing company Marching Ink and her debut novel Destined to Fail. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers.
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