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on Delancey Street,” Sean said. “A night of pure debauchery.” He turned to James. “You’ll want to sit this one out.”
    “Thanks for the warning,” James said.
    Actually, I was kind of surprised to see James, as he hadn’t been around for a while.
    “What do you think?” I asked Candace. “Want to go?”
    She frowned. “Remember, my mother’s in town.”
    “Oh yeah,” I said. I had no interest in spending graduationnight hanging out with Candace’s mother. Neither did Candace for that matter.
    Marshall said, “Hang with us, Luke. Let’s go out with a bang.”
    “Yes, Luke, give in to the dark side,” Sean said. “I am your father, Luke.”
    “C’mon,” Lucy said. “It will be fun.”
    I looked at Candace for permission. She said, “Do what you want.”
    “All right,” I said to Sean. “I’m in.”
    “Great,” he said.
    “Awesome,” Marshall said. “The final stand of the Wharton 6 minus James. And Candace. And, whoever else doesn’t show up.”

    As we were all leaving Smokey Joe’s, James grabbed my shoulder. “Hey, are you really going to that party?”
    “Yeah. Why don’t you join us?”
    “No, I’m not into that junk.”
    “What junk?”
    “People throwing up. Brawling. Waking up in strange places with stranger people. I thought I’d get some people together—grill some steaks, watch
24.”
    “Sounds like you’ve got a plan,” I said.
    “Why don’t you come?” he asked. “It will be fun.”
    “Sorry, I already committed.”
    “I’m upping the ante,” James said. “I’ll make my sautéedmushrooms in burgundy wine sauce. Can’t beat my burgundy ‘shrooms.”
    “Sorry, James.”
    “I really can’t talk you into it?”
    “No. Let’s get pancakes in the morning. We’ll go to IHOP, my treat.”
    He looked dejected. “In the morning? Think you’ll be up for it?”
    “Just not too early,” I said.
    He forced a smile. “Okay, man. But if you change your mind, call me.”
    “I will. Thanks.”
    As I watched him walk away, something told me to go with him. I almost did. I should have. Both of our lives would have been different if I had.

CHAPTER
Thirteen
    They say that life is what happens to you
when you’re making other plans
.
    So is death
.
    Luke Crisp’s Diary

    For once, the party wasn’t all Sean claimed it would be. As usual, he was drunk by eleven and left the party with some young blonde who looked like she was barely eighteen. Lucy and Marshall left a half hour later. I stayed and drank and listened to some woman tell me why she’d dumped her boyfriend—an agonizingly long prelude to informing me that she was available and desperate. I wished I had gone with James. I wished I had gone with Candace for that matter. It was a wasted night.

    I woke the next morning to Candace shaking me. “Luke, wake up.”
    I rolled over in bed and opened my eyes. The morning light glared through my window and my head throbbed from too many beers. Then I realized that Sean, Marshall, Lucy and Candace were all standing above me.
    “What are you doing here?” I asked.
    “Did you hear about James?” Candace asked.
    “James? We’re supposed to get pancakes this morning.”
    Candace looked over at Marshall. The look on their faces troubled me.
    “What are you doing here?” I repeated. “What’s going on?”
    Sean looked at me with dull eyes. “James was in an accident.”
    I looked back and forth between them. “What?”
    “Last night,” Marshall said, “He was hit by a drunk driver.”
    Sleep left me. “Is he okay? Where is he?”
    “He was killed,” Candace said.
    I sat up. “Killed? I just … I was just with him. We’re going to get pancakes.” I looked back and forth between them. “This can’t be.”
    “It’s true,” Candace said.
    I felt sick to my stomach. “No, it can’t be.” My eyes began to well up with tears.
    Candace sat down on the bed next to me. “I’m sorry, baby.”
    “If I had gone with him …” I said.
    “If