AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A library?” he repeats. “Dylan?”
Right?
“Everything okay?” I ask.
It doesn’t seem weird that he hasn’t spoken to her. I know they’re in the middle of an argument. But I would think her mom has spoken to her.
But he just replies, “Everything’s fine. I just need to…to talk to her. Have her call me?”
“Sure.”
“If I don’t hear from her in an hour, I’m coming over.”
If he comes over, he’s going to see she’s completely unsupervised by an adult.
I take a sharp right, heading immediately to the school. “Will do.”
I wait for him to end the call, but he doesn’t.
“How… How is she?” he stammers.
I know it’s hard for him to ask. To appear vulnerable.
Jared’s not like my dad, who wears his heart on his sleeve. Jared gave hugs, but not like the ones in my house. My dad is never the first one to pull away.
“She’s good,” I tell him.
At least she was last night.
“Tell her to call me.”
“Okay,” I reply. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
Lightning flashes across the sky, rolls of thunder following, and an electric current courses under my skin. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the anticipation of whatever the night will bring. I don’t care what happens, I just want her to myself for a little while. In a week, she’ll be packing up what little she has to head back to the Falls.
Speeding through the school lot, I find a pool of cars and motorcycles already here.
I pull over and park, hopping out and running for the building. Security cameras perch on the corner of the brick edifice, as well as more on light poles, half of which have burnt-out bulbs. None of the cameras work, though. Which is why the Rebels often get away with sneaking in. Teachers don’t realize anyone was here until they find beer cans all over the locker room.
Heading to the gym, I shake the leaves and whatever else has flown into my hair, the music pumping all the way down the hall. I yank open the doors, strobe lights swerving up and down, lighting an area and then casting it in darkness again. There are no other lights as people dance, and I lookover at a couple making out against the wall to my right. I can just make out his hand up her skirt, inside her panties, fingering her.
I draw in a breath, my heart beating faster. I scan the crowd. Where’s Dylan?
Arlet sticks out her long, bare leg, posing as she sweeps her hair up into a ponytail, making a big show in her strapless cocktail dress and heels. Mace sits on the bleachers, her arm hanging over Coral’s shoulder who sits one level down, between her legs, as they pass a Hydro Flask between them.
I find Farrow sitting on a chair, far off in the corner, swallowing giant gulps of Coke and then holding the can out to his side, letting Calvin slip in some whiskey.
A large group dances in the middle of the floor, the clouds blotting out any moonlight that might shine through the glass dome above.
I head over to Farrow. “Hey.”
“What’s up?” he says, shaking his can at me. “You want some?”
“Later.” I search the gym. “Have you seen—?”
But then I stop, watching Dylan walk through the doors I just came through.
