Page 12 of Grace

I stared into the distance, listening to the annoying tick-tock of the clock, and felt like I needed to get some air after everything that had happened that day. I didn’t want to be in the same room with Daisy—I was still fuming.

“Okay. Where are you?” I relented.

“We’re in the park. In half an hour, I’ll walk out to its edge. Can you get here by then?”

“Yeah.”

I slammed the phone down, went upstairs to Nikky’s room, and rummaged through her wardrobe until I found her fluffy pink sweater and her money box. I stuffed them into my backpack, sneaked into my room, and carefully opened the creaking wardrobe door. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a hoodie, went to the bathroom, and took off my short pajama pants and my strap tank top. I didn’t look at myself in the mirror and kept my eyes off my breasts as I fastened my bra.

I didn’t tell Jamie that I was leaving. If I made good time, I could get there and back in an hour—and if I was lucky, I’d be home before Mom and Dad.

I pushed my bike out of the garage as silently as I could, switched on its lights, and pulled the hood over my head—I didn’t want anyone to realize it was a girl wandering alone at night.

For once, Nikky kept her word and was waiting for me at the edge of the park when I got there. Luckily, the street lamps were working. If they hadn’t been, it would’ve been pitch-dark.

It’s like those clichéd horror movies: in the dark of the night, two defenseless girls were standing not far from the playground when they heard a noise. A monster leaped from a bush, thirsty for their blood. They ran screaming but couldn’t outrun the beast. It sank its sharp teeth into them, tore them to pieces, then devoured their corpses.

I ironically thanked myself for playing out this horror flick in my head instead of distracting myself.

My lungs and legs were already burning from the long bike ride, and now my insides were tight with fear, too. My heart raced from the imagined bloody scene. The cool, humid air irritated my throat, my fingers were numb with cold, and my pale skin flushed red. Panting, I stepped onto the sidewalk beside my sister.

“Hold this for a sec,” she said, pressing her beer bottle into my hand. Then she pulled on her sweater and counted the money I’d brought her. When I looked into her glassy, apathetic eyes, my heart clenched. I was worried for her.

“Just come home with me, Nikky,” I said, trying to convince her. She smelled like a bar—beer and the bitter stench of cigarettes. Her breath made my stomach turn.

“The party is just getting started.”

“What?” I asked, startled. “You are completely wasted!”

“I need the money because I want to get better,” she said, grinning, then grabbed her beer and took a long gulp.

“How would it help you get better?”

“Oh, Grace, I can’t decide whether you’re really this dumb or just playing the idiot.”

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt their acid burn into my soul.

“Why?” I asked, putting an edge into the question because I wanted to hide how close I was to crying—my throat and chest were tight.

“I want to buy some speed. They say it clears your head, and then you can drink and smoke weed as much as you want.”

That night, both my siblings had lost their minds. If they stayed on this path, one of them would end up in jail for sleeping with a minor, the other in rehab.

“Take care, Nikky,” I said in a whisper.

I turned my bike around and put my weight on the cold, padded seat. Before I left, I took one last look at her as she stumbled back toward the others. Maybe I was worrying too much. Maybe it was all the movies I’d been watching. But I really hoped she wouldn’t end up on the morning news.

My sister’s humiliating words had an upside: I was no longer afraid. Her ugly remark perched on my shoulder and kept my mind off the long ride home.

I’d only ridden a few yards when Chase stepped out from behind a thick tree. I almost fell—I had to yank the handlebars sideways to avoid hitting him.

“Jesus!” I snapped, swallowing the swear that almost escaped. “You’re insane! I could’ve hit you!”

“What are you doing here?”

“I brought some money for my sister. I think you’ll see them soon,” I added dismissively.

“It’s not safe out here alone at night, Grace.”