Page 121 of Saints & Sailors

All too quickly fall break came and went. One minute I was over at Dreux’s snuggled up watching The Lost Boys, and the next I was waking up early to return to school.

Before my mother left town, Scott had taken her out to dinner which he got in late from. Every day since I’d overheard them speaking on the phone. I was hopeful things would work out this time around. They both were older, smarter, and most noticeably happier.

I felt the same in my life. Things with Angela at the shop were brighter and more relaxed. She rolled her eyes in a motherly way every time Dreux came to take his break with me. She’d even gone as far as inviting me and Scott over for dinner one night.

Everything was steady and stable. I was at peace.

Except I was still annoyed we were back to school so soon.

Vanity was scrolling through my phone as we sat in homeroom, or first period study hall. She was going through the playlist Dreux had made for me. Every other song left her bobbing her head in approval. “Okay. Come through, Dreux.” She handed me my phone back and sized me up. “Guess this explains why you were scarce most of break. You must’ve been under him.”

My jaw dropped. I had not spent the entire fall break hooking up with Dreux. Maybe two times tops.

I narrowed my eyes at Vanity. “Don’t act all innocent. Zion’s braids have been looking fresh and perfect, and he’s not going to the shop.”

Beyond the fact that Zion was Dreux’s best friend, we’d all gone to the movies last weekend where Vanity was practically glued to him.

“Bitch!” Vanity pretended to hiss at me as she tossed a sparkly pen my way.

I recalled her extra bubbly front these days as I gave it back to her. “I take it all flags are green for Zion?”

“Oh, god yes,” Vanity was quick to say. “He actually listens. I told him I hate when people answer with ‘sure’ because it just sounds like I’m burdening you, if that makes sense.”

“No, I totally get it. Almost makes you not want to ask for anything.”

“Right!” Vanity agreed. “But after telling him that, Z makes sure he never says it. I told him I don’t like beans in my tacos or nachos, and he got me a nacho salad without them from Taco King. These are small, but Ebram never cared.”

“Fuck him,” I said, glad she was rid of him.

The class our study hall was held in was on the first floor. A glance out the window behind Vanity saw the front of the school. When I looked over, I spotted a police van parked beside the faculty parking lot. The large black and white vehicle with MGPD emblazoned on the side couldn’t be missed.

“What’s with the cops?” I asked.

Vanity turned and peeked out the window. She shrugged as she was back in her own phone. “Probably the K9 unit. They do a drug and weapons sweep, like, once a year.”

“Whoa.” At my school in LA, they’d done that once my freshman year until the PTA got together and argued against it, citing it was an invasion of privacy to go through the students’ personal lockers. With the right amount of influence and money, the sweeps were abolished my sophomore year.

“Yeah, they hardly ever find anything. I mean, this is Meadow Grove⁠—”

The sound of barking interrupted whatever Vanity had been about to say. What was clearly more than one dog was out in the hall barking up a storm.

“Shit, spoke too soon,” Vanity lit up as she eyed the classroom door.

“We got action!” some student exclaimed.

“Wonder who it is?” another said as everyone zeroed in on the door.

In the next moment there was a knock at the door with a figure appearing in the tiny window.

Eyes enlarged and mouths dropped open. Whatever was going outside was linked to someone in this room.

Mrs. Williams abandoned her tablet and went and answered the door. A cop stood in the entryway. I recognized him as Dreux’s cousin. Officer Rick St. Julien.

He said something to Mrs. Williams and she paused. She walked back over to her desk and grabbed a sheet of paper from the corner, all of us watching and waiting on bated breath.

Mrs. Williams looked up from her paper, her gaze searching the room until it landed on me. “Saylor, can you step outside please?”

The room fell silent and all eyes were on me.