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He shrugged and his fingers wrapped tighter around my hand. “It’s not something I like to spread around. People go all weird on me when they know I’ve been sick. I like it better when the only thing people talk about are my basketball skills.”
I nodded. It was no wonder he kept this secret under wraps. I could barely take it all in and here I was, sitting with him at the hospital. I’d never seen Mason as anything but an incredibly strong and healthy teenage boy, but now I knew there was another part to him. A part that was fragile and mortal. A part that could rear its ugly head at any minute.
“Mason Finnick,” a nurse called, standing near a side door with a chart in her
hands. Mason released my hand and jumped to his feet, his frown firmly back in place on his sculpted lips.
“I guess that’s us.” His mom appeared at my elbow and put a cup of water in my hands. She looked at me with a sympathetic smile. “Sorry that took so long; I couldn’t find a cup anywhere. Are you going to be okay, dear?”
Of course I was going to be okay. It was her son I was worried about. He was the only one that mattered.
“Yes, thank you.” I took a sip of water and then stood. This lobby was suddenly feeling cramped. I needed to get out. I needed to breathe.
“See you tonight?” Mason ran a hand over his head, ruffling his perfectly mussed hair, as he pinned me with his blue eyes.
Oh right, the party. In the midst of everything, I’d nearly forgotten. It seemed so trivial now. But it was a part of the plan and the plan would make everything right again in this world. Even when I couldn’t.
“Yes, right, see you tonight.” I backed up toward the exit, my feet itching to run. “See you at the party.”
The last thing I saw before I turned to flee was Mason’s face. He wore a wary expression, one that seemed full of regret. I wasn’t sure if he regretted telling me his secret or if it was the idea of a party that caused him pain, but in that moment I couldn’t stick around to ask.
My stomach still felt like it was going to dislodge from my torso and roll down the hallway of the hospital like a ten-pound bowling ball. If I didn’t hop in my car soon, they’d be wheeling me up to the surgical floor for an emergency stomach reattachment.
The plan. If we stuck to the plan, Mason would be fine and everyone would be happy.
I repeated that over and over to myself, determined to engrain it in my brain.
After what had happened today, Project Happiness was more important than ever.
Chapter Sixteen
The party at Savannah’s massive three-story house was so jammed pack, it was impossible to find anyone. Baseball players crowded in the kitchen, picking over the food and tossing cheese balls into each other’s mouths. The football players were having arm wrestling contests on the dining table. And most of the cheerleaders were dancing in their socks on the living room couches. Throw in the basketball players, the track athletes, the volleyball players, and a few dozen random kids from our school, and the party was out of control.
From my first scan of the place, it seemed that Mason had yet to show up. Immediately, his absence sent a painful stab of fear into my heart. Had he already heard back from the CT scan? If it was bad news, there was no way he’d show up tonight. I couldn’t blame him. If I were him, I’d be beneath my covers with a king-sized Butterfinger and Pride & Prejudice on repeat.
“Hey, it’s our song!” Mandy danced in front of me to the beat of the music pulsing through the speakers. Her blonde hair flew around her, making her look like a crazed sort of angel.
Audrey and Collin were around here somewhere, too. I’d driven them all in my little Chevy. But I hadn’t minded. It was way too cold for Audrey to ride on the back of her boyfriend’s motorcycle. Plus, I was thankful for the distraction. My mind seemed to keep wanting to rehash the events of today whenever I got a free moment — including now.
“Come on, Trina,” Mandy said, grabbing my hands. “What’s bothering you? You love this song.”
Guilt pooled in my gut. My friends had been looking forward to this party all week, but I just couldn’t enjoy it. Not until I knew Mason was safe.
“I’m sorry,” I yelled, swaying my body in an attempt to shake off this funk. “I didn’t mean to ruin your fun. I’ll try to be better.”
She stopped moving and gave me a stern look. “You didn’t ruin my fun. You’re allowed to have bad days, you know. Not even Trina Frye has to be sunshiny all the time. I’m your bestie, so if you need to vent, I’m here for you.”
I wanted to spill to her everything that had happened today. About my fears that everything was falling apart. That I couldn’t muscle my way through this one with that famous Trina smile. And worst of all, that the boy I once thought to be invincible could be moments away from finding out the worst news of his life. But I couldn’t say it. If I even mentioned it aloud, it might come true. The best thing to do right now was just to focus on something else.
“Thanks, M, I really appreciate it, but I think I just need to dance it off right now,” I told her as the song changed to something with a quick tempo and deep bass.
She grinned and popped two thumbs up. We bounced wildly to the song until I was sure my brain had turned into scrambled eggs. As the music changed to something slower and people began to pair off, my eyes focused on the other side of the room.
Polly stood just inside the darkened hallway. She had her hands up and was gesturing wildly at the guy standing in front of her. I recognized him as Ethan Richards, a senior on the track team. Neither of them looked very happy. In fact, I was pretty sure they were fighting. And as Polly made a disgusted face, Ethan turned away and stormed to the kitchen, abandoning her in the dark.
I wasn’t sure whether the sight should’ve made me happy or sad. It was never good to see a couple break up, but if Ethan Richards and Polly were on the rocks, that meant we had an opening. Mason had an in. All we had to do was act. Fast.
Project Happiness was a go.
