by Eden O'Neill
I’m going to do something you asked me to do when you stopped texting and returning my calls over the summer. I’ve learned a lot since coming here, and the one thing I haven’t done for you was the only thing you asked me. You said you needed space, and I never gave that to you. I came here, immersed myself in your life, and became a placeholder for you instead of just being there for you. I’m not going to leave town, but I’m not going to push you either. I’m staying here in Maywood Heights. I’m going to build a life here for now. I don’t think it’s as bad as you may think…
Let’s figure it out together?
Your Forever Love,
Em
June 30th
8:27 p.m.
December: Any updates? You feel like talking or anything? It’s been a while…
July 1st
3:13 p.m.
December: Come on, Paige. This isn’t cool. I’ve texted you. Called you. TEXT ME. I’m starting to worry.
July 1st
5:25 p.m.
December: Hello? Hello?! Anyone there?
July 3rd
1:56 p.m.
December: Okay, this is real fucked, Paige, and beyond immature. I called Dad and he said you just took off and didn’t come back one night. What’s going on? Please TALK TO ME.
July 14th
9:05 p.m.
December: I read over your last text with me. You said to give you space. Well, I’ve given you that, so please stop with this. I need you…
August 28th
8:19 a.m.
December: I’m coming to Maywood Heights, already talked to Dad, Aunt Celeste, and everything. Aunt Celeste doesn’t think anything is wrong because you’ve done this before. Neither does Dad, but I don’t care. I’m coming there. I’m coming for you. Be ready.
Sixteen
Second period English held a study hall, and it’d been the first time I saw Royal since this morning. It’d also been the first time I had really been around Birdie since the fiasco with the dog toys, and I texted her after Mr. Pool left the room for a second.
Me: Wanna hang out tonight?
She looked at her phone on her desk, gazing around, and with the room sans teacher, she reached for it.
Birdie: Sure. What do you want to do?
I knew that right away, but was I brave enough?
Me: I was thinking about going out to Route 80.
Nothing, not even a text message bubble, and I gazed up at her. She had her lip lodged between her teeth, frowning at me before picking up her phone.
Birdie: Nuh-uh. No way. That’s Court territory.
Me: Court territory?
Birdie: Yeah, only Court go up there.
Me: Why?
Birdie: I don’t know, but it’s off-limits. Want to do something else, I’m game, but going over there… sorry, you’re on your own.
She was actually serious, pushed her phone away and everything when she went back to her textbook. What the hell?
Royal: Want to hang out tonight? We can go by my place. Watch a movie?
I gazed back at the beautiful boy, his chin rested on his hand as he waited out my response. Everyone else around him was studying, but he was watching me. He flicked up his brow to my phone, and I turned.
Fuck.
Me: I can’t. Sorry, I have other plans.
I turned for his response, but he didn’t give much of one. He simply tipped his chin before pulling his book over and studying with everyone else.
What are you doing?
I had no idea, but when the bell rang for next classes, I hadn’t changed my mind about hanging out with either party, Royal or Birdie. Birdie put her backpack over her shoulder, touching mine, before leaving the classroom. I had no idea what the fuck that meant, so I grabbed my stuff and headed out into the sea after her. I didn’t make it far before a heavy arm tossed around my shoulder and a hard body braced me to him.
“I hear we’re all hanging out tonight, December,” Jax crooned, squeezing me with entirely too much muscle. Soon, I was squished between the likes of him and LJ, Knight bringing up the rear when I turned. I swear he was like the bodyguard, the biggest anyway, and didn’t talk much. Jax hugged me. “What are we eating? I’m a fan of pizza. Hey—”
Royal pulled him off me. “She’s not hanging out,” he said, hitting him with a notebook over the head before easing me into him by the arm. It was a nice warm place to be by his side, and though I had no idea what that meant in regards to us, needless to say I didn’t fight him. He leaned in. “And I didn’t invite him, by the way, or any of them.”
Jax grumbled, the other two grinning before Jax pushed himself between Royal and me. He threw arms around us both. “What’s up? You two talking or something?”
“You’re warned,” Royal growled out. “You got two seconds before…”
“Okay, okay.” Jax eased off, and pulling ahead, he walked backwards down the hall. “You don’t have to tell me twice. You should come over, though. We all have an awesome time. Like with Paige, we used to—”
“She’s not Paige.” Royal grabbed his shirt, getting in his face, and all of us stopped in the hall. Everyone in the hall stopped actually, staring at us.
Jax backed down again. “Sorry.”
“Yeah.” Royal let go, his look apologetic at me, and coming through, LJ parted us to grab Jax. He tugged Jax by the back of his shirt down the hall, LJ shaking his head the whole way.
Royal did too, as well as Knight when he came around. Knight gave Royal and me a nod, letting us go, and with him and all that gone, Royal faced me.
“Got some real hot plans tonight, princess? Have to be if you’re turning down an opportunity to hang out with that.”
Happy whatever that was concluded, I looked at him. “Hardly,” I said. Though, I didn’t want to lie. “Just got some stuff to do.”
“Just got some stuff to do,” he parroted, but then smiled. He tugged me closer. “Have fun with that. Invitation is still open if you change your mind, and you’re not the new Paige. You’re not Paige at all.”
I obviously wasn’t. I had a feeling he didn’t look at Paige the way he was currently looking at me. Not to mention, my sister was an open and proud lesbian, and they were just buddies.
Royal and I weren’t buddies.
Actually, I had no idea who the captain of the lacrosse team and I were, but whatever that was had just about everyone in the hallway looking—Mira included. Apparently back, she stared at us across the hallway, looking like she sucked a lemon.
At least she’s alive.
If that played currently in my favor or not, I didn’t know, but in any sense, I was too busy focused on a hot hand presently on my hip. I juggled between that and the sight of the most delicious lips ever having been kissed in recorded history looking hell-bent on taking mine. In the end, Royal didn’t, though. He squeezed me once, letting go.
“See you around,” he said, and I went the other way, partly to avoid the stares.
The other part was to skip class.
*
I had no idea how long it would take to get out and explore Route 80, but needless to say, I didn’t want to commit to any plans. Especially with Royal, who’d most likely be pissed the hell off I even thought about coming out there. Let alone actually going out there, which I did via ride share. I had my driver take me out to the middle of nowheresville, i.e., Route 80. Off the highway and straight into farm country, I traveled back roads with a complete stranger, but I kept my wits about me that the voyage would be worth it. If this was the last place anyone I knew saw my sister, I figured it couldn’t hurt to go out there myself and look around. I doubt I’d find anything to help me figure out where she’d gone, but maybe being in that last location would put me in her headspace a little.
At least that’s what I told myself.
I felt terrible for lying to Royal and even worse turning down his invitation. He totally wouldn’t be on board with me coming out here, though, considering his dad’s
position, and I didn’t want to get him in any hot water for knowing I came out here. I figured coming out during the day while Royal and the other Court boys were in classes would be best. I’d have no witness and could be here as long as I needed. I wasn’t opposed to calling Hubert and letting him know I found another ride home that afternoon and mentally prepared for it. I’d go into the night if I had to and see what there was to see.
As it turned out, it wasn’t much.
“You sure you want to be left out here, little lady?” my driver asked me, turning around with a frown. “Ain’t nothing out here for miles but some train tracks.”
Route 80 eventually ended up being a dead end, and I saw both that and the train tracks it intercepted through the window. Still, I needed to get out and take a look myself.
“I’m sure.” I paid him, the dude thinking I was completely psycho, no doubt. Since I couldn’t anticipate how long I’d be, I didn’t want to keep the man waiting for any other rides he could take between my return home. I had reception out here, made sure of it, so I figured I would be okay. After getting out and waving him off, I gripped my book bag and huffed it through overgrown grass. I had to watch my shoes on the blades since I definitely scraped over the occasional broken beer bottle on the way to the rocks leading up to the train tracks.
Well, now I know what the Court does out here.
Litter as far as the eye could see, and beer bottles and the butts of both cigarettes and joints lined the rocks. I’d even found some discarded clothing scattered along the way like a boy or two had taken a conquest. I wouldn’t be surprised. Clearly, this area was a party spot. That also let me know what Royal and my sister had been doing out here. This was obviously a hangout spot for their crew.
Stepping carefully, I cleared most of the debris, and when I found the train tracks, nothing but farmland surrounded them. I explored. I stayed close to the tracks, scanning the area, and soon, the evidence of trash and social activity fell away. There really was nothing but train tracks, and I walked them after checking out the area around them. I ended up going pretty far before doubling back. I went the opposite way then, and after having traveled for at least a half hour, I stopped.
Well, this was stupid.
Clearly, I framed my eyes to combat the sun on a rather surprisingly warm, fall day. Back in town, there’d been a gentle breeze with the colorful trees, but out here, nothing. Deciding to take it easy for a while, I sat on the tracks, just sitting for a while and trying to take it all in. I figured I’d hear or see a train pretty easily with nothing out here, so I wasn’t shy about leaning back and staring around. After a few moments of that, I put my bag behind me and used it to rest my head on. I didn’t know what I was trying to do or accomplish, but decided just being out here was better than nothing.
Tell me something, Paige.
Of course, she said nothing, and I closed my eyes, listening for sounds or something. I ended up opening my eyes when a flicker of light escaped through, catching on something between the metal on the tracks. I moved rocks around until I could dig it out.
I held the metal up to the light, the object severally twisted. Putting my finger over divots, I realized there were teeth embedded into the metal.
A gorilla mouth…
The thing was a Court ring, damaged to hell but a Court ring nonetheless. Someone must have dropped it out here, and a train went over it at some point. Palming it, I wriggled to get it in my skirt pocket.
“What the hell are you doing out here?”
I rose, but not quick enough because soon, I was off the tracks and being dragged to my feet, a behemoth of a large boy staring into my eyes.
Knight snorted like a bull, and tugging me, he pulled me away from those tracks so fast I barely got a chance to grab my bag. He shook me. “I said, why are you here and what in fuck’s name are you trying to do?”
I wrestled away, not liking being handled. “How are you out here?” I questioned, ignoring his question entirely. “Did you follow me?”
“Fuck yeah, I followed you, and it’s a good damn thing I did. I saw you sneaking off campus. It took me a second to get my car, and I lost you a couple times on the way, but once I realized the route you were taking, it was obvious,” he grunted. “Why are you here, Lindquist? How do you even know about this place?”
“Royal told me,” I said, his eyes widening. “He said it was the last place he saw Paige.”
He saw red for some reason, shoving thick fingers into his dark hair. “Fucking hell,” he gritted, obviously his favorite choice in curse. He growled. “You’re coming with me. Now, and leaving this place.”
I got the issue Royal’s dad had with this place, but frankly, not Knight’s. He’d have no reason to be so up in arms unless he was trying to keep Royal out of trouble as well.
Scared all this might get back to his dad someway now, I didn’t fight Knight when he led the way to his car. He opened the door for me, pretty much shoving me inside, and after he peeled out and got back on the back roads, the terror inside me grew and grew. Royal’s dad obviously figured out that Royal and some of the guys had been out here. He told Royal that himself, so all of this could get back to him. I didn’t know how, but it could.
I was in some deep fucking shit.
Seventeen
Knight and I got back to a school with bare halls, the time placing us somewhere toward the end of final classes. I made good time considering I believed I’d be out at Route 80 most of the evening, but I doubt Knight would see things that way. He pretty much strong-armed me all the way both into the school and down the hall, and we intercepted, of all people, the headmaster on Knight’s way to escort me to my class. He let go of me then, standing back, and Principal Hastings slowly pulled his glasses off his face. He’d been coming out of his office, the King mascot in its fierce growl behind him.
“Mr. Reed,” he said, facing Knight before panning to me. He frowned. “Ms. Lindquist. You’re both a far cry away from your afternoon classes.”
The fact this man knew both our schedules should probably make me feel good my dad was getting his money’s worth, but really that kind of freaked me out. We had a lot of students that went to school here.
Principal Hastings approached us. “Explain. Both of you.”
Neither of us said anything, Knight bracing his arms as he looked away, and since this was technically my fault for us both being out of classes, I decided to step up.
“They’re with me.”
I didn’t have to when Royal ended up coming down the hallway, his tie loose and jacket off. I noticed he went more and more casual as he went throughout his day, and this wasn’t anything new. He frowned at both Knight and me and the situation before shifting his sight to Principal Hastings. Royal slid hands into his pockets. “This is my free period. I asked for their help when I came across a last-minute homecoming crisis.”
Principal Hastings’s eyebrow rose. “Crisis?”
Royal nodded. “It had to do with the parade timeline, which is due to the homecoming committee at the end of the day. It was an emergency, and they were just headed back to class after we finished up. I realized I still had their hall passes so I followed to make sure they got back okay.”
Royal was as cool with his lies as he had been with my dad. So much so that it scared me.
Especially since Principal Hastings backed off.
Returning his glasses to his face, the man nodded, and though he was letting all of us off the hook, he didn’t look too keen about it. This also reminded me of my dad, the principal’s eyes narrowing at Royal before finding Knight and me.
“Very well,” our principal said. “All of you run off. These halls are supposed to be clear between classes.”
“Yes, sir,” Royal said, always so cool. “I just need two seconds with them first if you don’t mind. Some last-minute homecoming stuff. Won’t take long.”
Honestly, I hadn’t even picked up on homecoming or anything of the like since I came
to this town, my thoughts solely on my sister. But sure enough, posters and streamers for the upcoming event lined the hallways. This school definitely took all this seriously.
Principal Hastings lowered his head once as he rerouted, going in the opposite direction of us. He stopped just short. “Make it quick the three of you, and, Ms. Lindquist?”
“Uh, yes, sir?”
His eyes narrowed again. “You’d be good to really analyze who you hang out with while attending Windsor Prep,” he said, scanning between Knight and Royal. “Wouldn’t want you getting into trouble.”
His threat felt like less for me and more for Royal and Knight, the latter boy puffing up and getting beside Royal. Principal Hastings gave no mind to that, walking away, and only when he’d cleared the hallway did Royal look at us.
“It was a good thing I was headed to the bathroom; otherwise, you’d both be in some deep shit. What’s going on and why did I just do that for both of you?” he asked, then studied me. “Are you all right? Why are you out of class?”
His concern for me and my well-being I couldn’t linger on, because with one look from Knight I knew he was about to ruin my entire universe. I saw it in his eyes as he looked at me, his face a grimace.
“I followed your girl to Route 80,” he said, Royal ripping his gaze away and flashing it on Knight. Knight frowned. “That’s right. Followed her right off campus. She took a ride share out there, and told me you told her that’s the last place you saw Paige.”
“I did tell her that,” he said, deadpan when he said it, but his expression was regretful. In actuality, he looked like he’d been taken for a ride, and no one gave him the courtesy of a sick bag, his jaw working as Knight backed away from us.