My searching revealed nothing – until lunch.
I’d grabbed food and made a beeline for my seat in the corner when I bumped into a large, unmovable object.
“Whoa, sorry, my bad,” I heard as someone steadied me. My eyes flashed up to see a football player standing there. I only knew he was a football player because he was wearing his jersey for the pep rally. I had no idea what his name was but as our eyes met, I saw his expiration date.
He was set to die today.
My breath caught and his smile faltered for a second. I had no idea what he saw when he looked at me but it couldn’t have been good. He backed away, releasing me as his smile faded. I shook myself and darted for my table, keeping my eyes down as his countdown started in my head. He had 3 hours, 5 minutes, and 22 seconds to live.
My breath came faster as I stared down at my plate, my heart strumming rapidly. Breathing became harder as I began to hyperventilate.
“Slow breaths,” he said, straddling the seat next to me, his hand on my back. I glanced at him desperately, the panic difficult to fight and saw his calm eyes staring back at me. There was no date, no countdown as our eyes met and I felt the tight band around my chest loosen. I could still feel the countdown of the football player I’d run into but it was pushed back as I focused on the guy in front of me.
“Why?” I finally managed to gasp around a hiccup.
His eyes searched mine as he gave a shrug.
“I don’t know.” His answer was unsatisfactory and he knew it as he glanced down. He peeked back up at me through long lashes and my heart stuttered for an entirely different reason. “Moth to a flame?” He offered and I responded with a twisted smile.
“The moth dies,” I observed and he gave a slow nod.
“How long do the pep rallies usually last?” He asked abruptly and I blinked.
“32 minutes generally.”
“School lets out afterwards?”
I shook my head. “We go back to our homeroom until final bell. Mainly for a secondary roll call to make sure no one skipped out.”
“Ok,” he responded, one hand on the lunch table in front of me, but his other hand still rested on my back. If he was going for distraction it was working. He’d completely redirected my thoughts from the imminent deaths of our teacher and classmate. I shifted slightly to see if he’d remove his hand from my back, but instead his palm stroked down my spine. He wasn’t looking at me and I wondered if the action was subconscious.
I couldn’t figure him out, but as the bell rang and students began streaming out of the cafeteria, I knew I had bigger things to worry about. The guy I’d bumped into earlier walked past us and his countdown flared to life inside of me. He was going to die soon, before the day was over if I didn’t figure out how to stop it.
I wasn’t sure where my sudden determination came from, why I felt the need to stop their deaths other than the fact that they’d changed. Something I couldn’t recall ever seeing before.
“Earth to Hope?”
I sucked in a breath as I realized how close Houston’s face was to mine. He tilted his head back slightly, giving me space.
“You drifted off for a minute there. Guess I should be used to it by now.”
“I have a lot on my mind.”
“Care to share?”
I lifted my eyebrow and he gave a rueful smile.
“Guess not.”
“We’re going to be late,” I answered, unwilling to say the words that had bubbled to the surface, the “Not yet,” I’d wanted to respond with because the thought was pure stupidity. Who would believe me, much less want to deal with my penchant for knowing when people were going to die? Not to mention the fact that my own death was near enough I should be checking things off a bucket list.
I felt the weight of his stare as we crossed the hall to our next class, but I didn’t give in to the urge to glance back. Some things were better left unsaid.
The rest of the day raced by with no more changed expiration dates, but it didn’t stop the heavy drumbeat of the two that had changed. They were going to happen with minutes of one another and I couldn’t figure out how or why. What would trigger those two people to suddenly and unexpectedly die?
My last class was biology and there were a couple of football players in attendance. About twenty minutes before class ended they asked to be excused because of the pep rally. All football players and cheerleaders were to be there early. As they walked out I realized the time of death coincided with the pep rally. Did Martin and the random football player have an issue? Were they going to get into a fight and kill each other during the pep rally?
Possibilities churned in my mind as I considered how to stop what was about to happen. I needed to find them before the pep rally. And since I didn’t know anything about the football player, I’d have to start with Martin.
My hand shot up before I could consider my actions and the teacher said, “Yes?”
“May I be excused? I was supposed to assist with chair setup in the gym for the pep rally,” I lied easily and my teacher nodded. Houston tossed me a sharp look, which I ignored. He didn’t need to be involved in this, just in case I wasn’t successful.
The halls were empty as I made my way across campus to Martin’s room. I went through a number of excuses as to why I was coming to his room before the pep rally, but they all sounded equally unbelievable.
I’d finally settled on using Amber as an excuse when I reached his closed door. My hand landed on the handle with every expectation of pushing it open, but it held fast. I peeked through the side glass and realized his light was out. He wasn’t in his classroom. So where was he? Was I already too late to stop what was going to happen?
“Are you looking for Mr. Martin?” A gentle voice asked and I spun around. One of the secretaries was staring at me inquisitively so I nodded, hoping she wouldn’t ask why. “He’s already in the gym for the pep rally. He’s giving a little speech.”
Of course he was, I thought to myself, but smiled at the kind secretary. “Great! I’ll head over there. I thought I might catch him before he left.”
She smiled back as the bell rang and I groaned internally. The gym was all the way across the school and there would be a thousand students all streaming toward it now. But if Martin was giving a speech during the pep rally….was he going to die in front of the entire school?
Crazy thoughts of poison and heart attacks filled my mind as I merged with the crowd headed toward the gym. It was just odd that Martin and a football player were destined to die in the middle of the school pep rally. What could they possibly have in common?
The sound was deafening as students filed onto the gym bleachers, but it didn’t stop the countdown in my head. I had 21 minutes to figure out what was about to happen and stop it. I stepped out of the flow of students, not wanting to be trapped in the bleachers for whatever was about to happen.
I scanned the rows of students chatting happily, all glad to be out of class, but nothing stood out. There were no new expiration dates that I could tell. Cheerleaders stretched out along the basketball court, pom poms on the ground in front of them. Amber was there, but she seemed distracted and unhappy. However, her date was the same. I kept scanning until I got to the podium set up on the far side of the gym. Martin stood there and next to him was the football player!
It made sense they were together since their deaths would happen with minutes of each other. But how? My gaze shifted from them as they stood a few feet apart and landed on the principal. I stepped back, bumping into the wall as I saw his date. He was going to die in 19 minutes. My eyes darted to the others standing around the podium. 18 minutes, 12 seconds. 19 minutes, 2 seconds. 18 minutes, 33 seconds. 17 minutes, 59 seconds. 18 minutes, 46 seconds. All in all seven people would die if I didn’t somehow stop it.
My gaze was frantic as I searched the room, now looking for something other than expiration dates, and instead the person who would commit this crime. Because that’s what it ha
d to be – a crime. A violent crime targeted at the administration during our school’s first pep rally of the year.
My search revealed nothing. No one looked suspicious. I laughed at myself. How would I know if someone looked suspicious? I looked suspicious standing against the wall, eyeing people.
A high pitched squeal jerked my attention back to the podium, as the principal gave a chuckle into the mike.
“I guess it’s on.”
There was polite laughter as most of the student body was familiar with his ‘introduction.’
“Welcome back! It’s the first pep rally of the season and the first game of the season so let’s give a big roar for the Panthers!”
A resounding cheer met his words along with a few roars as the cheerleaders jumped up and started waving their pompoms. The football team burst through the gym doors and jogged to the middle of the basketball floor, pumping up the volume even louder.
“Alright, first up, a performance by our dance team!”
The football players went to the front row of the bleachers reserved for them as the dance team came out to the beat of a popular song.
My eyes continually moved, searching for a clue to stop the coming violence. I had to save them somehow, even if I didn’t know how they were going to die. I eased along the wall, giving myself a clear view of the entire gym. If someone had a gun, I couldn’t tell. I had no idea how quickly a gun could kill seven people or if more would be hurt but not die.
My heart was thumping in my chest, not from the heavy bass beat pounding through the gym’s speakers, but the fear that had taken root inside of me. My eyes locked on the other end of the gym where they stood, and I was startled to realize the first person would die in less than nine minutes.
Standing here was doing no good. I had no idea what or who was going to kill them. My only chance was to get them out of the gym, but how? And would doing that somehow cause their deaths?
My thoughts were conflicted, ping ponging between determination to do something, and a paralyzing fear that by doing something I would inadvertently cause their deaths. That it didn’t matter what action I took, they were going to die either way.
As my thoughts chased one another, the seconds counted down and I knew if I didn’t at least try to stop it, I was going to witness the deaths of several people.
“Are you alright?” His low voice was unexpected as his hand wrapped around my elbow, causing me to jump. “Why are you so jumpy? You look like you’re going to be sick.”
Five minutes.
I had five minutes.
And I was desperate.
“We have to get everyone out of the gym in the next five minutes,” I whispered frantically, gripping his arm as his hold loosened. “Something horrible will happen if we don’t.”
Disbelief crossed his face and as he stepped back from me, I followed him. I didn’t know what to do. He was my only option.
“Please. This isn’t a joke.”
My sincerity must have broken though because his fingers curled around my wrist and he pulled me from the gym.
“What is going to happen?” He hissed, tugging me along as his eyes scanned the wall.
“Something bad. People will die.” My words startled him enough to make him pause and I shook my head. “Four minutes and three seconds,” I warned him, my voice shaking.
His teeth snapped shut with an audible click as he started moving once again, his eyes searching. I wanted to ask what he was looking for but didn’t want to slow him down.
“Thank God,” he muttered, stopping in front of a fire alarm. “I’m not even going to ask if you’re sure. Your fear is enough.” I watched as he tugged the sleeve of his shirt over his fingers and yanked down the handle on the fire alarm.
The blare of the alarm was instantaneous.
We froze for the briefest of seconds before the piercing shriek forced us into motion. Houston’s hand wrapped around mine as he ran for the exit door leaving behind the sound of a thousand feet following us.
“I can’t believe I just did that,” he said, his breath rushing out as he glanced back at the gym. “Did it work?”
I paused, thinking about it, and realized the countdown was gone. As in no longer there at all. My breath froze in my chest as I realized they must have died. That it hadn’t mattered what we’d done.
“Hope,” he said sharply, giving me a shake. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He watched me carefully and when I wouldn’t meet his eyes he shook me again. “Look at me.” I reluctantly obeyed, terrified by the reality of their deaths. “We didn’t stop it?”
I shook my head, unable to speak as hundreds of students streamed from the gym. Had they been trampled? Had that been the cause of their deaths all along? And I’d ensured it would happen by having Houston pull the fire alarm.
He pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly, as I stood frozen, stunned by what I’d caused.
“Let’s get out of here,” he finally murmured, prodding me to move. “We don’t want to be questioned.”
I didn’t respond, but followed him willingly enough. We weren’t the only ones making a break for it as seniors slipped toward the parking lot in the chaos.
Houston opened the truck door for me, seeming to recognize I was in a state of shock. When he went to lift me into the truck, I broke out of it enough to get in myself. He shut the door behind me, and I watched as he glanced around the parking lot as he rounded the hood.
He hopped in, but didn’t start the truck immediately. I glanced at him, and after a minute he met my eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
The wall around my emotions cracked slightly and I swallowed hard. He fumbled for his keys and cranked the engine, backing out with a squeal before roaring from the parking lot.
Chapter Six
We drove for a long time, our silence a delicate bubble we were afraid to burst. Finally, he stopped, parking in the empty lot of a sports park. He left the truck running as his head thumped against the back of his seat, still not breaking our silence.
His hand reached for mine and as his warm fingers curled around my ice cold ones, the first tears slipped from my eyes. I didn’t utter a sound as the tears fell, dripping on my shirt and our entwined hands. He didn’t attempt to soothe me or utter trite words that meant nothing. He just held my hand.
“They weren’t supposed to die,” I whispered eventually, not bothering to wipe the away the damp tear tracks on my cheeks. “I thought I could change it. They changed so I thought I could prevent it.” I knew I wasn’t making sense to him, but the words wouldn’t stop. “I’ve never seen it happen before. I wanted to stop it. But I didn’t.”
I glanced up only to see his pained eyes staring back at me. He sympathized even if he didn’t understand. As we stared at one another, a desperate need clawed through me. A desire to live, to feel, to experience life. I moved before I could think twice about what I was doing, and as my lips met his, our spark turned into an inferno.
His mouth sealed over mine, taking control even though I’d initiated the kiss, as if afraid I would somehow slip away. I had no wish to disappear though, and feeling his lips move over mine the desire to be closer intensified. I pressed myself toward him, and felt his groan more than heard it as he dragged me tightly against him.
Our mouths moved frantically against one another, short gasps interspersed as lips rasped against skin. My body straddled his as we rocked together, the emotions from the day demanding release.
One of his hands locked my hips into place, while the other gripped my neck holding me firmly against the punishing force of his mouth against mine. My teeth grazed his swollen lower lip and I bit down. The tangy taste of copper filled my mouth and I soothed the bite with my tongue. He growled and forced my head to the side as he dragged his tongue down my neck. I shivered at the sensations rushing through me and he pressed my hips further into his. Seconds later, I cried out as he bit down on my neck and sucked as if he knew the pleasure it
caused.
He sucked hard, and I knew it would leave a mark, his intention I was sure as he let go, his tongue running over the spot in satisfaction. The hand on my hip released its punishing grip, sliding underneath my top so the heat of his hand seared the delicate skin of my back. My head rolled forward as he loosened his grip and I rested against him, our bodies locked together intimately even though we were both fully clothed.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” His rough whisper against my ear caused my nerve endings to tingle and I shifted restlessly. His groan had me rolling my hips again and both his hands came down to grip my hips, stilling them. “You’re playing with fire.”
“I want – to feel,” I whispered brokenly, tears suddenly overtaking me. His arms came up around me as I soaked his shirt with years’ worth of tears.
“Shhh, I know you do, but not like this. Not here. Not now.” I felt his mouth curve against my cheek. “Look at me being a good guy. No one will ever believe it.”
“I will,” I told him, meeting his eyes. He swiped his thumb down my cheek and rubbed it against his other finger. “You knew what to do today. You helped me.”
“I know that desperate feeling,” he answered ambiguously, and it dawned on me that perhaps he had secrets of his own. “Now, I’m trying hard to be a nice guy, but it might be a good idea if we leave.” I nodded, and he eased me off his lap, his expression regretful as he pulled his hands from my hips.
He started the truck and eased out of the parking space. A few cars had started to make their way into the lot and I realized how late it was. When he got to the exit, he paused and then glanced over at me.
“Do you know how to get home?”
I rubbed my mouth as I nodded and told him where to go. I was pretty sure my dad had never asked for directions his entire life, but Houston had no problem asking. It was kind of endearing.
Half an hour later, he pulled into my driveway. I opened my mouth, but he held up his hand.
“Don’t ask me inside.”
I snapped my mouth shut and gave him a questioning glance.
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