“You know, the best coffee shops, the cool stores and restaurants, the biggest theaters. It’s pretty much the only part of the city worth going to.”
They crossed to the opposite side of the dark street. The flat-fronted apartments of the Hill lined their way on both sides, reaching into the black sky. Light filtered out of their windows like small rays of comfort into the shivering night outside.
Reed watched his steamy breath rise through one of the orangey-yellow shafts. The rows of windows, glowing through friendly curtains and soft shades, looked homey and comfortable from the cold street. Beyond the blinds, golden lamplight welled up inside cozy dens and kitchens, trickling out like too much honey on a biscuit. Reed felt a shot of loneliness. “How many kids would you say live out here instead of in the Dorms?” he asked.
Reagan shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe fifteen hundred or so. Not everybody wants to pay their own rent every month.”
“Would you?” Reed was still eyeing the glowing panes.
“And miss out on all the fun at the Dorms? Heck, no! I don’t understand who’d want to.”
“I think I do,” said Reed softly, but his roommates didn’t seem to hear him.
It was odd how quickly the desire swept over him. It wasn’t something most people would ordinarily dream about, having one of those glowing windows of their own. But then, most people hadn’t spent their lives stuck on the outside, looking in. Reed bit his lip and turned away.
He was only too glad when they finally left the apartments behind and entered the commercial outskirts of the city. Brightly lit storefronts and restaurants replaced the brick buildings. Neon signs blinked and flashed overhead, cars sped past, and the empty sidewalks started to fill with people.
“Here we are,” Reagan announced after awhile. “This is the Boulevard.”
They had reached what seemed to be the hub of all the activity growing around them. The sidewalks teemed on both sides of the street, and streams of cars rumbled past. Signs, storefronts, and brightly lit windows lined the walkways, flashing like a Christmas parade. A few of the outdoor cafés had music playing.
Reed hadn’t been out in a place like this since he’d left California. He breathed deeply to inhale it all in one breath. He had missed this. There was nothing quite like the hum of cars and the twinkling of lights on a cold, wintry night.
“Come on,” Reagan interrupted his thoughts, “it’s cold, and I want some coffee.”
A few minutes later, Reed was settled on the outdoor patio of Reagan’s favorite coffee shop sipping a macchiato, compliments of Reagan. Riley sat next to him, his feet propped on a chair as he munched a streusel-coated muffin. Reagan was across the table, making short work of a cappuccino and alternating his attention between the street scene and the cream-crowned cup in his hand. Through the caramel-scented steam that curled up from his cup, Reed let his eyes wander the busy thoroughfare. It was a boardwalk of sorts, almost like an outdoor mall—single-storied buildings with glass fronts, brick sidewalks, even a small fountain in the middle of a traffic circle with a rainbow of lights under its frothy jets. It all seemed very new. Perhaps it had come with all the new factories and the new dorms—“encouraged” to move in.
His roommates occupied themselves narrating the street action to one another. Reagan nearly choked when a girl tripped over the curb, sending shopping bags sailing in every direction, and Riley spit muffin all over his shirt when a texting boy ran into a lamp post. Reed, too, watched the little drama, but he hadn’t mastered his roommates’ humor enough to throw any quips of his own. Besides, the other two were too busy going back and forth with each other to notice anything he said.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” Three girls Reed had never seen before appeared at the table next to them. “Reagan’s at the Boulevard, and he didn’t invite us? I don’t like the way this looks, girls.”
The girl who spoke was the tallest of the three and by far the most beautiful. Her deep brown hair, tucked inside the fur-lined hood of her jacket, framed her contoured and flawless face. She pulled a chair up next to Reagan and sat down. “Out with the boys tonight, are we? You could have told us you were coming.”
Reagan set down his coffee cup and grinned. “Oh, yeah, we’re bro datin’ it tonight. Nothing wrong with that, is there?”
The girl raised a sculpted eyebrow. “That all depends on who you’re with.”
They all laughed and began talking at once. Reed smiled and waited to be introduced.
It never happened. The others pulled up chairs and settled into a circle at the far end of the table. He cleared his throat and set his cup down firmly in front of him. Still nothing. Their heads drew close together into a little knot as they whispered and chattered to one another. Reed bit the inside of his cheek and looked toward the street. The sidewalks were still crowded, and the patio, too. A barista brushed by him carrying a load of steaming orders to one of the full tables. But, in the middle of the crowd, Reed was suddenly alone.
Chewing the inside of his cheek, he stared across the street to the crowded sidewalk on the other side. Suddenly, he squinted and leaned forward. That face—where had it gone? He could have sworn it looked familiar, like—there! He’d been right the first time. It was Nathan.
He was strolling on the fringes of the crowd with another boy Reed didn’t know, his hands buried in the front pockets of his apple green hoodie. They were glancing over the window displays and storefronts, but they seemed bored. Nathan’s friend yawned.
The sight of the pair was like a breath of fresh air on Reed’s face. In a flash, he knew he had to catch up to them. Excusing himself from the group, who didn’t notice anyway, he got up and threaded his way through the tables toward the open street.
On the opposite sidewalk, Nathan and his friend stopped at an intersection directly across from the coffee shop. They seemed to be conferring about something. Nathan’s friend turned to look back the way they had come.
Perfect. Reed dodged a final table and stepped out of the café’s walled patio. Now I won’t have to look like an idiot running down the sidewalk after them.
Still, the two seemed about to move on. Nathan was already starting to walk; his friend, still looking over his shoulder, took a step.
Reed cupped his hands to his mouth. “Hey, Nathan!” he yelled, stepping off the curb. But, as he set foot in the crosswalk, a large truck, going much too fast, barreled past, blaring its horn. Reed jumped back and dropped to the ground, barely ducking under the truck’s protruding mirror. The driver shouted something out the window and swerved but roared past without slowing.
Reed blew out his breath and dusted off the knees of his jeans.
“Idiot,” said a boy, passing on the sidewalk.
Reed glanced up at him. “Excuse me?”
“Not you; the truck.” The boy gave Reed his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Somebody needs to call the cops on jerks like that.”
Reed smiled his thanks and turned back toward the street. The corner of the sidewalk was empty. He glanced up and down the crowded thoroughfare, searching for a glimpse of the pair. He saw nothing. That’s weird. They were just there.
As soon as he could, he crossed the street to the bricked corner where Nathan and his friend had stood not two minutes before. Again, he surveyed the street in both directions with no luck. “He can’t have just disappeared,” he muttered, turning in a full circle. “They must…”
Then he saw them. He hadn’t realized that the sidewalk came to a corner here to let a narrow, dark alley open onto the Boulevard. But, as he turned, he caught sight of two figures at the far end of the little side road, passing under a street light. One of them wore an apple green hoodie.
Instinctively, Reed took a step after them, then stopped. If Nathan was leaving the Boulevard, he probably didn’t want to see anybody. Reed shouldn’t chase after him… should he? He glanced back across the street. He could still see the group just where he’d left them, their heads draw
n close together in a tight, oblivious circle.
Reed snorted and turned into the dark alley. He jogged, hoping to catch up to the other boys quickly, but slowed to a walk as he neared the end of the street. It would be awkward if he dashed around the corner and ran into them. When he reached the corner, he stopped and peered around the rough cement edge of the building.
This new street was wider than the first and ran both directions behind the row of stores, filled with battered blue dumpsters and lit by half a dozen buzzing guard lights. Reed spotted the two figures instantly. They were already a long way down the alley, passing from one pool of light into another. They were full-out running.
For the first time, doubt shot through Reed’s head. What was Nathan doing back here? He stood at the corner, torn. All his previous suspicions about this other boy came back to him. If Nathan was into something he shouldn’t be, Reed almost didn’t want to know. But what if he wasn’t? Reed would always be plagued with questions. He looked back over his shoulder. If he didn’t go on, he would have to go back to the coffee shop and the clique on its patio. The decision was suddenly much easier. He turned and ran down the alley after the two disappearing figures.
The two were fast and seemed to know their way well. They twisted and turned in and out of dozens of backstreets and roadways until Reed’s head was spinning. The alleys began to grow darker, narrower, and less cluttered.
At last, the two in front slowed to a walk. Reed, out of breath, stopped and tried to gasp for air as quietly as possible. Leaning against a wall, he determined to make a final sprint and catch up to them as soon as he could breathe again. But, just as he straightened up to run, the other two stopped. They were listening, their heads cocked, but they weren’t looking behind them. Before Reed could decide what to do, they dove to the side of the street and melted into the shadows behind a dumpster.
Without thinking, Reed did the same, slipping behind a large garbage can and crouching there, heart pounding. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think. Are they hiding from me? Do I wait until they come out again? He could just make out the silhouettes of the other two—black shapes squeezed in a narrow gap between the dumpster and the alley wall. Before he could make a decision, his eye caught a movement in the shadows further down the street. He fixed his gaze on it, trying to stare it down through the dark gloom of the alley. Something was moving toward him. Then it stepped into the light of the single street lamp, and Reed stopped breathing.
It was a man, all in black with an unbuttoned overcoat that fell nearly to his ankles. He was faceless, or at least the mask of black wool made it seem so, and a badge glittered on the chest of his dark uniform. An assault rifle—cruel and cold with a long, curved magazine that jutted from its belly—was slung over his left shoulder. He walked slowly, checking the street around him as he went.
Reed didn’t need anyone to tell him who it was. The feeling of being watched crept slowly up his spine.
The Council.
The man was in sight only for a second before he turned down another street and vanished, but it was enough to chill Reed more than the cold night wind that came moaning up the alley after the figure. He was trembling inside Riley’s thick leather jacket. When he was certain the man was gone, Reed let out his breath and fell against the wall behind him. That did it. He didn’t know what was going on here, but he had to find out. He glanced down the street to where he had last seen Nathan’s silhouette in the shadows. It was gone. Still cautious, he crept out of his hiding place and moved a few yards closer to the spot where he’d last seen the other two boys. By the light of the street lamp, he could easily make out the dumpster and the narrow gap behind it, but the space was empty. Blast. He’d lost them.
He turned and looked back the way he’d come. Now what? He didn’t even know where he was. He turned in a full circle, looking for some clue to take him back to the Boulevard. There was nothing but blank walls and dark alleys twisting in a black maze all around him. He sighed. He’d have to wander around until he stumbled onto something familiar or found someone to ask for directions. This wasn’t quite the evening he’d been expecting.
It didn’t take him as long as he’d feared. It was only half an hour later that he shouldered his way back into the patio at the coffee shop. Reagan and Riley were still there, lounging where he’d left them. The girls were gone.
“Catch your friend?” Reagan asked as Reed approached.
“No.” Reed dropped into his chair, surprised Reagan remembered where he’d gone. “I, uh, lost him.”
Reagan cocked an eyebrow. “Wait, you mean he didn’t see you?”
“Well, it’s hard to say. I don’t think he did. He kinda ran off with somebody else.”
“Better hope he didn’t see you then,” Riley chuckled, dusting muffin crumbs off his fingers. “Otherwise, he was running from you.”
Reed hadn’t thought of that. What if Nathan had heard him shout and taken off on purpose? Perhaps all Reed’s questioning earlier had gone too far. The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.
“Well, you can ask him about it tomorrow.” Reagan tossed his coffee cup into a nearby trashcan. “You said he works with you, right?”
“Yeah, he does. And I guess I will. But I think he…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was poked sharply in the back. He turned quickly and started in surprise. “Hunter?”
Sure enough, grinning wryly behind him was the young man he’d met his first day on the bus. They hadn’t seen each other since, but the Hill was a big place.
“I saw you over here and thought I’d say hi,” Hunter explained, pulling up a chair. His manner hadn’t changed much since their first meeting—a little abrupt and slightly reserved with a dry, cool way of speaking.
“Sure, yeah.” Reed struggled to get his mind back into the present and find something to say. “So… where’ve you been keeping yourself?”
“Oh, I got stuck in Dorm One under Connors.”
Reed grimaced sympathetically. “Gee, that’s bad.”
Reagan cleared his throat. Reed glanced at him and, taking both the warning and the cue, made a quick introduction.
“Your roommates, huh?” Hunter seemed mildly impressed. “I’ve heard of Reagan from Dorm Four and knew he had a new roommate, but I didn’t know it was you.”
Reagan looked flattered.
Riley shot Reed a quick wink. “Yeah,” he said, “most likely you just heard about his first roommate who was awesome enough to count for two.”
Reagan’s flattered expression faded, and he glared at Riley in good-natured annoyance.
Hunter gave a brief smile and stood up. “Yeah, whatever. I just wanted to check in with you, Reed. See you ’round.”
He turned and disappeared into the crowd. Reagan and Riley watched him go.
“He’s a lively one,” Reagan observed. “You met him your first day, you said?”
Reed nodded, and Reagan made no further comment.
They left the coffee shop and spent what remained of the night sauntering up and down the Boulevard, admiring window displays, meeting friends, and browsing through an occasional store. Reed relished it all despite the earlier incidents. He even forgot about the girls who had almost crashed the whole evening. But, after an hour or two, he began to wonder when they’d have to return to the Dorms. He had no idea what time it was.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a loud clang rang out over the city. It wasn’t a pleasant noise; it sounded like someone had tried to mix the Westminster Chimes with an air-raid siren. But it was definitely audible above the street clamor.
Everyone on the thoroughfare paused and looked up. A swift stillness swept over the street. For the first time all night, everything was quiet. A cold wind whispered through the bare branches of the planted trees; the fountain splashed and spluttered alone. But, as the last tone died away, the bustling hurry resumed. It was a different kind of busyness, though, as if everyone began hastily winding th
ings down, putting away, and closing up.
Reed glanced over at Reagan. “What was that supposed to be?”
Reagan straightened from admiring a particularly attractive window model. “That’s the Council’s warning bell. It means we have half an hour to get back into the Dorms before curfew, or else.”
Reed snorted in annoyance.
“Nine-thirty already,” said Riley with a yawn. “I suppose we should start back.”
“Yeah, or it’ll be one long night,” Reagan agreed.
“And an even longer day tomorrow, if Connors has anything to do with it.”
Chapter 8
Reed studied Nathan across the room and wondered what to say. The day’s work had not yet begun at the factory, and the workers stood in little clusters in the aisles, waiting for the belts to turn on. Late into the night, Reed had planned how to begin this conversation. He had finally settled on a satisfactory method but had forgotten it by the time he woke up. Now, as he eyed the other young man, he settled on a back-up plan and moved toward Nathan.
“So do I need to start wearing more deodorant or something?” He sauntered over. “If it’s really that bad, you should’ve said something.”
Nathan’s friendly smile turned to a look of complete incomprehension. “Excuse me, what?”
“You know, last night—you sure didn’t want to stick around after you saw me.”
Nathan looked startled. “What do you mean? I didn’t see you last night.”
Reed gave an inward sigh of relief. So Riley was wrong. “You didn’t? It was at the Boulevard. I yelled to you across the street right before that truck almost hit me. Didn’t you hear me?”
Nathan held up a hand. “Whoa, whoa, I’m confused. So you almost got killed by a truck on the Boulevard and you think I was there? Sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Reed thought for a second. “Well, I guess you missed the part with the truck. By the time I got back up, you were already down the alley. I tried to catch up, but you’re pretty dang fast.”
When Stars Go Out Page 5