Her hands looked smooth from here, her thumb rubbed against the stitching that wove in and out of the leather fastening she played with. I could almost feel the warmth of them on my skin, the way her palm flattened against my back and my chest last night, working their way up the inside of my arm toward my collarbone. Normally, I cringed at another person’s touch. My skin literally spazzed out when prodding fingers met along the rigid pink wound the accident had left me with—but not Evie’s. Her touch was the only exception. It left a warm, soothing sensation along my skin that no doctor could replicate. Even watching her delicate fingers from across the auditorium made my skin tingle.
Tara’s head perked up and looked in my direction. Then the look on her face changed. I followed her eyes sweep across the room and settle somewhere behind my row, then, rather quickly, her eyes faced forward again, as if she had just been caught looking at something she wasn’t supposed to.
Slowly, I turned to see what had caught her attention, and my eyes met ice. Shane. I shifted back in the stiff seat and tried to focus on Headmaster Whitley, who was still taking his good old time explaining why we were all here.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Evie
“What do you keep looking at?” I whispered.
Tara’s interest was on the other side of the auditorium, and I didn’t want to lift my head and look over. I was having enough trouble focusing as it was today.
I wished I could take back my brainy idea of ignoring Chase. I couldn’t read the look in his brown eyes this morning before homeroom. They were deep, hollow, hurt, yet full of everything neither of us could dare talk about. Getting through today would be hard. Tonight would be even harder, and I wondered if I’d made a mistake choosing to steer clear of drawing attention to the two of us. Perhaps the only way to get through this was to lean on one another – no matter who saw.
Tara’s head snapped forward. “I’m bored.” She shifted and wriggled her body until her feet disappeared beneath her on the seat. It didn’t look very comfortable, but, hey, that was Tara. I looked at her sideways, wondering what on earth could be boring about this? We had gotten out of class and spur-of-the-moment assemblies like this never happened.
“I think he’s about to speak,” I whispered back, but Headmaster Whitley was only adjusting the microphone. I straightened up in my seat. These were the seats I hated most. Like the ones in the Cineplex downtown, they folded, but were so low to the ground that once you were parked, you could barely see over the person in front of you. Our auditorium had stadium seating, but it didn’t help much. It was just another proud adjustment to the original school that the board members had spent everyone’s tuition on.
With my chin raised, I could see the podium between the shoulders of two kids in front of us, but my eyes wouldn’t stay centered on the stage. They veered to the left and the right, scanning, searching . . . looking for the one person I swore I was going to avoid.
We were seated with our classes. It wasn’t like lunch where we had the luxury to sit anywhere we wanted, so even broken up it was easy to classify who belonged with which clique; who were friends, and who were enemies. The lines between us were startling clear.
They zigzagged between the seats. They threaded and overlapped between the rows, skipping then picking up again.
I looked at Tara, her expression bored, and watched as she picked tiny traces of lint off her skirt. She had nothing in common with the girl on her left, just as the girl had nothing in common with her. They didn’t speak. In fact, Tara’s arm rested on the inner most portion of the arm rest shared between them, purposely leaning towards me so she wouldn’t, couldn’t, possibly come into contact with the girl.
I looked away. I couldn’t watch how everyone seemed to hate each other; seemed pitted against each other. It was too depressing. I followed the track on the ceiling that carried the lights for the stage, letting my eye trace along the chrome piping until it focused on a particularly soft light. I watched as that light expanded and stretched, not only toward the stage, but down to the seats below, and realized it hovered directly over Chase’s seat like a spotlight. He turned his head and looked directly at me, as if knowing I had found him—a cautious smile waiting beneath the surface, curious to see if I’d cave. What a stupid idea it was to not talk today. He was the only thing making me happy lately. To top it all off, he shared a piece of himself so significant last night, and here I was stifling everything, and because of what?
That was simple.
I was scared—for the both of us, and especially uncertain about the line I’d crossed. It was a line that should be crossed, not only to get a grade, but because it was the right one. In everyone else’s eyes, though, it was a traitorous move. A move that hurled me away from Shane and the others; a move that propelled me to the other side; one I should be wary of making, of sticking to, and of believing in.
I looked across the auditorium at Chase and I knew crossing that line was a risk worth taking.
The smile I had been holding in gleamed across my face; for him, because of him. I didn’t care who saw me and didn’t care who wondered. I had nothing to hide anymore because Chase deserved that smile, and I had every right to give it if I wanted. There was a new line now, but it didn’t divide. It connected me to the amazing, sweet-hearted boy sitting across the room. It was a line that was wide and strong, and no one was going to sever it.
An awful squeak trilled through the air. Headmaster Whitley stood at the foot of the stage, microphone finally in hand. “Boys and girls, I want to thank you for your cooperation, and I apologize to the faculty for disrupting your classes.”
The teachers stood along the wall. They seemed just as clueless as the rest of us.
“I want to bring to your attention that we are making every attempt to create a safe environment for everyone here at our school.”
Everyone shifted in their seats, accompanied by muffled voices. Safe? What was he talking about?
“I’ve called this assembly so that a brief search may be conducted of the lockers and classrooms. You will remain here, using this time as a study hall, until the search has been completed.”
Unified concern grew from face to face around the room, like everyone was doing the wave at a game. A few rows in front of me, a hand shot up into the air, breaking the stunned silence.
“Excuse me, but why are the lockers being searched?”
Headmaster Whitley cleared his throat. “I’m not at liberty to go into detail, but this establishment is allowed to conduct random searches at any given time throughout the school year.”
Another hand sliced the air. “So, our lockers are being ransacked right now?”
“I wouldn’t exactly use that terminology, but yes, as I speak, a quick search is underway.”
“Dude, that’s not right.” The low voice of a boy behind me came to my ears.
“My mother works for the Superintendent,” another voice surfaced. “She can find out what’s going on.”
“Like a fire drill, tests need to be conducted.” Headmaster Whitley spoke above the sea of voices in an effort to deter alarm. “This is like any other. I assure you, there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about here. This is simply a routine.”
I looked at Tara and she looked back at me. I leaned in toward her. “Should we be worried about this?” I asked.
“Why? What would you possibly have to hide?” She snapped her gum and resumed her look of boredom.
I had a lot to hide. Only it wasn’t in my locker. Did that make me safe? I looked over at Chase who appeared just as confused and concerned as I felt. I hadn’t noticed earlier, but just past his seat was a perfect view of Shane. Only Shane wasn’t looking at me. His eyes were aimed several seats below him, looking at Chase.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chase
I made it to my locker in record time after we dismissed from the auditorium, grabbed my belongings and was ready to bolt, when a hand grabbed the metal door f
rom the other side.
“Nothing like a surprise inspection to keep life interesting,” Shane’s eyes were as chilly as his voice.
“I have nothing to hide,” I breathed, “unlike some people.” Knowing of Shane’s attempt to get me in trouble ate at me. Worse yet, he was right here taunting me with his presence while I knew he’d planted that bag near my desk yesterday. That was a given. It was an intolerable action against me, but somehow, I was beginning to feel the power behind being aware of it. I was already beginning to savor knowing what Shane didn’t. Sure, tonight held the promise of danger, just how Shane liked things, but he was completely unaware that his own uncle was in on the last part of the deal.
I flung the locker door shut, spun around and met his stare, letting him know I didn’t plan on backing down.
“You got Jake’s note?” Shane asked, waiting to see who would blink first.
“Yeah, I got it.”
One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi.
Blink.
I stood my ground as he looked away. The muscle in his cheek twitched as he inspected the hallway, making sure no one lingered around for a show. He shoved his hands into his pockets then motioned for me to walk with him. We headed down the hall, past the foyer and into the next corridor, the one where Evie’s locker stood. So much for making it out early, Shane had stalled me long enough to make sure the hallway was clear of stragglers.
He walked directly up to Evie’s locker, pulled a lumpy white envelope from his pocket, then, in what seemed like slow motion, he slipped it between one of the horizontal openings. I heard it fall behind the metal with a soft thud.
“Just a little insurance,” he said with an oily smile, and placed his hands back in his pockets.
“Mess tonight up and I’ll bring both of you down.”
I stared at the closed locker, and resisted the urge to rip the hinges off the door.
“If you handle the delivery tonight as planned, then you won’t need to know what’s in that envelope. Although I’m pretty sure you can figure it out. You’re smarter than you look.” Shane took a step forward until he was right in my face. “If our plan doesn’t follow through, well . . . let’s just say it’ll look like you have a little problem. So don’t mess with me, Mitman.”
I watched Shane turn and walk away. My ears filled with the echo of paper dropping against metal and I realized I’d just figured out who was responsible for inviting me to the party.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Evie
“Why on earth did Jake change it to out here?” Tara asked for the thousandth time. Her complaining started on the highway and escalated from there. Now, as we veered toward the ramp that would lead us to the lake, it was clear her questions weren’t going to stop any time soon. To make matters worse, as we drove along another seemingly endless road, I could see my attempt at ignoring her wasn’t working and I had no choice but to explain it all over again.
“Jake’s mom is sick. They cancelled their trip.” There. Done. I hoped.
Jake’s parents owned a home out on Billings Lake: a gorgeous waterfront property with a private boat dock and majestic views of the small islands dotting the water. The headlights of
Tara’s car flashed across tall shoulder-to-shoulder hemlocks lining the road, and up ahead we finally spied the turn off for Pachaug State Forest.
“We’re almost there.” I pointed, using the signage as a landmark. We turned onto a little road marked private property, and followed the drive up a slight slope, until we reached the house.
I had been here only once but still felt awed by the second home the Shellingers kept. They boasted it was a lakeside cabin, but it didn’t even come close. It was a behemoth of a house, with loads to keep anyone occupied for weeks: hiking, boating, jet skiing and countless unmarked trails for mountain biking.
“You’d think they’d do something about the landscaping,” Tara huffed.
Here we go again, I rolled my eyes. I followed her up to the main walk, refusing to acknowledge her distaste for nature. She didn’t seem to hear that my shoes weren’t the only ones sucking into the mud.
The party was in full swing by the time we arrived. Kids filled up the wraparound porch, taking in the beautiful night. Laughter and music came from every corner of the house and the sound of bottles clinking from inside greeted us. It wasn’t a large group of people, but it was definitely loud.
“You made it,” Jake emerged, beer in hand. “You’d better leave your shoes outside, it’s kind of muddy.”
“Really?” Tara breathed facetiously. “I didn’t notice.”
“Jake just doesn’t want any trace of us after we leave.” Shane’s voice crept from behind, taking me off guard. Ever since the other night, our encounters had been strained and uncomfortable, especially for me—especially since we were still keeping up the appearance of being a couple, when deep down, both of us knew otherwise.
Tara and I leaned down to pull our shoes off, holding onto each other’s shoulders for support.
“Oh, come on, your parents have to know what we do every time they go away. Just because you’re mentally challenged doesn’t mean your parents are stupid too.” Tara eyed Jake playfully.
Tara was right. How could they not know? But honestly, I didn’t think they really cared one way or another. Most kids from school had parents like that; the ones who let them go off and do whatever without intervening. My parents went off to do as they liked, but they always intervened. Go figure.
Voices called from the kitchen for the boys to return.
“Shots?” Jake asked us with a sly grin.
Tara shrugged, pulled her purse up onto her shoulder then followed the sounds of laughter that wafted from the kitchen. “You coming?” she asked, turning around for me.
I was torn between trying to conjure a tactful conversation with Shane, who stared at me, or watching the front door for Chase. I looked at Tara and shook my head.
“Suit yourself.”
Just like that it Shane and I were alone, and suddenly, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Out of habit, I ran my fingers through my hair, covering the bruising on my cheek, which just this morning had begun to turn a nice shade of greenish lavender. I watched him from the corner of my eye and crossed my arms uncomfortably.
“How does it look?” He reached out and lifted the hair away from my face.
Silent shrieks of panic careened throughout my body and I instinctively recoiled. The thought of him touching me again sickened me.
“It looks lovely, how would you expect it to look?” I shot back, though with all attempts not to draw attention to us. As far as everyone else was concerned, we were still together, still a couple. The golden couple.
Far from it, I thought to myself, and was about to step away when he pulled at my hand, motioning us toward a darkened corner near the foyer. It was so loud there was no way anyone could hear us, but he whispered anyway. “Eves, I’m sorry about the other night. You know I would never hurt you.”
Sorry. Isn’t that the word I wanted him to say to me all along? Did it still count coming a few days later?
“But you did hurt me,” I whispered back, hoping he’d hear the stupidity embedded in his words. How could he say he would never hurt me when he already had?
His clammy hand landed on my cheek awkwardly. It reminded me of how Chase cupped my face in his hand in English Lit, only this felt nothing like that. Not even close. This was a poor duplicate of that moment—a moment I now realized couldn’t be compared to by anything Shane could drum up, in hopes of making things better between us.
“It’s not just what you physically did to me Shane,” I turned my head, hoping his hand would fall away. “It’s everything.”
I knew this would come out all wrong, but I had to stick up for myself. Only, I knew he would interpret it differently. Just as I thought, a cold look settled in his eyes. It was safe to say I was treading on thin ice here by implying we were headed for a
break up, only I should’ve known better than to be the one to initiate it. If there was a break up in our future, it would be Shane to do it, not me. How dare I, right? According to him, he was in charge of everything. My happiness—my unhappiness.
I let my words fall short and turned toward the door, praying Chase would walk through it and save me from what I knew I had to do. Shane followed my eyes, but instead of letting go of my hand and dropping me right there, his clutch tightened and squeezed, hurting me all over again at the very notion of my turning away from him for someone else.
“It’s him, isn’t it? Did you know he’s out there right now picking Ty up on the way here?”
Of course I knew but I couldn’t tell him that. Instead I let him gloat as he held his secret over me.
“That’s right. Ty has something for me and I have something for him. And Chase is the one who will make it all run smoothly.”
I looked him in the eye and raised my eyebrows, watching the smirk grow across his lips in the shadowed corner where we stood. The beat of the music pulsated around us, timing with the nervousness of my heart, thrumming deep within my chest. His eyes gleamed bright with this bit of information, but I had a secret too. Shane had no idea his uncle was about to betray him in the worst possible way, even if it seemed to jump straight out of the tough love chapter from a Kids Peace handbook. But fear took hold of me anyway. I knew to trust my instincts where Shane was concerned. I knew he would eventually set out to ruin Chase, especially in front of everyone, and I was careful not to let the secret slip.
He moved closer, leaning next to my ear. “What the hell is it about Chase Mitman that has you so wrapped up?” he asked, urging me to admit what he thought was going on behind his back, only he didn’t wait for me to answer. “Well, I’ve got some news, Evie. Chase might be invited to this party, but he’s not staying.”
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