“Katie …”
She held her head up high, chin pointed proudly. “So that’s why I’m a bitch. Because I refuse to be my mother. Because I take what I want.”
“I … get it, actually. And you’re right, Katie. You are strong,” I told her, half-smiling. “It doesn’t excuse you for hogging Daniel to yourself, but I mean—”
She splashed me in the face and laughed. “Shut up.”
“Fine.” I grinned. “Sorry.”
Katie frowned. “What’s the plan with him? For the two of you, I mean. Obviously I’m out of the picture now, so when are you making your move?”
“Wait … what?” I spluttered. “Did you break up with him?”
“Well, not officially … but I’m going to do it. Tonight, I think,” she answered. “Our relationship is a little bit of a lost cause, don’t you think? It makes sense now. I mean we never, like, did it or anything. He always stopped things before they went too far. And … he hasn’t been himself since everything happened that night between you two. So it’s over between Daniel and me.”
I blinked in total surprise. Katie and Daniel were almost broken up. Daniel would soon be single. He would be ready to mingle. Katie would be out of the picture. She was nice now, but she would no longer be an obstacle. Katie and Daniel had never even had sex. Daniel was … a virgin?
He hasn’t been himself since everything happened that night between you two.
That was the most important of all. The thought made angels sing in my chest and butterflies take flight in my stomach.
“Will?” Katie asked. “What are you thinking?”
“Huh?”
“You were a little spaced out for a minute.” She smirked. “Drooling a little bit.”
“I was not … I was just thinking that, uh, the plan will have to change now. I wanted us to be supportive for him, which I guess just meant pretending nothing had happened. I just didn’t want to force him to admit a secret he wasn’t ready to admit. But now that you know about his orientation, and he’s going to know that you know … and he knows that all his friends know, well—”
“The cat’s out of the closet,” Katie said.
“Exactly.”
“So why don’t you take a day or two to think things through? You can make a new plan.”
I sighed. “I can’t do that. He’s leaving tomorrow morning.”
“Not necessarily,” she said mischievously. “Seeing as his almost-ex-girlfriend is the one providing the lift to his school. I mean, she could always decide she doesn’t want to go back early. And then … whoops, I guess Daniel would have to stay here.”
“You would do that for me?”
“For a new friend,” she said. “Yes.”
“Katie, I would honestly hug you right now except for the fact that we’re naked, and you’re a girl, and … ew.”
“Why don’t we go get dressed and then you can hug me?” Katie suggested. “Besides, I have something to discuss with Daniel.”
“Sounds good to me,” I told her.
We let the waves wash us back toward the shore, shivering in the cool evening air. Facing away from each other to hide our more intimate body parts, we slipped back into our clothes. For the record, putting dry clothes on right after you get out of the ocean is one of the grossest feelings ever.
“Want to piss some people off?” I asked when we were dressed. She narrowed her eyes and nodded.
And so, with our arms around each other, we returned to our group of friends. They greeted us with death stares. I sat down as if nothing at all had happened. Katie took Daniel by the hand and led him down the beach. I tried not to follow them with my eyes. I wondered what exactly she would say to him.
“Um, Will? Will, my dear friend.” Hannah sounded like the calm before the storm. “What exactly the fuck was that? I mean what the actual fuck?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said, trying not to smile.
Emma hissed, “You don’t know what she means?”
“Is this one of those keep your enemy closer than you friends thing?” Blake demanded.
Michael just shook his head. “Dude.”
No doubt their interrogation would have continued if Daniel hadn’t stalked back over to the bonfire. In the orange glow of the flames, his face looked ghostly. His cheeks looked hollow, his mouth was turned down into a grimace, and his eyes seemed to be painted in shadow.
“Katie and I are leaving,” he announced shakily.
Nobody said anything.
“Don’t worry, we’re not going back to school early. We’re staying here until the end of the summer. See you all tomorrow, okay?” He sounded like he wanted to cry.
My friends echoed a confused, “Bye.”
Katie appeared next to Daniel and sent me a private wink as the two of them were swallowed by the darkness of the trees. Watching them leave, I realized that I was being stared at by four incredulous sets of eyes.
This time, when Hannah asked what the fuck was going on, I answered. I explained about my heart-to-heart with Katie and how she and Daniel were no longer together—this time for good. I told them that the plan needed a major facelift. They took everything in stride, except for my newfound camaraderie with Katie. Years of hatred can’t be undone overnight, and I was going to have to accept that. I remained optimistic that they would eventually come around.
The party, it seemed, has run its course. The bonfire was extinguished with bucketfuls of water, and the remaining alcohol was discreetly stashed away at the bottom of a cooler.
When Blake’s mom arrived, we piled into her van, holding the sand-covered coolers on our laps and keeping to ourselves. We all put on our best sober faces.
As Mrs. Jackson pulled onto the highway, Blake and Michael got into an argument about who would get to shower first when they got home. I was content to sit back and enjoy the trivial debate, when I felt Hannah poking my arm.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey.”
“I’m happy that things worked out tonight for you, okay? I am.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“You have to give me time,” she said. “Tolerating Katie might take some time.”
“I understand.”
Hannah smiled. “But the plan will advance nonetheless. We’re going to make this work, okay?”
“Thanks.”
She rested her head on my shoulder. It felt nice, like I was needed. I felt a pang in my heart as I thought about Daniel putting his head there and of putting a protective arm around his shoulders. That would be nice.
Hannah’s voice was soft by my ear. She sighed, “Everything’s going to work out, Will. Everything’s going to be just fine.”
20. New wardrobe?
21. Skinny-dipping
Chapter 20
Broken Rules and Broken Boys
My phone rang shrilly by my ear, and I woke with a scream. The scream turned into a groan as I vomited explosively all over myself because, well, I had had a lot to drink the night before. Still retching and coughing up the chunks of barf I had almost choked on, I rolled over and reached for the phone.
“What?” I demanded, smearing the phone in the puke on my face. Not one of my best mornings.
Hannah’s voice was irritatingly alert. “Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
“Why are you calling me?”
Her voice turned serious. “Daniel left.”
“He did what?”
“He left!” she shouted, her voice like a drill bit piercing my brain.
I moaned, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand. “Explain … softly.”
“He was talking with my dad … Katie broke up with him last night, like you said. He took it badly. And my dad started prying, you know, asking all kinds of questions and stuff. Th
en he started to mention what happened when Daniel was a kid, like with that boy he liked at school and—”
“Oh God.”
“Exactly. Will, it was a mess.”
“So he left?”
“He packed a few things, told us that he had to get out of town … too many emotions or some bullshit excuse. He just stormed out of the house and hopped on a bus. Said he was heading back to school.”
“He’s …”
“He’s gone, Will,” Hannah told me dejectedly. “He’s gone.”
I gritted my teeth. “Let me call you back.”
“What? No, this is a serious—”
“I know that! I’ll call you back.”
The stench of vomit was overwhelming, so I whipped my clothes off and jumped in the shower. And I’ll be damned if I didn’t take the fastest shower ever taken by a vomit-covered, hungover teenager. I pulled on a pair of PJ pants and a sweater and wobbled down the stairs. My stomach was apparently going for the gold medal in Internal Organ Gymnastics.
“Hey, kiddo,” Aunt Nellie said when I came downstairs. “Did you have fun last night?”
I banged a hand urgently onto the table and shakily took a seat. Aunt Nellie looked stunned. “There’s a problem.”
“Well, there certainly is. Will, honey, your breath smells like you just threw up,” she said.
“That’s not it,” I said. “Daniel’s gone. He basically ran away from home and went back to his school, and we all have so much to tell him, and I have so much to tell him, and this wasn’t supposed to happen because Katie and I are friends now, and she broke up with him, so he’s single now and—”
“Will,” Aunt Nellie cut me off. She put a gentle hand on my forearm and looked me straight in the eyes, looking concerned. “Will, honey … this isn’t okay anymore.”
“No! Of course it’s not okay!” I was crying now, hot tears rolling down my flushed cheeks. “Aunt Nellie, please, I just really need your help. We have to go to him, and I just please need you to take me there. And maybe Hannah too. Please please please please …”
Aunt Nellie shut her eyes as if pained. “No.”
“No?”
“No.”
“What do you mean? Aunt Nellie—”
“This is not healthy for you anymore. This has gone on for—”
“What are you saying?”
She snapped. “Will, it’s not okay—”
“What are you saying?”
“Will!”
“Should I just let him go then?” I shouted, jumping out of my chair. “Let him leave and be miserable? Is that what you want? Because—”
“I want what’s best for you!” Her voice was raised. It wasn’t a shout, but she might as well have been screaming. Aunt Nellie never raised her voice. “Can’t you see that, Will? Can’t you see that I’ve only ever wanted what’s best for you?”
“Aunt Nellie …”
“This has gone on long enough. You know I support you. You know that. But this … this relationship with this boy is toxic. It’s hurting you too much. I’m … I’m not okay with it. I’m not okay with him hurting you.”
“He’s not hurting me, really he’s—”
She raised a hand, and I stopped talking. “That’s all I’m going to say. This boy has his own journey to take … and you’re not going to be a part of it. I don’t care if you’re mad at me. I’m just not going to let you be hurt. You’re a teenager, Will, and I know that. This feels like the end of the world. But I’m doing what’s best for you.”
“So that’s it?”
“We’re not going to see him. You’re not going to see him.” She was breathing heavily, trying to arrange her face into an intimidating expression. I could tell she wanted so badly to be tough and mean. She thought she was doing what was best for me, but she was wrong.
I shook my head. “Well, thank you so much for looking out for me. It’s really appreciated.”
“Will.”
My eyes burned as I turned and stomped up the stairs. I paused for a moment in the doorway to my room, running my hands nervously over the frame, wondering if she was coming after me. I heard nothing, so I stepped into my room and slammed the door with all of my might.
“Hannah,” I said when she picked up the phone, “we’re on our own. Aunt Nellie won’t let me go. But I’m going. One way or another, I’m going after him.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Hannah told me proudly, and I could hear the passion for mischief in her voice. “I’ll call everyone else.”
“Why?”
“Because … we’re going on a little road trip.”
. . .
This was stupid. This definitely counted among things that were to be considered stupid. This was on the same level of stupidity as people who parachuted off cliffs or let their friends punch them in the nuts for shits and giggles. If you looked up the word “stupid” in any dictionary across the globe, you would see a picture of me smiling … stupidly.
I looked ridiculous in all dark clothes: a black hoodie, black jeans … and my new leather boots because they seemed fittingly SWAT team chic. My backpack bulged with clean clothes and my familiar, comfy All-Stars. I’d packed in a hurry once Aunt Nellie had fallen asleep.
My phone vibrated under my pillow, the sound muffled for added stealth. I pulled it out, my fingers trembling, and saw the code word that meant it was time to put our plan into action: burrito.
The anxiety I felt could not be ranked on a 1–10 scale … it was a number so high that it could only be expressed using scientific notation. I was worried that at any moment my heart would spontaneously explode, and my palms were sweating like they’d just run a marathon.
I pulled the straps tighter on my backpack and took one last glance around my room, feeling certain that I’d never see it again. Our escapade would surely result in disownment, incarceration, or a one-way ticket to the electric chair.
Ever so slowly, I opened my bedroom door. It didn’t squeak. But opening my door was only the appetizer to the main course. I still had to make my way down the flight of stairs.
Looking down, I was tempted to call it quits. Those sturdy, carpeted stairs that had never once made a sound became my greatest adversaries. They would never allow me to pass soundlessly.
But I reminded myself that the code word had been texted; the other members of our team were ready. I had to be strong for them. I could not let my friends down … or myself for that matter.
I lowered my foot onto the first stair with surgical precision, expecting the sound of a shattering glacier to ensue. There was no sound. I moved on to the next stair, just waiting for the atomic bomb to drop. Again, nothing. Each step closer to the bottom sent my stomach clambering up my esophagus as I waited for the dreaded creak. But several tense minutes later, I was at the base of the staircase.
My nerves were shot. I just needed to get out of the house. Sneaking past Aunt Nellie’s room, I tiptoed down the final staircase to the front door and slipped outside.
The Jackson family van was idling on the street, looking formidable in the late-night gloom. I half-expected to be jumped by some thugs only to have Tom Cruise hop out of the car and rescue me. Or maybe I’d just watched too many action movies.
The side door slid open as I approached, and I swung inside. The door slammed shut, sealing me inside … locking me into the plan.
“Jesus, Em,” Hannah whispered. “Why don’t you slam it a little louder? I don’t think they heard you three blocks over.”
“Sorry.”
Michael held out a fist from the passenger seat for me to bump. “Welcome to the Prison Bus.”
“Will you stop calling it that?” Blake snapped from behind the wheel, starting down the road.
“That’s what it’s gonna be!”
I gulped. “Prison?
”
“Well, yeah.” Michael laughed. “I mean grand theft auto of our parents’ van, five underage runaways crossing state lines … we’re headed for the electric chair! That’s if we make it there in one piece. Blake’s an awful driver and is terrified of the highway, so—”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know that you could drive,” Blake said. “Oh wait, you’re still a fetus. My bad, pipsqueak.”
“Screw you!” Michael launched himself at his brother, and we swerved on the road. I screwed my eyes shut, waiting for the flash of light. Fortunately, Hannah started shouting at the Jackson brothers, forcing them to keep the peace.
“Guys,” she yelled, “we are not getting caught. Look … we’re still kids, okay? We’re powerless. But tonight, we’re standing up and doing something. And we will not get caught.”
“Amen, sister,” Emma said.
The tension briefly defused, we could all settle back in our seats. Emma had her feet propped up against Michael’s headrest. I glanced around and blurted out, “Why are you all in pajamas?”
Hannah rolled her eyes at me, playing with the drawstring on her polka-dotted PJs. “Because it’s nighttime, Einstein. And pajamas make everything better.”
“Fair enough.”
“Might wanna join the club, Will,” Blake called from the front seat. To my total surprise, I saw that the Jackson brothers were wearing lounge pants dotted with logos of sports teams that I didn’t know. Them owning long pajama pants astounded me; I always suspected them to be bare-chested, boxers-wearing sleepers. Go figure.
I swapped places with Hannah, clambering into the back with my backpack. The van sped off, tossing me against the seat. “Shit.”
“Sorry, bro.”
Maybe Michael was right and we really wouldn’t make it to our destination in one piece. As I tried to pull my pants off and change into my PJs, I was tossed back and forth as Blake took sharp turns at absurd speeds. Entangled in my hoodie, I was thrown headfirst into a window. “Dude!”
Nobody heard me over the stereo; we had made it to the bridge out of town, and Blake had cranked the music. I wasn’t aware that prohibited, overnight road trips were considered fun parties.
The Big Summer Page 23