Chapter 27 Playlist Don’t Listen If Unstable #2
Instead I ask, “So you never wished it had been her? That you were talking to?” Because there was a time I wondered that, too.
“No.” He reaches across his body with his other hand to tilt my face so he can look at me.
“I don’t know why I asked you for her number.
That was… lame. I knew her from all the athletic mixers at school, and she was always so talkative and hard to miss.
And you’ve always been so quiet, you know?
And it’s not fair to say quiet means you should be overlooked, because now that I know you, I’m not sure how I ever could have overlooked you.
Because now I can’t wait until the next time I’ll see you, and I think about you all the time. ”
I can’t move, can’t look away from his earnest blue eyes.
This is the guy I’ve had a crush on forever.
I’ve watched him from afar, I’ve daydreamed about him, I’ve pictured myself as the girl he sits with and kisses against the lockers at school.
And now I know him for real, and my feelings are real, and he’s even better than I imagined.
I never, ever thought he’d feel the same way about me, and even my confusing feelings for Gregory and guilt about the pact don’t overshadow my elation at his declaration. Isn’t this what I always wanted?
At this point we’ve already kissed and agreed to go on a date, so isn’t it too late to go back?
“I think about you a lot too,” I hear myself say. It’s like I’m floating above my body, suspended in this moment that I never in a million years imagined myself in.
His smile widens. He brushes back a stray wisp of my hair, his fingers a soft stroke along my temple. “You’re so sweet and beautiful and funny, and I’m just… I’m really into you, Amelia Madden.”
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, he’s leaning in and closing his eyes, and his palm is gentle on the back of my head, and I think he’s about to kiss me again, in front of everyone—
“Amelia? Amelia!”
I can’t place the voice, but the person sounds panicked.
I twist around, looking for the source, and finally my eyes land on Teddy.
He’s a sophomore and always hanging out with Kat’s little brother, Luke.
I know next to nothing about him other than that Kat and I did everything we could to avoid them whenever we hung out, except for when her mom asked us to keep an eye on them at the beach or something.
It wasn’t anything against Teddy. We avoided her little brother regardless of which friends he was with.
Teddy just happened to be the most frequent flier.
“Teddy? I’m over here.” I pull away from Myles and stand, and when Teddy finally lays eyes on me, a hint of relief passes over his features. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Luke,” he pants. “I—I don’t know, something’s wrong.” He’s grabbing my arm. “Please, you have to help him.”
Gregory appears and asks, “Who’s Luke?”
Somewhere in the back of my mind I wonder where he came from and if he saw Myles and me just now, but the urgency in Teddy’s eyes takes precedence.
“Kat’s brother,” I explain, and ask Teddy, “Where is he?”
“Over there.” He’s already yanking me toward the water.
Gregory and Myles both follow and help us push through the throng of partygoers. I’m flanked by both of them by the time we come upon a small circle of underclassmen.
“Move!” I yell. I gasp when I finally see Luke.
He’s on the ground, legs splayed with one arm across his chest and one above his head.
The terrifying thought Oh my God, is he dead?
flashes through my brain before I regain control of myself.
I drop to my knees beside him, barely missing a pile of vomit in the sand.
Gregory and Myles kneel beside me. Myles presses a couple of fingers to Luke’s throat, which makes Luke move his head a little.
Something’s obviously very wrong, but at least he’s breathing.
“Luke? Can you hear me?” I ask loudly.
Luke mumbles something incoherent.
“What’s wrong with him?” I ask, voice high. “What happened?”
“How much has he had to drink?” Gregory adds.
“I—I don’t know,” Teddy says, twisting his hands into his shirt.
“I saw him drinking from this,” some girl says, and a bottle is thrust into Gregory’s hands.
“Everclear?” Gregory immediately starts pouring the remainder into the sand. “Do you idiots have a death wish? This is almost one hundred percent alcohol.”
Luke groans and starts vomiting again. The three of us quickly roll him onto his side so he doesn’t choke. Even while getting sick, Luke barely seems conscious. His skin is too pale.
“He needs to go to the hospital.” There’s no way I can get him all the way to my house for one of my parents’ cars. I look between Gregory and Myles. “Did either of you bring a car here?”
Myles shakes his head. “Chuck picked me up on his way. I probably shouldn’t drive, but I can go find him—”
“My car’s here,” Gregory interrupts. He stands like we have no time to waste, and I think he’s right. “Let’s go.”
I stand too, then regard Luke on the ground.
“I’ll help you get him to the car,” Myles says and scoops Luke up into his arms before he rises.
People are staring as the three of us make our way to the grassy area where everyone parks. Headlights flicker when Gregory unlocks his car, and I open the back door.
Myles lays him across the bench seat as best he can, and I climb in and position Luke’s head in my lap. Gregory grabs a plastic bag from his passenger seat and dumps items out onto the floorboard before shoving the bag in my direction.
“In case he throws up again.”
I nod and take it.
“Keep me updated,” Myles says, his worried eyes on mine as he gently closes the door.
Gregory starts the car and peels out of the parking lot.
The hospital’s only ten minutes away, but it’s the longest drive of my life.