34. Melanie
CHAPTER 34
Melanie
The oppressive heat was finally beginning to abate, but the haze of wildfire smoke still tinged the air. On the plus side, it made for spectacular sunsets. The mountain peaks rose against a sky streaked with purple and orange as the red sun sank behind them.
Luke and I got out of his car at the stadium behind Tilikum High School. The excitement was contagious as students and families poured out of their vehicles and made their way to find seats, ready to cheer for the Tilikum Timberwolves in their first home game of the football season.
It was nice to be out and about and not feel like the entire town was giving each other the side-eye. It had been a couple weeks since the last attack, and while Luke and I weren’t holding out hope that it was really over and the perpetrator was gone, the tension had eased. Town chatter had shifted, centering around the wildfires and whether they were going to get close enough to cause problems.
Not that I wanted a fire to threaten Tilikum, but it was a welcome respite from all the whispers about The Whisper.
Luke took my hand as we made our way toward the bleachers. It was a little bit strange to be back on the campus of our old high school—so fraught with memories—especially with him. But there was a newness to it, as well. We weren’t the kids who had crept around corners to steal kisses between classes or had stomp-away-from-each-other arguments in the parking lot.
I wasn’t so naive as to think we wouldn’t have problems or make mistakes. But I wasn’t afraid of that anymore. Luke knew me inside and out. He’d seen me at my best, and my worst, and he still loved me.
I’d never felt so peaceful with anyone.
“Are your parents coming?” I asked.
“Oh yeah. They go to all the games. Especially since Owen started playing last year.” He pointed at a spot in the stands. “There they are.”
It wasn’t just his parents. The Havens practically took up an entire section. Josiah and Audrey sat just behind Paul and Marlene. Josiah had their daughter Abby in his arms. Next to them were Garrett and Harper with little Isla.
Zachary and Marigold sat next to Paul and Marlene with their baby, Emily. And behind them were Annika and Levi with all four of their kids.
Just behind the Havens, the Bailey clan took up several more rows. In the middle of all five families and their kids was Gram Bailey, the matriarch of the bunch. She had a big Tilikum Timberwolves foam hand and was already waving it around.
None of the Baileys had kids in high school yet, but Tilikum was a tight-knit community. Win or lose, the stands were always packed.
We made our way over and claimed seats. Moments later, Nathan and Sharla showed up, Lucia, Zola, and Nico adding to the chaos of excited children. My parents were with them and my mom was decked out in a Tilikum Timberwolves T-shirt and knit hat .
“What is all this?” I asked, gesturing to her swag. “You don’t have any kids or grandkids who go here.”
“What does that have to do with anything? They’re my home team. I can still represent. Besides, we’re all practically family.” She gestured to the rows of Havens.
“Practically family?”
She patted my cheek. “You know what I mean.”
I rolled my eyes as she and my dad found spots. Luke just grinned.
“What are you smiling about?” I sat down and he took the seat next to me.
“Nothing.”
I nudged him with my elbow.
“I heard from Andrea earlier today. Did I tell you that?”
“Is she coming back to work?”
“She’d like to.”
“The timing is perfect. I have to start recording next week.”
“I know.” He put his arm around me and scooted me closer. “But I like having you there.”
“You just want to be able to keep an eye on me.”
“I do, but I like having you there either way.” He kissed my temple. “I’m going to miss you.”
That made me smile. “I’ll miss you too.”
I would miss him, but it was for the best, especially long term. Voice acting was what I loved, and it would be good for us to have our own things—give us a little space from each other. I had a feeling we’d appreciate our time together even more.
And we’d be less likely to try to kill each other over something stupid.
It wasn’t long before the announcer’s voice boomed over the sound system, welcoming the crowd to the game. He announced the opposing team’s starting lineup to cheers from the visitors’ section and polite applause from the home crowd.
Theo stood on the sidelines with his clipboard in hand. He tucked it under his arm to clap for his team as the Timberwolves starting lineup was announced.
The home crowd went wild, standing and clapping for each athlete. When he got to the last student, I almost had to plug my ears.
“Number thirty-three, Owen Haven!”
Our entire section, from the Havens in front to the Baileys behind us, erupted in cheers and whistles. The noise only quieted for a moment, until they announced head coach Theo Haven, and we cheered again, just as loud as if he’d been the star athlete on the field.
I’d gone to a lot of the games back in high school, but I’d never been much of a football fan. Now, the excitement was infectious. I didn’t have to understand everything that was happening on the field. I could tell when to cheer, and the Timberwolves gave us plenty of opportunities.
Especially Owen.
Every time the quarterback gave him the ball—which was often—we yelled and applauded. And when he scored a touchdown, we all surged to our feet and screamed our brains out.
I almost felt bad for the other team. Almost.
People made trips to the concession stand and passed out popcorn and hot dogs to everyone who wanted some. I passed on the hot dog, but happily shared a bag of popcorn with Nico and Zola and a lemonade with Luke. It was only mildly disappointing that the concession stand wasn’t selling pickles. I thought it was a missed opportunity. Luke didn’t agree.
By halftime, I was well on my way to losing my voice.
“I’m not going to be able to talk after this,” I said to Luke .
“Oh, no,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Mel without a voice? That’s terrible.”
I elbowed him. “Hey.”
He grinned. “Do you want some water?”
“Yeah, that would be good. And I need to use the restroom.”
“I’ll walk you over there.”
“Aren’t they inside the school?”
“No, they built new ones on the other side of the concession stand a few years ago.”
That was handy. When we were students, we had to go all the way inside the school building to use the restrooms on game nights. Luke took my hand, and we made our way down the bleachers and toward the concession stand. Sure enough, there was a gray stone building a short distance away.
Luke paused outside the entrance to the ladies’ room, eyeing the door like he wanted to go inside and inspect it. A mom with two young kids walked in ahead of me and an elderly woman walked out. The regular traffic of typical townspeople seemed to appease him.
“I’ll meet you right here,” he said.
I popped up on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “I’ll only be a minute.”
Inside, there were two rows of stalls, and no line. That was nice, seeing as my bladder was increasingly giving me danger signals. That lemonade was going right through me.
I used the restroom and came out of the stall. It took me a second to find the sinks around the corner. I didn’t see the mom with her kids, but I could hear her talking softly to one of them while I washed my hands.
With that taken care of, I checked my teeth for bits of popcorn in the mirror, applied some lip gloss, and went out the exit.
Luke wasn’t there, which was odd. I took a few steps and glanced around the back of the building. He wasn’t there, either.
In fact, no one was there, and neither was the concession stand. I paused for a second, confused, and tried to get my bearings. Where the heck was I? It felt like I’d just been sucked through a space-time portal.
Turning around again, I realized the noise of the crowd was on the other side of the building. I must have gone out the wrong door. The interior of the restroom was a bit maze-like, with the rows of stalls and separate sink area. I tried the door, but it was locked from that side. That figured. I’d just have to go around.
Out of nowhere, an arm wound around my neck, cutting off my air. Terror exploded inside me, and I kicked and flailed, gripping at the arm, trying to break free. He was too strong. The edges of my vision went dark, the world closing around me rapidly.
The last thing I heard before my consciousness failed was a soft whisper in my ear. “Shh. Don’t struggle. There’s my good girl. Everything will be okay.”