31. “One WayAnother” - Blondie
“One Way or Another” - Blondie
Heath
Since beating up Walker’s professor, I’ve thought of around a thousand different ways I could have handled the situation besides the way I did—not that any of that helps me now.
I rummage around in the garage until I find my skateboard behind a moving carton labeled “Cami’s Stuff - Hands Off!” in thick black Sharpie. She really is moving out.
Board in the back of my car, I head to the skate park. The waves are too choppy to surf safely, and I need a way to clear my head. Wide gray clouds stretch their way across the sky, hanging low like they’ll dump rain any minute.
I rub my right hand over my fist on the steering wheel. My knuckles are swollen and bleeding. I didn’t think a guy who sits behind a desk all day would be so hard to knock down.
I can still smell the bay rum he was wearing, the fucking bastard. It can’t be the same five-hundred-dollar cologne my dad wears, but it smells just like it, that sickly Caribbean scent that makes me want to hurl.
I should’ve knocked him out just for that .
The skate park is empty when I pull up. The impending rain has scared everyone off. Before I can think better of it, I pull out my phone and send a text to Walker.
Hey, I’m really sorry for what happened earlier. If there’s any way I can make it up to you, please let me know. xx
Then I unload my board from the trunk and head to the half-pipe. Better to do something with my hands than to sit in the car and stew over everything that went wrong.
Skating doesn’t have the effect I hoped for. My brain can’t shut out all the things grappling for my attention. I wipe out three times before deciding I’ve had enough.
The sky opens, and rain pours from the clouds. I’m drenched within seconds. Hauling my board back to the car, I toss it in the backseat. While I wait it out, I check my phone for any new messages. Knowing Walker won’t have texted me back doesn’t keep me from hoping.
She hasn’t, of course, but there is one from Maeve in the group chat that doesn’t include Walker.
Maeve : Heath, status update on the Walker situation?
I laugh out loud at the coincidence of her text, my heart lurching with the reminder of what I’m supposed to be doing.
Me : I had her thrown out of the Archives
It takes several minutes for a reply.
Maeve : You did what?
Rhett : Ouch mate! #score
Lux : Whoa Heath. What happened? Rhett, don’t use hashtags like that. Ever x
Me : Her professor showed up and tried to make a move on her and I punched him in the face
Rhett : #DUDE #what #a #ledge
Maeve : You realize this complicates things, right?
No, Maeve. I had no fucking clue .
Me : Yep
Maeve : I’m working with what you’ve sent me so far, but I’m going to need more. Can you send me her most recent notes? x
Me : She doesn’t want to see me
Maeve : Why the F not?
Me : Because I beat up Dr. Wonderful and got us kicked out
Lux : She got mad at you for protecting her?
Me : Yep
Bubbles appear next to Maeve’s name, then disappear, only to return again a few seconds later.
Maeve : Just so we’re clear, you need to get back into her good graces. The game isn’t over yet.
Me : I know. I just don’t have a plan yet
Maeve : Well, figure it out. And do it soon. I need to get this paper sent in before she leaves. x
I toss my phone onto the seat beside me and start the car. Easy for Maeve to say. Not all of us are devilish geniuses with how-to manuals for wrecking everyone in our back pockets.
My stomach rolls at the thought of deliberately sabotaging Walker. Doing it accidentally was bad enough, but to try to get her in trouble with the university?
I don’t even know what I want anymore. Walker would be off-limits, even if she did want to talk to me. I don’t want to take her down, even if she left without telling anyone.
What does Maeve expect me to do? Walker doesn’t want to see me. We’re both banned from the Archives. Accessing her notes and helping her with her research will be as easy as robbing a bank.
And like that, I have a plan.