3. Run Away
3
Run Away
“Are you mad?” I ask Kendrick as soon as we enter the kitchen. He hasn’t said a single word to me since we left the alley. He insisted on driving me for “safety reasons” and asked Will to drive Kassidy’s car back. The house is completely silent. I know for a fact Maria is working a night shift again while Kass is probably sleeping like a baby.
“Mad? Why would I be mad? You just became a target to my enemies. No big deal.”
“Are you seriously blaming me right now? How the heck was I supposed to know about any of this? I had no idea you were going to some creepy meeting with Haze Adams.”
“Yes. I am blaming you for this, Winter. None of this would’ve happened if you had just stayed home. What were you thinking?”
“Maria was right. They are bad influences,” I spit.
“Don’t you get it? I’m the leader. Me. Not Will, Blake, or Alex. They’re not bad influences, I am,” he yells.
“Fine. Congratulations. You’re a troubled kid. I still can’t believe you did that to me. Why in the world did you agree to this deal?”
He grows irritated. “Do you really think I would’ve said yes if I had a choice? That’s Haze Adams we’re talking about. You don’t know him like I do. That sneaky bastard.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You heard him. If word gets out…” He pauses midsentence. “Let’s just say if anyone finds out about you, terrible things could happen. In the street fighter world, love is weakness.” He covers his face with his hand, sighing. My blood turns cold.
“What about Kass and Maria? If that’s true, don’t you have to protect them, too?”
“No. Because unlike someone , they never followed me. Nobody knows about them. Or at least, for now.”
“How did you even get yourself in that situation in the first place, Kendrick? What happened to you? How the hell did you become a street fighter?”
He doesn’t answer, staring blankly ahead of him. He reaches for a chair and sits down at the kitchen table, then motions for me to do the same. I obey, uncertain. The tension in the atmosphere is so thick it’s hard to breathe.
He doesn’t speak for a while, obviously wondering if he should tell me everything. Then, after a long and unbearable pause, he breaks the silence.
“It started two years ago.”
I immediately know what time period he’s referring to. We thought we’d lost him back then. Two years ago, something changed in Kendrick. Something broke. When he eventually made it through and turned back into the goofy guy he used to be, we thought it was a miracle. We didn’t know it at the time, but the reason for Kendrick’s previous breakdown was the discovery of his father’s affair. Nick manipulated—practically blackmailed—Kendrick into keeping it a secret from Maria for years, said it would tear the family apart. Recently, Kendrick flinched and spilled. I shouldn’t be aware of this. Maria went through hell and back to keep it from everyone—even Kass. She knows it would destroy her daughter. I only know from overhearing my mother on the phone with Maria.
“I was so angry at my father. There was this rage inside of me all the damn time. I was ditching school, failing classes. I didn’t care about anything anymore. My mom was so desperate to help me, but I refused to let her in. I had anger management issues. I just… I hated him so much.” He looks down, the topic clearly stirring up old and buried feelings.
“Then I met Blake, Will, and Alex. Blake was new in town and clearly had a lot of anger of his own. Will was angry about his mother using again, and he’d been kicked out of his house by his dick of a stepfather. Alex, on the contrary, literally had everything. A great family, a bright future, money. But he still felt empty. Like he needed more. We all bonded over our misery. Then, Blake told us he’d found a way to release his anger, and he thought maybe it could help us, too. That’s when he took me to my first fight.”
“Your first fight?”
“Illegal street fights. Top secret and really hard to find unless you have someone on the inside. They constantly change location. Blake knew a guy. It had been going on everywhere across town under the authorities’ noses for a couple of years already. Anyone could fight. As long as they were aware of the risks.”
“Risks?” I ask.
“Dying, breaking every bone in your body—you know, the usual,” he jokes, but I can’t bring myself to laugh. “There are rules, of course. But you have to be willing to surrender. If you don’t, your opponent has the right to finish you off. Not exactly rainbows and unicorns, is it?”
I squirm.
“We started training intensely. We could make money and fight to release our rage. We thought we were in heaven.”
“Were you?” I nervously fidget with the fabric of my shirt.
“No. We couldn’t have been more wrong. They don’t call them illegal street fights for nothing, Winter. It’s not just fights. People gather from everywhere across the country to see the show. It’s drug dealers browsing the crowds before the fight to get people hooked. Fighters owing money and having to kill their opponents to pay their debts. It’s criminals betting huge amounts on the fights and refusing to pay when they lose. All sort of shady things. It got out of hand so fast. Let’s just say things went south, and by the time we understood what we’d gotten ourselves into, it was too late.”
“Why didn’t you just leave?” I look up at him and become aware that asking him why he stayed is like asking a woman in an abusive relationship why she didn’t just leave. It’s not that easy. It never is.
“You don’t understand. These fights aren’t something you can just leave behind when you feel like it, Winter. You can get in. But you can’t get out.”
The fear takes over a lot quicker than I thought possible. I think back to Maria and how she knew better than to ask questions. She knows her son’s doing way more than casually smoking weed in a park with his friends. Why did I have to see for myself? Why couldn’t I trust her instinct?
“Street fighter groups quickly formed. We call ourselves gangs, although we’re not what you see in the movies. It didn’t take long for us to know we needed alliances to make it through. We needed backup, people that we could trust. That’s how the East Side was born. Each gangs are from different parts of town, so we picked our names according to where we come from. We managed to stay under the radar for a while until recently—” He pauses. “—when we started winning all of our fights. Back then, we were just a bunch of teenagers who wanted to make money. Now, we have more enemies than we can count.”
I don’t say a word, eager to hear the rest of the story.
“Haze is the ultimate fighter, and his brother is next in line. I know he’s young, but trust me, no one wants to mess with him. No one’s ever won more fights than him. That’s why he leads the West side.”
My racing thoughts stop on the word “brother.” Damn it, you mean to tell me there’s more than just one Adams?
“I mean, until me.”
“You beat him?”
“No. Or at least, not physically. I beat his record. When I did, people started to question Haze’s title as the most powerful fighter. Needless to say, he didn’t like that. He challenged me to a one-on-one fight to regain his status. And well, here we are.” He sighs. “You know what they say. If you go looking for trouble, you might just find it.”
“When’s the fight?” I try to hide how terrified I am.
“About a month from now.”
I am positive he can see the panic in my eyes in that moment. All this time, the reason for Kendrick’s miraculous recovery was his involvement in illegal activities. He seemed to have found a new purpose back then. Now I know he fell into a trap without meaning to. Kind of like what I did.
Expect I didn’t get caught in the crossfire.
I literally jumped in it.
“Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay,” he tries to comfort me. “I’ll win the fight. No one’s going to know about you. I promise.”
I get up, “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“You’ll have to stick with us at school. It’ll stop him from getting to you. Understood?”
I nod and exit the room, heading toward the staircase. Kendrick’s words are deeply anchored within me. He says hanging with the East Side will stop Haze from getting to me.
I wish his words made me feel better. A part of me desperately wants to believe him. But the other knows that it would be foolish of me. If Haze wants to talk to me, he’ll find a way. After all, he said it himself. Haze Adams always gets what he wants.
I walk toward my fourth class of the day and sigh in anticipation. English class is already making me suffer, and I haven’t even stepped inside the classroom yet. It’s been around a week since my life got turned upside down. To think that barely a couple of days ago, my only worries were getting lost in my gigantic new school and not making friends. I have been hanging out with Kendrick, Alex, Will, and Blake since school started, afraid I’ll run into Haze at every corner.
Just like I expected, he hasn’t been in class. I know that I share English and science class with him from the way the teachers say his name during the attendance only to end up not writing down that he’s absent. Kassidy was right. He disappears whenever he feels like it, and no one dares to ask why.
Must be nice.
His absence has reassured Kendrick and made him think that maybe he forgot about me. I sure hope so.
As I make my way through the crowded halls, I let my mind wander to my friends back in Canada. I miss Allie, my best friend, more than words. I’ve been meaning to talk to her. I repeatedly scroll down to her number and almost call her only to end up talking myself out of it every time. I want to tell her about the deal and the craziness that now comes with my life, but I can’t. I can’t involve her in Kendrick’s mess.
I also haven’t heard a peep from my mother since I moved in with Maria. Not that I expected to. Lauren Kingston isn’t exactly known for her outstanding parenting skills—especially when it comes to me.
I step into the already packed classroom and sit down at the first desk I see.
“Are you going to Bianca’s party?” I overhear a brunette ask her friend. This party is literally all everybody’s been talking about recently. I think back to the warning Kassidy uttered in her car on my first day. Bianca Reed and her minions. Definitely don’t give them a reason to hate you. I don’t think I’ve met Bianca, the so-called mean girl of Riverside High, yet.
The bell rings as Ms. Jenkins, my English teacher, walks into the room, going off about the previous week’s homework.
I look at the forty-year-old woman standing in front of the class. Dark circles under her eyes give away that she’s exhausted. All I see is her lips moving, but I’m unable to listen to a word she says. I’ve always had trouble paying attention in class, but luckily for me, I was blessed with a photographic memory that gets me amazing grades without having to listen to a word the teacher says.
No, I’m just kidding. I had to get extra tutoring during my early high school years because I couldn’t bring myself to listen in class. Call it a learning problem, a complete incapacity to focus on something that doesn’t interest me, or an amazing ability to get distracted by literally everything and anything. I call it the “look, a butterfly” syndrome. My mom called it her own personal nightmare.
My thoughts hold me hostage as I look out the window next to me. The sound of the door opening startles me. Ms. Jenkins stops talking abruptly, and whispers rise in the back of the class.
My eyes jump to the person who walked into the room and interrupted the class with no shame.
Haze Adams.
His entrance is enough for the oxygen in my lungs to say “Oh hell no. I’m out.” Looks like he finally decided to bless Riverside High with his presence. He’s wearing a white shirt, the tight fabric defining his perfectly sculpted body and muscled torso. For God’s sake. How is this even legal? There should be a limit of beauty allowed for one person and a fine to pay for being too attractive.
The sleeve of tattoos on his left arm immediately catches my eyes. How many tattoos does he have? I’ve always wanted to get one but never had the guts. I remember asking my mother if I could get a tattoo when I turned sixteen. She called it auto-mutilation and threatened to kick me out if I ever did.
Great woman, my mother.
“Mr. Adams. You’re late.” Ms. Jenkins tries to sound as credible as she can, but we both know she’s completely helpless against him. If the rumors are true, his parents pretty much own the school.
“Sorry. I had to find my dog.” He snickers, not even bothering to look at her.
“Last time, you said your dog died.” She raises an eyebrow.
“Must be why I didn’t find him.”
The entire class bursts out laughing at his remark. Ms. Jenkins rolls her eyes and proceeds with whatever it was she was talking about.
As he walks toward one of the last desks available, I find myself holding my breath. Being in the same room as him again isn’t as scary as I thought it would be. It’s worse.
I look down, hoping he won’t notice me. Then, like he’s reading my mind, his eyes stop on me.
Of course they do.
I can feel the weight of his stare on my shoulder as he stops in his path. What is he waiting for? I look up to see him glancing at something.
And that something…
Is the empty desk next to me.
He wouldn’t dare.
When he sits down by my side, I curse under my breath. I look straight ahead, acting like Ms. Jenkins’s class is the most interesting thing I’ve ever witnessed. I can still feel the weight of his eyes on me. Is he trying to look at me to death? One thing is certain: the whole don’t-look-people-in-the-eyes thing doesn’t apply to him.
I let out a breath when he gets his phone out of his pocket. Finally. He must have gotten bored. Or maybe he finally learned to take a hint. I try to focus on what the teacher’s saying, but my phone silently vibrating in the pocket of my hoodie stops me from it.
There’s no way.
A text from an unknown number awaits me.
Unknown: It’s been a while, gorgeous
Never mind, he still can’t take a hint.
The first question that crosses my mind is how the heck did he get my number? Although, I’m not at all surprised that he found a way. Refusing to give him the satisfaction of an answer, I put the phone down without texting back. It doesn’t take long for my phone to vibrate again with another text from him.
Unknown: Ignoring me, I see. That’s not very nice.
I don’t reply, yet again, hoping that he’ll eventually go away. In other words, I do exactly what I’ve been doing with my problems ever since I was born.
He doesn’t budge, still waiting for a reaction. This boy is persistent, I’ll give him that. I find a bit of comfort in the fact that we’re in a classroom packed with people. I mean, what could he possibly do?
“Hey, do you have a pencil?”
This.
He could do this.
I quickly hand him the first pencil I can get my hands on, still denying him eye contact. Our fingers briefly touch when he reaches for it, and I can tell he did that on purpose.
“Thanks, beautiful.” His voice is deep, raw.
God damn it, even his voice is attractive.
“I heard you’ve been hanging with the East Side lately.”
I still don’t answer, thinking about what Kendrick said to do if he ever did talk to me . Ignore him at all costs.
“Yes, I might have been asking around about you. Sue me.” He smiles, making me want to slap the cocky grin off his face. “You do know they can’t protect you forever, right?”
He gets a big bowl of silence as an answer.
“Listen, Kendrick probably told you that you’re safe and that he’s going to win the fight, but you’re a smart girl, aren’t you?”
Ignore him at all costs. Ignore him at all costs.
“I’m going to win that fight. You know it. I know it. Kendrick knows it. So how about we skip the part where you pretend to hate me and jump straight to the part where you show me some Canadian kindness?”
Then I can’t help myself.
“I’d much rather skip the part when you were born.”
His lips part, the shock in his eyes worth a thousand dollars. He quickly gathers himself. What’s wrong, Adams?
“Oh my God. She speaks,” he teases.
Inhale. Exhale. Deep breaths, Winter.
“Still arrogant, I see?”
“Seems like it,” I reply.
“You know, it’s funny that your name is Winter. You try to be cold.” He leans toward me like he’s going to tell me a secret. “But you’re still hot.”
I literally hate myself when a small smile creeps onto my lips. Like I’ve never heard that one before.
“Did I just get a smile?” he says, this stupid victorious grin on his face. “Don’t worry. I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that since you’re supposed to hate me and all.”
“You need to stop confusing your dreams with reality.”
“Trust me, I know this isn’t a dream. If it was, you’d be a lot nicer to me and a lot more naked.”
Don’t stab him with a pen. Don’t go to jail—orange isn’t your color.
I’m about to answer when Ms. Jenkins’s annoyed voice rings out in the classroom. “Adams, Kingston. Do you mind?”
Haze leans back into his chair and crosses his arms.
“Not at all,” he spits.
She stiffens up. “Do you ever stop talking?”
“Do you?” He arches an eyebrow.
The class breaks into laughter yet again. Most people would never dare talk to a teacher this way. Most people would have their asses sent to the principal’s office for a lot less. But Ms. Jenkins doesn’t react, ignoring him and carrying on with the topic of the class. I guess the rules don’t apply to him.
After all, Haze Adams is not most people.
I’m in heaven when the bell rings, marking the end of fourth period. The students start pouring out of the classroom like a herd of animals. I honestly have no idea how I manage to get out this quickly. I guess the desire to run away from Haze is strong enough for my super speed to wake up. Of course, it couldn’t wake up all these years ago during gym class.
I am ripped away from my thoughts when I run into someone on the way to my locker. I look up. Two dark blue eyes are staring right at me. I almost sigh in relief when I see him. Anyone who isn’t Haze Adams is now officially my best friend.
“Wow, what’s got you in such a rush?”
“Blake. Hi.” I smile.
“What are you running from?”
“The question is who am I running from.”
He immediately puts the pieces together.
“Did he talk to you?” Blake glances around, looking for Haze. “Do I need to go kick his ass?”
“No. I mean, yes, he did. But it was nothing. He asked for a pencil,” I lie, trying to avoid useless drama. That’s when I realize I forgot my pencil. I loved that pencil.
“Are you okay?” he asks, worried.
“I’m fine. What is he going to do? Get up and attack me in the middle of English class?” I laugh as we walk side by side.
“It’s Haze.” He laughs. “With him, we never know.” He looks down at me. “Hey, what’s your next class?”
I narrow my eyes, trying to remember.
“History.” I groan.
Blake stops in his track and steps in my way. I can tell that he’s got something in mind.
He smirks. “Want to get out of here?”
Every nerve in my body is screaming yes.
“I wish. Maria would kill me if she found out I was skipping.”
Blake’s smile doesn’t budge. I have the feeling that he knows something I don’t.
“Who said you were skipping?”
Feeling the sand in between my toes is officially a “must do” I never knew I had on my Florida bucket list. No, scratch that—on my bucket list, period. Blake took me to the beach. For the first time, as we’re walking on the shore, I feel free. Like nothing—not even Haze Adams—could possibly hurt me.
“This is amazing. Why haven’t I come here earlier?” I look at the calm and clear water on my right.
“Because you didn’t have me in your life, duh.” He smiles, revealing his white and aligned teeth.
“I can’t believe you got someone to call the school and justify my absence.”
“This girl owed me one. Don’t worry about it.”
“I sure don’t miss snow.” I close my eyes for a brief moment, letting the sun rays caress my skin.
“I hear you.” He nods. “So, how are you feeling about the fight? Not too nervous?”
“Of course I am. But I try not to think about it. If I let myself think about all the horrible scenarios that could happen for just one second, I’ll lose my mind.” I laugh faintly.
“We have to win. God, even if we lose, I’m not sure Kendrick will let Haze spend a second with you.”
“He won’t have a choice.”
Blake sighs, running a nervous hand through his hair. “I don’t think you realize how dangerous Haze is.”
“Says the street gang member. You’re just as dangerous as far as I’m concerned, Mr. East Side.”
My statement seems to amuse him. “Trust me, I’m nothing compared to Haze Adams.”
“He wouldn’t actually…” I pause. “Try anything, would he?” Images of Haze’s lips colliding with mine flash through my mind. I push the thought aside, trying to ignore the conflicted feelings washing over me.
I need to sanitize my brain for thinking that.
“Oh, God no. Haze isn’t that type of guy. He doesn’t need to force the ladies if you know what I mean.”
I wince.
“Oh, come on. Deep down, you must find him a tiny bit attractive. Even if it’s just a little. No girl hates Haze Adams forever. They all fall under his spell eventually.” He shrugs. “I guess girls like bad boys, huh?”
“Really? Have fun being a single mom.”
As soon as the words escape my lips, Blake explodes with laughter, and I can’t help but join in.
“God, Winter, where have you been all my life?” he says in between chuckles.
Although I tried to deny it, it’s become quite obvious that he’s flirting. Blake is a great guy, but getting involved with one of Kendrick’s fighters is the last thing I want right now. I’m already way more involved in Kendrick’s world than I want to be. Not to mention that my cousin won’t let any of his friends date his sister, and I’m guessing that bro code also applies to me.
According to what Kendrick told me a couple of days ago, Alex and Kassidy dated for a while against Kendrick’s better judgment. He was afraid it would put Kass in danger. And so every girl in the family is off-limits to his friends.
“So… Alex and Kass, huh?” I change the topic. “I heard they used to be a thing.”
“Yeah. They were. But not anymore. They broke up. Something about Kendrick disapproving of their relationship.” He seems slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps he doesn’t like being reminded of the code he’s currently trying to break.
I look straight ahead at the mesmerizing sea.
“Can I just ask what you were thinking following us?” he asks. He gives me a look that clearly says what’s wrong with you.
“Not that my cousin was going to a creepy meeting with Haze Adams, obviously.” I shrug. “Look at me. Two weeks in Florida and I’m already hanging out with criminals.”
“Not trying to make it worse, but you live with one, too."
“You’re totally making it worse.” I put my hands up.
“I think I know why you followed us.” He pauses, his eyes scanning the almost empty beach as we walk.
“You do?”
“The danger. The thrill. The mystery. You had to know what Kendrick was lying about. You know what they say—we want what we can’t have. It’s way better when it’s forbidden.”
I look down at my feet and mentally curse.
He’s right.
And I hate it.
When Blake’s car pulls up in Maria’s driveway, I’m relieved to see Kendrick isn’t home yet. I have a feeling he wouldn’t approve of me skipping school, especially with Blake. Kassidy’s red car, however, is already neatly parked in her usual spot. She beat Kendrick home as always. I reach for my backpack and unbuckle my seat belt.
“Thanks for taking me to the beach. I needed it.” I smile and open the door.
“Hold on.” He grabs my arm gently.
I turn around, analyzing his face. His eyes are a dark shade of blue. Deep, sharp. They remind me of the ocean on a rainy day. He’s cute. But I don’t have it in me to get any more involved in Kendrick’s mess. He’s kind. He’s friendly. That’s as far as I’ll allow myself to go.
“You coming to the party tonight?”
Remembering the conversation I overheard in English class, I know he’s talking about Bianca Reed’s party.
“A party? As in a real one—no dark alley and creepy meeting?” I tease.
He grins. “It’s a real one this time. I promise.”
I’m about to open my mouth to decline, but he cuts me off.
“And before you try and make up an excuse, no, you don’t have to be invited. Everybody just shows up. And yes, Haze will probably be there because he’s invited everywhere, but that doesn’t mean we’ll let him anywhere near you. Now you can answer,” he says, satisfied.
I sigh. Am I really that predictable? He’s right though. I was going to make up an excuse. I did have specific plans tonight: do absolutely nothing while watching my favorite TV shows for the billionth time and eating a bunch of crap I’m going to feel guilty about later.
“All right, all right. Count me in.”
Blake smiles victoriously. I step out of the car and shut the door behind me. He rolls down the window and hits me with a brief “Pick you up at nine” before his car is nothing but a small dot in the distance.
I push the front door open, sending my bag flying down the hall as I kick off both my shoes in a swift movement. In the kitchen is Kassidy. Sitting on one of the stools surrounding the marble counter, she’s eating cereal.
I can’t seem to hide the joy in my face. Overall, today’s been a good day.
“Hey, stranger. What are you so happy about?” she asks.
“That obvious, huh?” I make my way to the fridge and grab a water bottle.
“As obvious as an elephant in yoga class,” she mocks. “Come on, spill the beans.” She gets up to put her bowl in the sink.
“Fine. I’m going to a party tonight. Who knows? I might meet people who see more when they look at me than the girl who looked Haze Adams in the eyes,” I say, making fun of the ridiculous reputation my first day in school owed me.
“Someone invited you to Bianca’s party?”
“Yeah. Blake.”
I expect her to be as excited as I am, but boy, am I wrong. Color drains from her face as she looks away. What just happened?
“What’s wrong?” I ask, worried.
“Nothing. I didn’t know you were that close with Kendrick’s friends, that’s all.” She looks away, obviously lying.
“Kass. Seriously, what is it? Did I do something?” I step closer. If there’s one thing I learned from all the summers I spent in Florida when I was a kid, it’s that both Kendrick and Kassidy are horrible liars.
“No, of course not. Don’t worry about it.” She is one stubborn girl.
“Kass.” I glance at her severely. She knows I’m not going to let it go.
She sighs. “I didn’t think he’d move on so fast.”
“Wait, what? Who are you talking about?”
She remains silent for a while like she’s trying to decide whether or not she’s ready to say more.
“Blake. I’m talking about Blake.”
My face must give away how clueless I am because she doesn’t wait for me to ask another question and carries on.
“Alex and I were never a thing. Never,” she adds. “I was dating Blake. Kendrick didn’t want Blake to date his sister, and I get that, but… Blake and I loved each other, or at least I loved him. Kendrick approves of Alex a lot more when it comes to girls, so I pretended to date him, constantly asking Kendrick to drop me at Alex’s only to end up going to Blake’s.”
My eyes widen. I’m unable to form a sentence. He literally lied straight to my face. And I thought he was such a great guy.
“What happened? Why did it end?” I ask Kass, hoping for his sake that he didn’t do something stupid like cheat on her.
“Alex said he was done lying. That we could either break up or tell Kendrick. And, well, Blake chose option number one. He refused to give me a solid reason. He said we should go our separate ways, and he sure didn’t seem to feel guilty about lying to his best friend for six months.”
Six months? That’s a heck of a long time to be lying to your good friend. I can’t help but feel a bit disgusted that he would hurt Kassidy like that. Clearly, he doesn’t care about the bro code Kendrick asked him to respect.
“How long has it been since he ended things?”
I can tell she’s fighting the tears. “Three weeks.”
I cover her hand with mine, feeling her pain. I get that she’s heartbroken. It’s so recent.
“Well, you know what? You’re coming with me tonight.”
She raises her eyebrows. “What?”
I look at the clock, mentally making a list of all the things we have to do before 9:00 p.m. comes around the corner.
“'You heard me. We’re going to that party together, having fun, and showing this guy what he lost.”
The sound of a car honking is all we’ve been hearing for the past couple of minutes. Will, Kendrick, and Blake’s impatience is growing by the second. Those guys clearly never had to wait for anything in their entire lives.
Maria calls out our names for the millionth time and tells us the boys are leaving without us if we’re not outside in two minutes. It took everything to convince her to let us go. She only agreed because we promised to be home before midnight.
Standing in front of the ceiling-high mirror in her room, Kassidy is staring at her reflection. She looks perfect. I feel proud knowing I have something to do with it. I did her hair, her makeup, and even chose her outfit. She needed a little confidence boost, which I was happy to provide. She deserves better than this.
“You ready?” I ask, opening the door.
She nods, unsure. Next thing I know, we’ve entered Blake’s car. Blake seems a bit taken aback when he sees Kass hop in his car but doesn’t comment. Instead, he shoots me a smile that I make sure not to return. Kendrick says something about Alex meeting us at the party. The ride there is painfully silent. Will tries to crack a joke or two, but it’s no use. Nothing and I mean nothing—not even his ridiculous sense of humor—could make the awkward tension go away.
After what seems to be a never-ending torment, Blake’s car finally slows down in front of a house I can positively say is American party–worthy.
This is the kind of house you’d expect to see in a movie—the big house with so many drunk teenagers inside that it makes you wonder if the kid throwing the party has parents.
Shortly after, we walk into her overcrowded living room without knocking, and the one thing I feared happens. The boys dissipate into the large crowd.
Sure, go ahead. Leave me alone in this house where I literally don’t know a soul.
I turn to Kass, thankful she hasn’t left me. She leans in and whispers something into my ear about needing a drink. Then—wait for it—she disappears into the crowd, too. Just when I’m certain all hope is lost and I’m officially alone, I look to my right and see Blake.
Great! Just the person I want to be stuck with right now.
“I’m sorry about that. I’m sure they didn’t mean to leave you alone.”
It’s a shame I can’t see him the same way anymore. Now that I know he lied, I can’t believe a word he says.
“Sorry about them leaving me alone? Or sorry about lying to my face?” My words catch him off guard.
“What?” He acts like he has no idea what I’m talking about, which only irritates me more.
“Alex, Kassidy. Does it ring a bell?”
His face drops. He doesn’t answer, running a hand through his hair nervously. “Listen, Winter, I just didn’t think it was a good idea to tell you all about my past with your cousin. I knew you’d think that I’m a jerk.”
I can’t hold back a laugh. “Well, you got that right. I do think you’re a jerk. How could you do that to her? Just leave without an explanation? Not to mention you’ve also been lying to your so-called best friend for six months.”
Blake’s eyes become very good friends with the floor. He keeps his head down, clearly ashamed. That’s right, be ashamed, idiot.
“Do you have any intention of telling him?” is all I can say. He doesn’t answer. His silence is my answer. “You really should, Blake. If you don’t, I will.”
I turn away, squeezing my way through the crowd. Deep down, I know I’m overreacting. This is none of my business, but the fact that he broke my cousin’s heart truly bothers me.
You don’t mess with my family.
My subconscious wakes up.
You know that’s not the only reason you get so upset over people leaving without an explanation, Winter.
It brings you back to your father.
To the explanation you never got.
Subconscious?
Yes?
Shut up.
“Where are you going?” He raises his voice as I dive deeper and deeper into the crowd. “You barely know anyone in here.”
“I’m going to get myself a drink. After all, this is a party.”
I can’t help but think I should’ve opted for my initial plan, which was staying home to watch the same shows on replay. I sigh, scanning the crowd of unknown faces that were supposed to be my fresh start.
As I struggle to make my way to the bar, all I can do is pray that what I’m running toward… isn’t worse than what I’m running from.