by Nia Arthurs
Then I walked in.
The door banged closed behind me and I realized I had company.
I whirled around and found the drink-spiller staring me down. Fear grabbed my throat. If she was one of James’s psycho stalker fans…
She snorted. “Why are you so scared? I just want to talk and it’s too loud out there.”
Someone banged on the door. “Hurry up!”
“We won’t take long.” She gestured to the sink. “Let me help you wash up.”
“I’m fine.” I held up a hand before she stepped toward me. Turning away, I slipped the faucet on and scrubbed my hem to take out the beer stains.
Fortunately, I was wearing a deep red.
Unfortunately, I’d go home stinking of alcohol.
Mom and Dad would kill me.
“Let me help,” the girl said surging forward.
“It’s okay.”
“Really.”
“I said it’s fine!” I pushed her back. She staggered on her heels, hand wind-milling in the air. I reached forward to grab her arm and help restore her balance when she landed hard. I heard a sickening thud as she collapsed.
The room went silent.
Then a voice boomed. “Is everything okay in there?”
My head whipped up and I gasped. “J-James?”
The door burst open and James stood bracketed in the doorway. He wore a black T-shirt and jeans. His eyes landed on me and then moved to the girl. She started moaning and squeezing her head.
“It hurts,” she cried.
A crowd formed behind her. I saw cameras flashing. My fingers tightened into the material of my skirt. My muscles coiled. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t mean—”
“What happened?” James snarled.
I flinched.
“I don’t know.” The girl struggled to stand. “I was just talking and she threatened me and told me to stay away from you. I told her we were just friends but she called me a liar and pushed me.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
James looked at me, horror in his eyes.
“I didn’t,” I stammered. “Y-you don’t actually believe her, do you?” I stepped forward, reaching out to him. “James, I would never…” I saw him recoil and my fingers twitched in the still air. “You don’t believe me.”
A commotion broke out in the crowd. A moment later, Harley and Angie shot into the bathroom. Angie sailed inside, while Harley hung back and watched everything with narrowing eyes.
“Mo, are you okay?”
I didn’t answer her.
I was frozen, my gaze on James.
He knelt in front of the girl and asked gently. “Can you get up?”
She shook her head.
In one smooth motion, he slipped his hands beneath her knees and scooped her up the way he did to me a few weeks ago. My heart tore straight in half. Pain flooded every inch of my body and I wanted to cry.
I didn’t care about the random kids recording me with their cell phones.
I didn’t care about that devious cheerleader and her lies.
James… he didn’t believe me and that hurt worse than anything.
“Monique?” Angie touched my side.
The girl in James’s arms looked over his shoulder and sent me a preening smile. When James glanced her way again, she pouted and pretended to be in deep pain.
I gasped for breath. “It’s not true. Tell the truth.”
“I did,” she said. Burying her face in James’s neck, she mumbled, “Can we go somewhere else?”
When James moved to follow her instruction, Harley stepped in his way.
“What are you doing?” James snapped. “Move.”
Harley stepped forward.
James shuffled back.
Harley closed the door and locked it. I could hear the crowd sighing in disappointment and pressing as close to the bathroom as they could.
“Harley,” Angie hissed, “what are you doing?”
“What I should have done a long time ago,” he said through gritted teeth.
I shook my head. “Harley, no.”
James dropped the redhead. She shot unceremoniously to the floor but didn’t make a sound. Her eyes were glued to the boys who sized each other up in the middle of the bathroom.
Harley threw the first punch.
It didn’t land.
James had spent his life dodging those throws and Harley had very little practice fighting. One slam from James sent my best friend reeling into the door.
“That’s enough!” I screamed, stalking in between them. “That’s enough.”
James hadn’t even broken a sweat. His dark eyes landed on me and I shuddered.
Who was this guy? I didn’t recognize him.
The muscles in his jaw bunched. Wordlessly, he stalked past Harley who was crumpled in the corner nursing his bloody lip, threw the door open and strode out.
Harley pushed himself to his feet with a pained grunt and stepped forward. “Come back here, you coward.”
“Harley,” Angie ran to him and held him back, “you’re hurt.”
The Redhead dusted herself off and shot after James. “Wait for me!”
I stormed after them, my temper ignited. If James was determined to unravel, then I would too. He wasn’t the only one hurting. He wasn’t the only one who wished that things were different.
The crowd made way for us.
I ran in front of James and held my ground. He didn’t slow down. For a second, I thought I’d get plowed over, but he stopped and glared at me. “What do you want, Monique?”
“Something’s going on with you and I don’t get what it is but—”
He stalked forward. Slowly. Like a panther to its prey.
My heart tripped over itself. Those eyes, even with that hard glint in them, they still had the power to hold me spellbound. James eased into my personal space and leaned over to whisper in my ear, “Move. Out. Of. My. Way.”
I shuddered.
He spun, grabbed the redhead forward and pulled her to him. In one fluid motion, he brought her close and kissed her deeply. The crowd ‘oohed’.
My heart shattered.
James broke it off, slanted me a defiant look and then tugged the cheerleader up the stairs.
25
A KISS THAT MEANT NOTHING
James
I’D HAD no plans with Red Head apart from using her so, when I realized I was still holding her hand, I dropped it. Her brown eyes glittered in the light of the hallway. She wet her lips and swung toward me.
“Don’t misunderstand,” I snapped. “That didn’t mean anything.”
She froze. “Felt like it.”
“You lied to me.” I stared coldly at her. “You told me to come to the bathroom because Monique was hurt.”
She glanced at her phone. “Did I? Must have been a typo.”
I whirled away from her and strode to the banister overlooking the party. My eyes gravitated to Monique. She and her friends were storming the front door. The red dress flirted around her thighs. Her curly hair bounced.
In a moment, she was gone and I was left feeling empty and broken.
Kissing Red Head did the damage it was supposed to.
Now, my relationship with Monique was nothing but ashes.
I was finally, truly free.
So why did victory feel so hollow.
“You okay?” Red Head approached cautiously.
“I’m fine.”
She reached out and touched my arm, her slender fingers clinging to me. “I didn’t mean to trick you. It’s just that… I wanted you to see who Monique really was. For Marissa’s sake.”
“Marissa?”
“Yes.” Her hands curled up my shoulder and she pressed against my side. “She got in touch and asked me to break you and Monique up. I didn’t realize you two were already having problems or I wouldn’t have put in so much effort.”
I almost laughed. Marissa was still trying to manipulate me from miles aw
ay.
Wonderful.
“But now that you’re single,” she looked at me with an invitation in her eyes, “do you want to celebrate?”
“Yes.”
She brightened.
“But not with you.” I pushed her aside.
Suddenly, the music was too loud and the crowds were too thick. I felt hot and irritated. Grabbing my keys from my pocket, I strode out of the house and got into my car. The silence was louder than a ringing bell. I gripped the steering wheel and glanced at the rearview mirror. My guitars stared at me in silent judgment.
I was dangling on the edge of a sharp cliff. Beneath me, a valley of insane rage. If I didn’t get a handle on it, I’d end up hurting someone else or myself.
So I called Baz.
He picked up. “James, you okay?”
No. “Yes.”
“You still at the party?”
“I’m heading out now.”
“Cool. Mom’s already set up the guest room for you.”
The warmth of Baz’s family in my current condition would break me down. I couldn’t go there.
“Nah, I’m just letting you know. I’m staying out tonight, man. Thanks for your offer to crash though.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Nothing. Tell your parents I appreciate it.”
I hung up and headed to the nearest motel. The room had questionable stains on the walls and on the floor. I was pretty sure I saw a roach creep out from beneath the bed. My skin crawled, but I unpacked my suitcase from the car and dragged it inside.
This was home sweet home until I figured something else out.
With nothing left to do, I climbed into bed. It was tough to fall asleep. The sounds from the street roared in my ears. I kept tossing and turning, thinking about Monique and my parents. My mind just wouldn’t shut down.
I rolled over and unzipped the front of my suitcase, looking for my charger so I could give my phone extra juice and listen to some music.
My charger was in the pocket, wrapped around a bunch of sleeping pills. My fingers clutched one and hauled it out. They were my mom’s. I’d taken them from her last year out of fear that they would be her next addiction.
These’ll work.
I got a bottle of water from the vending machine and returned to my room. After knocking back a couple of the pills, I slept like a baby.
ON MONDAY, I showered and headed to school. I half-expected to see Red Head lingering by my locker the way Marissa had last year, but she wasn’t.
Baz was.
“What the hell, man?” His eyes narrowed. I’d known him for over two years and I’d never seen Baz that pissed off. “Where’d you go last Friday? My mom almost sent me out after you.”
“You shouldn’t have worried them.”
His eyes dipped to my backpack. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I stayed at a motel. I just… didn’t want to put you out.”
“You know you’re always welcome.” He lowered his voice. “Have you spoken to your parents?”
“No.”
“Not even your mom?”
I shook my head.
“That’s rough. What did you fight about? I thought your mom would have reached out by now.”
I shrugged.
Footsteps thudded. We both glanced up.
Alex.
I looked away. Every time I saw the guy, I felt guilty. My mom had tried to have him killed. Even if I couldn’t stand him, he didn’t deserve to die.
“Hey, Alex.” Baz nodded in welcome.
“Baz, great set on Friday. Your band seems to be coping without James just fine.”
“James can’t keep up with us.” Baz slapped hands with Alex. “He’s on to bigger and better things.”
Alex looked at me. “Can I have a moment, Mr. Sawyer?”
“I’ll catch you later.” Baz threw up a peace sign and swaggered down the hall.
I closed my locker and started walking in a vain attempt to get away from Alex. “What?”
“Here.” He stabbed something into my stomach. I looked down and found him offering me a check. “You can return it to your father.”
“Do it yourself. I’m not talking to Dad right now.”
He cocked his head. “Why?”
“Long story.”
The bell rang.
Alex pocketed the check. “Fine. I’ll deliver it myself.” He studied my face. “You okay, man? You look… I don’t know… haggard or something. Are you getting enough sleep?”
“I slept the entire weekend. I’m fine.”
“Okay.” Alex looked like he would walk away and then he turned back. “Oh, I almost forgot. Officer Tony said he’d gotten a lead on the arsonist.”
I froze.
Was Mom in danger? Would she be found out?
“Do they know who it is yet?”
“No.”
I hesitated. “Maybe I can go with you when you meet Officer Tony again.”
“Alright,” Alex said easily. “I’ll text you.”
I went to class and panicked through every second of it. The next few days, I walked on pins and needles waiting for a call that my mother had been arrested. No call came—not from my parents or the police.
On Friday, I spotted Red Head waving at me in the cafeteria.
I pretended I didn’t see and walked right past her.
Her crest-fallen expression told me she’d gotten the hint. But Red Head and her feelings were none of my concern. I had real things to worry about. Like my future.
My bank account was shrinking steadily. I needed income and I needed it fast, but the thought of doing anything except music curdled my blood.
On Saturday, I spent the morning searching the wanted ads for jobs involving music. There were a few options, but the companies were all looking for people eighteen and older. They were also looking for people with degrees. I just didn’t qualify.
A few hours in, my stomach grumbled. I’d been skipping breakfast and going to sleep earlier at night so I didn’t have to spend too much on food. My car was a gas-guzzler and I had no intentions of giving that up so I stayed hungry instead.
I remembered when I took Monique to eat breakfast at Mom’s favorite hotel just because.
How the mighty have fallen.
I was on my way to the vending machine when I heard girlish giggling followed by a man’s chuckle. Not unusual. The motel was a cheap place for hookups. Last week, I’d had to put my headphones on thanks to a particularly loud pair.
“I’m gonna get water, babe,” a familiar voice said. “You want one?”
I didn’t hear the guy’s reply, but I figured he’d said yes because footsteps clattered down the hallway. Rushing to get out of the girl’s way, I pressed a button and scooped up the energy bar when I spun and almost bumped into Angie.
Her brown eyes widened.
She screamed.
I yelled back.
We stood there, roaring at each other for a solid minute before I stopped. “Angie, what are you doing here?”
Her eyes skittered away. “I, uh, came to visit someone. What are you doing here?”
“I—” Then her answer registered. “Wait, what do you mean you came to visit? Who was that guy you were with?”
She bit down on her bottom lip. “No one. Would you… do me a favor and pretend you didn’t see me?”
“Only if you do the same for me.”
Angie eyed me up and down. Suddenly, she pulled out her cell phone and talked to someone on the other end of the line. “Yeah, you go ahead. I forgot I had something to do after. No, I’m okay. See you later.”
I arched an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“Treating you to lunch.” She eyed the energy bar. “In exchange, you tell me the truth.”
I was about to turn her down, but my stomach protested. It was hard to survive on one puny meal a day when I’d gotten used to eating robustly every six hours.
“Come on.” Angie grabbed my arm.
Just like she had last year when I was wrestling my feelings for Monique, Angie bamboozled me into doing exactly what she wanted. I told her everything—about Alex, my mom’s shadiness, and my dad kicking me out.
Angie dunked her straw into her cup and stared at me. “Your life is insane.”
“I know.” I cleaned my greasy fingers on a napkin. “Don’t tell Monique.”
She tilted her head. “I won’t. Because you will.”
“Yeah, right.”
Angie leaned forward, her dark skin caught the light. The sun glinted in her mischievous eyes. “You know, we have an opening at Pizza Joe’s.”
I balked. “The place where you and Monique work? No way.”
“Why not? You need a job or you’ll be homeless.”
“I told you, I want to do something in music.”
“Regular people don’t get to do what they enjoy. You have to hustle first. Live the dream later.”
“How sad.”
Angie tilted her head. “Come to Pizza Joe’s. I’ll put in a good word for you.”
“What about Monique?”
“What about her?” Angie slurped her drink.
“She’s upset with me.”
“Try ‘pissed’. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she kicked you in the nuts on sight. She’s made a concerted effort to avoid you, so seeing you every evening at Pizza Joe’s will be torture.” Angie tossed her braids over her shoulder. “By the way, why’d you kiss that cheerleader in front of her? Even if you were going through a lot, you crossed a line.”
“I know.” I stared at my cup.
“Did you sleep with her?”
“Who? Monique?”
“The cheerleader.”
“No.” I stared at Angie. “I didn’t. It was just a stupid way to hurt Monique the way I was hurting. That’s it.”
“You should apologize.”
“It wouldn’t do much good.”
“Still.” Angie’s chair scraped the tiles as she stood and grabbed her purse. “I’ll handle the tab.”
I stood too. “Let me.”
“Nope.” Angie held up a hand. “I appreciate the chivalry, but this is me buying your silence. No one can know where you saw me today. Especially not Monique.”
“My lips are sealed.”
