Pretty Savage

by T. A. Kunz

  “Nope,” I hear Geoff say. “Got to do better than that, man.”

  “Yeah, that’s not going to cut it,” Nancy seconds.

  I assume Connor goes back to his paper and reworks his statements. Then he gets the all-clear.

  “All right, Connor, read me yours,” I say.

  “I’ve hooked up with both girls and guys. I’ve been in trouble for arson. And I have a crush on someone in this room,” he says.

  There’s no inflection in his voice whatsoever. He says each statement with a deadpan tone.

  Is the crush one about me?

  “I’m going to say that the lie is you have a crush on someone in this room.”

  “Nope,” Connor replies.

  An audible boo rings out.

  “Hold on, I feel this was rigged,” Tawni objects. “Why would Donovan pick that one unless he wanted Connor to win? It’s an obvious truth, am I right?”

  “Not so obvious to everyone, it seems,” Nancy says.

  Tawni issues a huff. “I still don’t think it should’ve been included.”

  “Thems the rules,” Shaun says. “We voted and it counts.”

  She groans in submission. “Fine.”

  I sit there quietly, realizing there’s a very strong possibility that I’m the one Connor is crushing on. It suddenly feels like a million degrees under this mask.

  Because who else could he be talking about?

  “So, Connor’s still in the game,” Carter says. “Tawni, you’re up.”

  “Ready, Donovan?” Tawni asks.

  I nod.

  “I’m still a virgin. I have a half-sister on my dad’s side. I’ve kissed a girl, and I liked it.”

  I mull over her statements and come to the conclusion that the first and last one seem to be the most personal. She also had a slight change in tone while reading the middle one, making it stick out.

  “I’m going to go with the one about having a half-sister,” I say.

  “Correct,” Tawni replies with a playful whine.

  “Connor’s team wins,” announces Geoff.

  I pull off the mask and blink, allowing my eyes time to adjust to the light. Connor comes into focus. He’s all smiles.

  “Way to go, Donovan,” he says, taking the mask from me.

  “It was fun.”

  My stomach is doing a gymnastics routine because of the look in his eyes. His smile seals the deal.

  We all jump when the barn door swings open and slams against the wall. A few of us audibly gasp. Rain drizzles in through the opening and the wind lashes about. The answer sheets from the game tumble off the coffee table and swirl around the rug. Loose hay on the ground is sent up into the air, creating a little dust cloud tornado.

  Shaun collects the mask from Connor and stuffs it back into the box. “I think that’s our sign to break for the night,” he says with a laugh while returning the box to its resting place in a medium-sized industrial cabinet.

  “I second that motion,” Nancy agrees. “It was so nice hanging out you, Donovan.” She gives me a light hug and then moves through the open barn door.

  Geoff pats me on the shoulder. “Great playing tonight, Donnie boy.” He shifts his focus to Connor as he backs away toward the exit. “You made a good choice, man.”

  I battle a flush of embarrassment when I feel Connor’s gaze on me. Geoff chuckles and heads out.

  “Congrats, Donnie. You made it through the gauntlet,” Carter calls out to me as he leaves the barn. “Until next time.”

  Tawni is right behind him. She waves bye as another gust of wind blows through the space and whips her hair in front of her face.

  Shaun leads Connor and me outside and closes up the barn behind us. “See you guys later,” he shouts as we part ways and he disappears into his car.

  Connor and I are the last two huddled under the barn’s roofline. We’re bathed in the light from the lantern attached above the door as we build up the courage to face the elements. It feels private, especially being all the way out in middle of nowhere Haddon Falls.

  Eventually, Connor runs out first and I follow in step. He props open the passenger side door of his truck and waits for me to hop in with that trademark grin on his face.

  “Your chariot awaits,” he says.

  Yeah, it’s corny, but it’s working for me.

  “Why, thank you,” I reply as I climb in.

  He shuts the door behind me. The wind dies down to a hum inside the vehicle until he opens his door.

  “Now aren’t you glad I offered to drive you home tonight?” he asks with a soft laugh.

  “Yeah. Thanks again. I really appreciate it.”

  “But of course.”

  He starts the truck and heads down the dirt path toward the main road. “Okay, so now that it’s just us, you knew that the thing about me having a crush on someone in the barn was the truth, didn’t you?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I wanted it to be true, but on the offhand chance it wasn’t, I took a shot. You were really good at that game, by the way.”

  “You weren’t too bad yourself,” he says. “And just so we’re clear, it’s you that I like.”

  My cheeks flush and my heart surges a mile a minute as I slowly turn to face him. He glances over at me and smiles when our eyes meet. My palms begin to sweat, so I wipe them on my jeans. My head is spinning in some kind of euphoria that I’ve never felt. I’ve never known someone who like likes me. Then my inner saboteur cuts in and takes over my mouth.

  “But you hardly even know me,” I say.

  I instantly want to kick myself. Here’s this seemingly amazing guy telling me he likes me, and all I can think to say is he doesn’t really know me.

  A light laugh parts his lips. “Then tell me about yourself so I can like you even more than I already do.”

  Well, there goes my brain, and heart, and pretty much everything that controls my functionality.

  I don’t even think I could answer him on my best day in my current condition. My mouth is suddenly parched as hell and the front cab of his truck feels like a freaking sauna. I move my hands to the air vents and turn them on full blast.

  He chuckles. “That wasn’t meant to stump you. I’d just like to get to know you better.”

  And he officially just made it more difficult.

  “W-What do you want to know?” I stutter, not sure where to begin.

  “Anything,” he says. “Let’s just start with where you’re from. I know you’re not from around here. You don’t have that Haddon Falls tarnish.”

  That was simple enough. “Well, I was born in New Hampshire, but we left there when I was two. My family didn’t stick around places very long since my dad was in the military.”

  “Military brat, huh?”

  “Yeah. Haddon Falls marks the seventh place I’ve lived up ‘til now. I moved here from Mississippi to live with my aunts. It’s most definitely a better situation than I had back there.”

  “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “It’s a long story,” I reply, feeling vulnerable all of a sudden.

  “You don’t have to tell me, but I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.”

  After a few moments, I cave. “My mom and Charles weren’t exactly elated when I came out.”

  “Charles? Is that your dad?”

  “No, stepdad. He’s like this pinnacle of religion in their town … the most popular pastor in the area. That’s why having his stepson come out wasn’t the best look for him, and he’s all about appearances. My mom was never a religious person until Charles came along. I constantly wonder how she would’ve reacted to me being gay before she met him. If she would have disapproved so much.”

  Connor glances over at me with a strained expression. “I’m really sorry. Sounds rough. There’s definitely a mixed bag of homophobia here, but I think more tend to be open-minded even if they are religious.”

  “That’s good to hear, I guess.”

  “So, your mo
m’s okay with you living with your aunts?”

  “It was my choice really. I only had two. This or be forced to become a missionary. My mom and my dad’s sister don’t talk much because of my aunt’s lifestyle, but there’s at least this mutual respect because of my dad. Being gay wasn’t the only reason I had to leave though. I kind of got in trouble with the law. Angry teenager stuff.”

  “For what it’s worth,” Connor says, “I understand the whole angry teenager bit. My dad used to kick the crap out of my mom and me when I was younger. He’d even burn her with his cigarettes. So one day I lit his car on fire. Hence, the whole arson charge thing.”

  “Wait, you lit your dad’s car on fire?”

  He nods. “I’m not proud of it, but it was all I could think of at the time. His car was his most prized possession. Since he liked to burn someone I treasured, I did the same thing to him. He’s in jail now, so there’s that.” He glances over at me as though gauging my reaction. His green eyes flicker from the headlights of a passing vehicle. “What about your dad?”

  I avert my eyes to my hands clasped in my lap. “He died when I was nine.”

  “Damn, I’m sorry. And here I am going on about how terrible mine is.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. You didn’t have any way of knowing.”

  He shifts in his seat and twists his hand about the steering wheel. “Okay, lighter subject. Are you going to the Homecoming game tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Want to go together? I’ll even sacrifice and sit on your school’s side, no matter how much food is thrown at me,” he says with a light chuckle.

  “Yeah, that would be great. Hopefully you’ll get to meet my friend, Drea.”

  “Drea … that name sounds familiar,” he says, appearing as though he’s in deep thought as he keeps his eyes on the road.

  “She was Lori’s best friend. We found her that night together.”

  “That’s where I’ve heard her name before. Wow, I can’t even imagine being in your position with that. It was hard enough on our group to hear on the news, but to be the ones to actually find her, that’s tough.”

  His demeanor changes. I can tell by the look on his face that he’s withdrawing into his thoughts.

  “Okay, lighter subject,” I say this time. “What’s your favorite color?”

  A smile lifts his mouth and the sparkle returns to his eyes. “I’d say it’s a tie between purple and orange,” he says with a quick look over at me. “Yours?”

  “Orange, definitely. A lot of people think it’s a jarring or abrasive color, but I always feel better looking at most things that are orange. Pumpkins, for example. My favorite holiday also happens to be Halloween.”

  “Mine too,” he says with another smile.

  “Cool.”

  Wow, I sound like an absolute tool.

  “Yeah, cool.”

  “You’re going to want to make a right up here,” I say.

  The realization that we’re almost to my house sets in. I don’t want this to end. He follows my instruction and pulls up to the curb in front of my house, putting the truck in park. Fortunately, the rain has stopped.

  “I had a really great time tonight,” he says, adjusting in his seat in order to face me. “Even if things did get dicey at moments.”

  “Yeah, me too. Thanks for the invite,” I reply, trying to sound composed. Inside, I’m a bundle of nerves over what might happen next.

  I’ve never been in this position before, but I’ve seen this exact scene play out in countless movies and TV shows. All of those scenarios terrify the hell out of me and excite me at the same time.

  “I guess this is good night then,” I say.

  “Unfortunately, yeah,” he states, never losing my gaze.

  I pull the door handle and pop it open. As I step out, I feel sudden physical resistance.

  “Uh, Donovan,” I hear Connor say. I turn back to face him and he’s incredibly close. I hear a clicking sound and he releases a small laugh. “You’re still buckled in.”

  Our faces hover so close to each other that what he just said barely registers at first. Then it sinks in. A nervous laugh tickles the back my throat.

  “Oh, yeah … that,” I say. My heart is about to leap from my mouth at any moment. The heat from his body resonates and intermingles with mine.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not going to kiss you … yet,” he says close to my lips, teasing them.

  “I-I wasn’t worried.”

  “Do you need help getting your bike?” he asks, still close as hell.

  “I think I can manage,” I say as another tense laugh conjures forth.

  “All right.” He settles back against his seat, the grin never leaving his face. “Have a good night.”

  “Good night,” I say, returning his grin with one of my own. “See you tomorrow?”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  I leave the car, not sure what to make of what just happened. I’m disappointed but also relieved in some kind of odd way.

  I just went on my first date!

  I collect my bike from the back of the truck and proceed to watch Connor drive away until his taillights disappear around the corner. A content sigh parts my lips. I find myself wanting to hold onto this moment for a little longer.

  After punching in the code on the keypad next to the garage door, it opens. I stash the bike off to the side, out of the way of my aunt’s car, before heading into the house.

  My phone vibrates and I pull it out to see it’s reminding me of Drea’s earlier text. I feel terrible about not being there for her and for not calling her like she’d asked me to. I type out a message.

  Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I know it’s late. Can we talk tomorrow at school?

  My phone vibrates shortly after I hit send. She must have been sitting by her phone waiting for my reply, which makes me feel worse.

  Ok. I’ll make sure to get there early. I really need to talk to you about something.

  I text back, See you then, before stashing my phone away. The lights are all still on inside the house. I can only assume my aunts stayed up to wait for me to return. They’re both night owls anyway.

  I’m sure they’re going to want to know how my class project went tonight.

  Drea

  When’s the last time I was at school this early?

  A deep yawn takes hold of my mouth before working its way through my whole body. I had yet another night where sleep apparently wasn’t my body’s top priority. It felt weird being up and ready with the rest of the household this morning. My parents felt the need to put me through a game of twenty questions as they tried to figure out why I wasn’t still in bed.

  I expected to see more people at the school already. Instead, the halls are unnervingly quiet, sans a few straggling overachievers putting last-minute touches on the Homecoming decorations and rare appearances from a janitor and a few teachers.

  Actually, the halls are pretty loud, but not in terms of volume. It looks as if our mascot, Haddie the Bulldog, vomited school spirit everywhere overnight. If anyone was questioning whether or not today was the big Homecoming game, all they’d need to do is look around and see our colors plastered all over the place. Streamers, pompoms, banners, balloons … the works.

  Nestled in the middle of everything is a single collapsible table covered in a red and black tablecloth. Soon, a ballot box, a stack of ballots, and a tote of blank plastic masquerade masks will adorn the top of it. Then all votes for king and queen will be closely monitored by none other than the head of the Homecoming and Senior Prom committees, Addie Monroe. Lori was actually in the running for queen.

  I haven’t voted yet.

  It’s still weird seeing everyone trying to go on with their normal lives while there’s an unsolved murder lingering over our small town. My hands-down suspect for the killer seems to have a clean alibi, and the only thing he’s being considered for now is being crowned king at the dance on Friday.


  Harrison is also on the ballot. The only reason I know is because I helped Addie print them last week. It was one of the few social things I’ve done since the summer.

  I’m currently doing my best to avoid Harrison this morning while waiting for Donovan to arrive. I’m posted up right next to the school’s entrance in order to keep a lookout for both him and Donovan. I decided last night the last thing my life needs right now is more complications.

  Through the tall, thin rectangular window in the door, I watch Donovan speed up on his bike and park it in the rack. I hurry out to meet him. He tinkers with the lock on his bike before turning to look at me when I get closer.

  “Thanks for getting here so early,” I say.

  “No problem. My aunts were curious why I was leaving before them, but I just said I was helping with Homecoming stuff,” he replies. “So, what’s up?”

  “I have something you need to see.” I take the diary out from my bag and hold it toward him. “This was left at my house. There was no indication who left it.”

  His eyes widen when he sees the cover. “This design of the fox head … I’ve seen it twice now,” he says, tracing the image with his fingertips. “Once at Mae’s Lounge, I saw someone wearing it. Then last night, I played a game with this group who were all friends with Lori. They had a mask that looked like this, but it was orange instead of pink.”

  “Wait, hold up. You were with a group of people last night that knew Lori? And they had a mask that looked like this?”

  He nods as he begins to flip through the diary. “Whoa, this is really disturbing. Why are there so many pages ripped out? And what’s with all the crazy markings?”

  “I don’t know, but clearly someone wanted me to see this,” I reply.

  He turns to one of the sketches and stops. “I think this is the barn I went to last night. Actually, I’m sure of it. The willow tree too, and the sign.” He flips the page again and stalls on the sketch of the fox head from the cover. “Here it is … the mask. And this is the game we played. Fox Hunt.”

  “So it sounds like the group you were with last night was friends with Carrie as well as Lori.”