I guess New York was more than just a place.
“Probably not.” I told him, sighing. He buried his hands in the pockets of his jeans and looked at the clock overhead.
“We should take off if we want to get to class on time.” He was right. The others were already starting to disappear through the doors leading into the classrooms on either side of the hall. We started to make our way up the stairs to the second floor, and a group of juniors crowding the steps forced us closer to the banister.
“How was stage tech?” I looked back at him from over my shoulder.
“Great.” He responded from the landing and hurried to catch up with me. “The lighting’s almost finished. We just need to work on the ellipsoidal reflectors for the cyc.” I paused in the middle of the staircase, unsure of what he had said.
“English, please?” He shook his head at my request and chuckled to himself.
“They’re the lights for the background.” He explained, and I grinned at him from the top of the stairs.
“Was that so hard?” He smiled and followed me onto the second floor, and we hurried into the room across the hall. Half of the class was still missing; but we were instantly met with a wall of sound: of Adrienne and the other cheerleaders laughing as they sat atop their desks and talked about their mornings, and of the basketball players going over the homework they had finished during practice. The room smelled of peppermint, something I’d grown accustomed to in Ms. Chambers’ class. She let us decorate the classroom for every holiday. I stared up at the silver snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and wondered what the room would look like for Arbor Day.
“Connor.” I turned when one of the boys called his name. He hesitated, glancing at me for permission; and I let him leave my side. I wove in between the obstacles of people sitting in chairs and sat down, listening to the voices as they continued on. They grew louder as more students came filing in from the hallway, and then there were thirteen of us in the classroom.
“Hey.” He had a habit of surprising me. Connor was suddenly sitting to my right, opening up his binder to the World History section. “They just wanted to check their answers for the Chemistry assignment.”
We each had our talents. Connor understood science better than anyone I knew, and he wouldn’t let me forget it. It wasn’t my best subject or my favorite, so study sessions usually ended with my mom baking cookies to cheer me up. But history—history meant more to me than any of the others. To read a name and realize that the person it belonged to really lived and affected the person that I would become—my father always told me the seeds of our future were sown in the past.
Ms. Chambers rose from the chair at her desk when the bell rang.
“Okay, you guys, class has started.” With that, the cheerleaders leapt off of their desks to sit in their seats. “I’d like all of you to get in groups of three so you can start reviewing for the final exam for this semester.” I hated group assignments. She stood and waited as I looked around desperately. There were thirteen of us. Connor had already been absorbed by the boys in the front of the class, and I was alone.
“Hey, Melissa.” It took me a minute to realize that someone was calling my name. But Adrienne was sitting behind me with a smile on her face, beckoning for me to join her. Kris had given her his jacket during passing period, and she wore it over her shoulders like a cape. “You can join us if you want.” I stared at her, confused; but she didn’t seem to care. “Are you coming?” I nodded silently and turned my chair in her direction, finding myself sitting in a circle with Hannah Wilson and Chloe Miller. They were pretty, just like Adrienne was; but Hannah’s raven black hair made Adrienne’s strawberry blonde ponytail pale in comparison. I could feel the blood rush to my face as I blushed, feeling out of place. I was the only one not wearing a cheerleader’s uniform.
“What—” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “What did you want to study first?” I started to reach for the textbook lying on my desk, stopping when I caught them staring at me. “Wh—” I wanted to ask them why, but their gazes shifted to something behind me; and I turned to see what it was.
Ms. Chambers was taking attendance.
“I don’t know why she bothers.” Chloe’s wispy voice said sadly. I still wondered how someone so soft-spoken had made the cheerleading squad.
“Maybe she thinks they’ll come back.” I only realized once I’d said it that it sounded crazy.
“They’re not coming back.” Adrienne responded, sighing. “For all we know, Becca, Willow, and Val are long gone with the rest of them.” She played with her fingers in her lap as she spoke, and I couldn’t help but look down myself. It was the first time I’d heard her say anything like that. It didn’t make sense—almost made me angry. How could she give up on her friends? How could anyone?
“If they don’t catch him, it could be one of us next.” Hannah whispered.
“It’s like we’re waiting in line.” Chloe murmured to herself, but it was just loud enough to reach my ears; and I couldn’t keep myself from shuddering at the thought of it.
We were all just waiting to disappear—fade away and never be heard from again. And when we did, who’d remember us then? I didn’t want to be forgotten—swept away into the void. And I wouldn’t let that happen to Heather either.
Chapter Two
What Was Left in the Woods
Screams and bright lights. It was all I could hear—all I could see. I was one in a crowd of hundreds of people, fighting to catch a glimpse of the commotion on the floor. I shouted Connor’s name when I finally saw him; and he turned his head in my direction, failing in his attempt to find me in the stands.
“Connor!” I called his name again and stood on my toes, waving my hand over my head so he could see. He smiled when he caught sight of me and stopped to return the gesture.
“Reilly! Get over there!” My ears were suddenly assaulted by the hoarseness of Coach Fields’ voice, and I watched as Connor made a face and sprinted away.
“Look what you did. You got him in trouble.” My mother leaned closer to me so I could hear.
“You don’t stop and wave in the middle of a game! Fifty laps!” My father spoke with the Southern accent we all knew too well.
The septuagenarian had proven to be a near-immortal fixture at Locust Grove High—the constant center of urban legends and memories for the past two or three generations of students who walked its halls. My father had done so once—and told a great deal of those stories himself.
I looked up at the clock on the scoreboard as it counted down from two minutes and then to the numbers in red lights above it. It was the second half of the game, and we were behind.
“This doesn’t look good.” I breathed, nervous. Losing the first game wouldn’t be a great way to start the season.
“Hold on, now.” My father began, and I glanced at him before looking on in apprehension. “A lot can happen in two minutes.” I silently shook my head, not really sure if I believed him. One of the boys from the opposing team made another basket, and the score under the word ‘Away’ changed from fifty-nine to sixty-one. The referee tossed the ball to Kris, and he stood out of bounds to pass it on to another teammate.
“I don—” I never finished. The crowd rose to their feet again as someone raced across the floor with the ball, and I craned my neck to see who it was. Connor stopped in the middle of the court, looking somewhat at a loss. “Go, Connor! Go!” I yelled to him, but I knew that there was no way he could hear me. I saw him take a deep breath—like he always does when he’s distressed—and let the ball fly from his hands. I bit my lip as it arced, imagining every possible way it could go wrong.
It could miss and hit the wall or fall short altogether—or it could bounce off the backboard and take him out. And then I thought of him waving to me as the ambulance carried him away.
It was silent as my heart beat out of my chest, pounding in my reddening ears. And then, there was nothing but a swish. I screamed along with
the others as the ball fell through the net, so loud I thought I’d lose my voice. And it went from fifty-four to fifty-seven.
“What did I say?” My father shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘I told you so’, and I laughed to myself. He was right, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of admitting it to his face.
“Look, he’s got it again!” My mother exclaimed, and we both returned our attention to the court in time to see Connor pass the ball to Gregory Anderson. “Oh! There he goes!” She almost whispered. The cheerleaders’ chants seemed to push him forward as he ran, never stopping as he bounced the ball off the backboard and into the basket for a layup. The clock continued to count down as the other team took the ball across the floor and attempted to make another basket, and I held my breath as it rebounded and found its way into Kris’ possession.
Twenty-four.
He darted halfway across the court and was immediately blocked by an opposing player in green and yellow.
Fourteen.
He passed the ball to Connor.
Seven.
Connor’s feet left the ground as he threw the ball one more time, and the clock fell to zero. The buzzer went off as the people in the bleachers erupted into a cacophony of cheers, nearly deafening as they flooded the floor. I stood still as they rushed past me, stunned; and I let out a sigh of relief. I raised my head toward the scoreboard and shook my head with a smile. Sixty-two to sixty-one.
I guess a lot can happen in two minutes.
I jostled my way to the center of the crowd where Connor and the other players were, in the middle of all the chaos; and he pulled me into an enthusiastic hug.
“Did you see that?” He panted excitedly, almost as shocked as I was. I nodded.
“I think everyone did.” I said, glancing at the sea of red and white surrounding us. It was still so loud, we could barely hear each other.
“Good, ‘cause I don’t think I’ll be able to do that again.” He joked, but I could hear the truth in his words.
“Hey, Reilly!” Kris emerged from the crowd and set a hand on Connor’s shoulder. “It looks like we’ve got ourselves a new star player.” He remarked, and I could only watch as Connor was whisked away into the noise.
“Melissa!” I grinned expectantly when I heard him call my name before he disappeared. “We’re celebrating afterwards.” He pointed at me as if it were a demand. “You’re coming with me.”
A party. It wasn’t something I would have gone to by myself, and he knew it.
I navigated my way back to my parents still sitting in the stands, and they stood at the sight of me.
“Are you ready to go, honey?” My mother asked, slipping her coat on. The nights were getting colder. In the moments before I answered, I debated whether or not I wanted to go with him. He’d bother me about it if I didn’t.
“Connor invited me to a party.” My mother seemed surprised—or maybe, it was relief I was seeing.
“Oh, okay.” She smiled. “Have fun.” She embraced me, squeezing a little too tightly. Relief. That’s what it was.
“Don’t forget the curfew.” My father had to remind me. I couldn’t imagine staying out past 11:30 anyway.
“I won’t.” I promised them.
“We’ll see you at home.” My mother waved goodbye, and she and my father filed out of the gym with the others. The noise died down as the last of them left, and the screams and bright lights were nothing but a memory. I sat down as I waited in the silence, the occasional sound of a basketball bouncing on the floor echoing into the rafters. I looked to the other side of the gym to see where it was coming from to find the coaches putting the equipment back into storage. I watched Coach Fields leave the sack of basketballs in his office and lock the door; and as he turned, he tipped his baseball cap when he saw me.
“Have a good night.” He told me, and I nodded in return. “Hurry up, boys! I’m locking up!” He shouted out into the quietness; and almost immediately, the basketball team came dashing out. Connor sprinted to me in his jeans and red sweater, his hair still dripping from the showers.
“Are you ready?” Clearly, he was more excited than I was.
“No.” I sighed as I stood, but he merely laughed and draped his arm over my shoulders.
“I expect nothing less.”
“Where are we?” I wondered aloud as I stepped out of the car and stared up at the house towering over us. I’d never been in this part of Locust Grove before. All the houses were so big; they reminded me of the school buildings that we had just left behind.
“Ridgewater Lane.” I heard the car door slam behind me, and Connor was suddenly standing by my side. “This is Adrienne’s house.” I gazed at the moonlight that fell over the roof and onto the street, painting the ground in silver light; and Melanie’s words found their way into my thoughts.
“…does that mean someone else will go missing?”
He started to move towards it, stopping to look back at me over his shoulder. “Are you coming?” Wordlessly, I followed him up the steps and to the front door. I could tell by the shadows that danced across the frosted glass that dozens of people had arrived before us, and I inhaled in apprehension.
I didn’t know if I could handle so many people.
Connor rang the doorbell, but I couldn’t imagine anyone hearing it inside. But still, the door swung open; and Chloe Miller’s bright green eyes met us on the other side.
“Melissa!” She exclaimed and stepped back to allow us inside. “I’m glad you came.” The cold of the night abruptly came to an end when the door closed behind us, and we took a step forward into the living room. In the dim light, I could make out the faces of our peers—most of them people I was fairly familiar with.
In a small school like ours, nearly everyone knew each other.
“There he is!” And now everyone knew who he was. Kris pointed to us from the den, and the crowd of partygoers turned and cheered at our arrival. He gestured for us to join them; but I hesitated, staying behind as Connor obliged. He paused when he realized that I wasn’t with him and hurried back to whisper a question.
“Is this too much?” He asked me. “We can always go home if it is.”
If anyone deserved something like this, it was Connor.
I forced a smile and pushed him forward.
“Go ahead. I’ll be around.” I insisted. His eyes lingered for a moment, as if to find the answer I wouldn’t tell; but he gave in to my request.
“Okay.”
“That was way too close today.” Kris continued, speaking loud enough so everyone could hear. “Next time, we’ve got to hit them harder. They can’t come to our home and dominate us like that.” The crowd roared in approval. “When they come here, we have to show them who’s boss. We have to make sure they remember who we are. Are you with me?” There were a number of shouts in response; and soon, the whole room burst into a chorus of cheers and applause. The music swelled when the sound finally died; and I wandered through the many rooms of the house, meandering around the dancing couples and occasional sinister piece of furniture.
A cold breeze came wafting in from my left and disturbed my hair, and I turned towards it in curiosity. A door leading out onto the terrace was open. I glanced back at the world I couldn’t recognize and let myself be taken away into the night. It was quiet and peaceful, something that I needed more than anything at this moment; and in the silence, I leaned over the railing to look out into darkness beyond me.
“I like to come out here, too—when I need time to myself.” She was sitting up against the space where the railing met one of the terrace’s beams in a rose sequined blouse, a white leather jacket hugging her shoulders. “It’s hard, isn’t it?” She jumped down from the railing when I didn’t answer. “Heather was my best friend, too. When I heard she drowned,” she sighed, “I cried for weeks.” I stared down at the wooden floor, never taking my eyes off of it.
“She told me where she was going,” I lifted my head to face her, “and I didn�
�t go with her. What kind of person does that make me?”
“Nobody knew what was going to happen.” Adrienne took a step towards me. “You can’t keep going on like this.”
I didn’t want to hear it, but she was right.
“Heather may be gone, but you’re here. You shouldn’t live like you’re already dead.”
I wish I knew how to change, but the thought of leaving Heather’s memory behind was unbearable; and I couldn’t do it.
“Come back to the cheerleading squad.” She pleaded with me. “We miss you. We need you. Just don’t let this keep you from living your life.” I flinched when she reached out to place her hand on my shoulder; and she drew back, almost as if she thought I was afraid of her. I scratched my head, scrambling for the words that had left my mind too soon.
“Um, I—I gotta go.” I stuttered, shrugging. “My parents don’t want me out too late.” It was a terrible excuse, but she let me leave her standing in the blackness. I sauntered into the den, into the dizzying atmosphere of the ever-changing colors of the lights and vibrating speakers. My whole body shuddered with the music, and I had to bite my tongue to keep my teeth from shaking.
Where was he?
Everywhere I turned, I nearly collided with another familiar stranger; but Connor was nowhere to be seen. I scanned the room for him, but it was too difficult to see anything.
“Kris.” I paused when I spied him sitting on the couch, and he looked up at the sound of his name.
“Yeah?” He and Thomas Pierson stopped in the middle of their conversation.
“Do you know where Connor is?” I had to ask. If I didn’t, it’d probably be another hour until I found him.
Kris blinked at my question.
“Yeah. He’s in the kitchen.” He gestured to where he’d last seen him. “Do you know where Adrienne went?”
“She’s out on the terrace.” I turned my head toward the open door behind me. “Thanks.” I hurried into the other room to find Connor leaning against the island weighed down with bowls of chips and bottles of soda, struggling to explain how he’d miraculously led the team to the first victory of the season. “Connor?” He smiled and excused himself from the crowd that had congregated around him.
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