Take Me Tomorrow

by Shannon A. Thompson

  “I’ve lived here for a long time,” I said.

  His gaze landed on my exposed neck. “How long?”

  “Why’s that your business?” I snapped, dropping my jewelry into my shirt. I didn’t want him to see the only part of me I couldn’t see for myself.

  “I shared information that could get me arrested, “he pointed out. “What’s wrong with you sharing information with me?”

  My hip cocked to the side. “This isn’t an exchange, Noah.” If anything, it was a trap, and he had expected me to fall into it like last time. I wouldn’t, and he didn’t like it.

  His brow scrunched, and his lips contorted into an unpleasant grimace. I didn’t wait for him to come up with a one-liner that stumped me.

  “Why did you have my address, anyway?” The words slipped out, but it looked like I had slapped him as I said it.

  His bottom lip hung open, “You read the paper.”

  The paper he had dropped was now safely tucked away in my desk, saved under two notebooks and a stack of notecards for history class. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  He glanced at the house in that infuriating way that he always looked away. I fought the urge to grab his face and force him to look at me. “So, this is that address,” he said it more as a statement than a question.

  “I am standing right here,” I said.

  He turned back as if I had to remind him. “Listen, Sophie—”

  “I hate that name.” There was only one person on this planet that used it, and he wasn’t allowed to be the second.

  He flinched, “Just,” he sighed. “Just listen to Broden for now, and everything will be okay in the future, and you’ll know everything, and—”

  “Stop talking to me like I’m a child,” I snapped.

  “I’m not,” he defended quietly. “I talk to you like a comrade, someone who I trust to trust me.”

  I ignored his words. “Put it however you like, but I’m not falling for it.”

  Noah ignored my tone. “You can believe whatever you like, but you’re already a part of this.”

  “I helped you once. That does not mean I’m a part of your mystery team,” I argued. “You heard Broden. Keep me out of it.” I spun on my heel to storm away, but he reached out and grabbed my arm. When I whipped around, he had his arm up like he had expected me to hit him. I wasn’t going to, but his reaction made me freeze.

  His expression dropped at the same time that he let me go. He rubbed his face before he spoke, “You really believe that you’ve only recently fallen into this?”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means it doesn’t matter what Broden or I or you think,” his rushed voice teetered on the edge of desperation. “You’re involved, and you have been since way before I came back into town,” he said. “How can you not see that?”

  “I don’t take drugs,” I said, knowing that my anger controlled my harsh comment. Too many people had died over tomo, and now I was seeing my friends fall into it.

  Noah’s mouth hung open like he was preparing to yell at me, like he was going to expose everything, but his jaw snapped closed. Instead of responding, he resorted to his favorite gesture − he turned his back to me.

  “I have my orders,” he said as he dipped into a collection of trees. “You’ll get yours soon.”

  Stay Home

  “Dad,” I shouted, only to realize that my house was empty.

  The living room echoed, and the wooden floors creaked. Nothing else responded to me. I shifted my weight from foot to foot and felt the hairspray in my hair scrape against my bare shoulders.

  I had been dressed up for the Homecoming party for more than an hour, and the angst was beginning to get to me. All I wanted was a quick distraction from my father, a normal chat, but he wasn’t home. He was out of the State again. I sighed.

  “Dad?” I spoke up one last time, knowing that he wouldn’t respond, but I heard footsteps, and my heart skipped. “Hey,” I started, excited that he was running late. “I wanted to talk to you about—”

  I halted in the doorway as my eyes landed on the owner of the stepping sounds. Argos, my protective elkhound, stood in front of me with a wagging tail. He yawned.

  “Hey, Argos,” I whispered. My father hadn’t even left a note.

  I began to run a hand through my hair when the hairspray prevented me. I laid my hand on the tough curls and sighed dramatically once again. Argos plopped down, curiously blinking at me. “What are you looking at?” I spoke to him, and he groaned before he slid back to the floor for another nap. I couldn’t help but smile before I walked away.

  I made my way through the entry hallway and refused to stare at myself in the mirror we hung up only a year prior. The makeover Lily had forced upon me over an hour ago felt unnatural.

  My normally frizzy, out-of-control curls were smoothed into perfect ringlets. My eyelashes were longer and darker, and my usually gray eyes appeared blue against the navy dress that I wore. My legs were freezing, and I could feel the makeup that had been splattered onto my complexion, even though it didn’t look like it. Even I had to admit that Lily had softened my rough exterior.

  My dress was beautiful, rising to my shoulders with thin, braided straps, while the neckline swooped low enough to show off my necklace. Lily told me it was an old dress of hers, but I couldn’t help but suspect that she had bought it specifically for me. We weren’t exactly the same size, and it was hard to imagine her wearing something so neutral. This dress was simple. Lily sparkled with dramatic colors anytime she had the chance. It was one of the reasons she constantly complained about our school uniforms.

  I shook my head, feeling my heavy curls as I faced the door. I didn’t want to think about how I looked or about the boy Lily was introducing me to. I had enough to think about, but Anthony’s name shook my nerves, and I held my mother’s silver necklace.

  I leaned back to look at the clock over the sink. It was nine. The sun was already setting, and my skin tingled with excitement. It was one night that curfew didn’t matter, and even though I had broken curfew recently, the rush of nighttime excited me. For once, I was honestly thrilled for Homecoming. I was ready to go out, meet new people, and ignore all of the recent drama that had happened the past couple of days.

  I was ready to forget.

  When I opened the front door, the cold night rushed over my exposed skin. I shivered, goose bumps crawled up my legs, and I wrapped my arms around myself, adjusting to the weather. I closed my eyes and grasped the doorknob behind me. Lyn would be returning from work any moment to drive me. I would jump into the Jeep and play with Falo until I arrived at the party. Then, I would have a fantastic night.

  The ringing phone shattered my fantasy.

  I jumped at the sudden sound as headlights flew over the front yard. Lyn’s Jeep rolled up the long driveway, and I held my breath as the answering machine picked up the last minute phone call.

  Music pumped through the static noise. “Sophia,” a male shouted over the chaos, and nerves twisted my stomach. “Sophia, it’s Broden.” He sounded frantic. “I really need you to pick up, Sophia. You better be home,” he paused as I dug my fingernails into the wood. “Please, be home.”

  I felt the betrayal from Tuesday boil inside me. Broden had chosen Noah over me, and all I wanted to do was ignore him. In fact, I hadn’t spoken to him in three days, and I had left school early to avoid any contact with Broden, Miles, or Noah.

  Broden sighed as if he sensed me on the other line, and I glanced over as Lyn parked in front of me. “Listen, Sophia,” Broden continued quickly. “If you haven’t left for the party yet, stay home,” he waited again. “Please, stay home.” He hung up.

  I swallowed. Stay home? Stay home from Lily’s Homecoming party? How could Broden expect me to do that? Lily was counting on my attendance, and Broden knew it. Even worse, the music insinuated that he was already there, despite not being allowed to go. Military students did have some restrictions, especially ones who had been enr
olled due to troubles.

  Lyn honked the horn. “Sophia,” she shouted out of the passenger window, her smile beaming through the murky darkness. “Are you coming? You look great.”

  I stared at the telephone one last time as the message beeped relentlessly, and then, I turned away from it. “Coming, Lyn,” I said, ignoring my best friend as I ran to the Jeep, ready to arrive at the party.

  It’s Too Late

  “Have fun,” Lyn shouted as she pulled away from the drop-off lane, the black Jeep disappearing into the blackness. My eyes weren’t used to the nighttime scene, and I shivered in my dress for the umpteenth time. The clock tower loomed above me, and the arrows pointed to the sky, a situation I wasn’t used to seeing.

  Lily had rented the banquet hall beneath the tower for the dance, and intimidation crawled all over me. Muffled music pounded behind the golden door, and the vibrations shot through the cool air drifting by from the nearby river. The building was rarely used for anything but government events. Lily was truly talented to get the school board to agree to it.

  Kids walked past me, curls bouncing, heels clicking, boys laughing, and I fell into step among a crowd of peers. Walking to the entrance as calmly as my heels would allow, others filed in as nerves pulled me back. Broden’s warning ricocheted inside of me, but the night was strangely normal – a bunch of teens bouncing about in their angst, and I was one of them.

  The arched doorway shut and opened repeatedly as a teenage boy directed guests inside. He had piercing blue eyes, short brown hair, and a jagged jaw, yet I didn’t recognize him as one of our students. “Hello, Ms. Gray,” he cooed as he checked my name off before I spoke it.

  I squinted at him as decorative flares flew across his face. His stunning eyes reflected the light. Cat-eyes.

  Before I could say anything, the door opened, and a white-headed girl with a bright yellow gown yanked me into the banquet hall, “About time.”

  “Lily,” I breathed as she swung her arms around me, golden bracelets clinging together like wind chimes.

  “Isn’t it great?” she exclaimed, waving toward the party.

  Students danced under an array of neon lights. The large crowd was laughing, relaxing, and twirling to the music so beautifully that the school dance looked choreographed. Everything about it was mesmerizing, yet I was dwelling on the doorman. His reflective eyes – the ones I had seen too many times.

  Lily laughed as if I were in awe. I managed to congratulate her success. “I know, right?” she beamed, wiggling like a child with newfound freedom. She arched her neck to look around. “Miles is here somewhere,” she said. “Broden, too.”

  I gulped. “Broden’s here?”

  “Yeah,” Lily stated. “Wait − come to think of it,” she spoke slowly, “He isn’t allowed to be here, so that must have been someone else.”

  I wanted to tell her that she wasn’t wrong. That Broden wasn’t supposed to be, but he was, and he was here for a reason.

  “Lily,” I attempted to confront her about the circumstances, but she frowned at my worried expression.

  “What now?” she whined, subconsciously begging for a perfect night.

  I sighed. “The doorman—”

  “He’s cute, isn’t he?” Lily blushed like the schoolgirl she was. “His name is Pierson. He’s one of Miles’ friends.”

  I winced at the information. “That’s probably not a good thing—”

  She rolled her eyes. “Come on,” she said, ignoring me as she weaved us through a group of people. “Anthony is this way.” Before I could object, we approached a wall full of relaxing students, and Lily whispered, “You’re going to die when you see him. He’s gorgeous.”

  Die − as if that description was going to settle my nerves.

  “Sophia,” Lily shouted into my ear, the music disappearing for a moment. “This is Anthony.”

  I glanced up from the craziness of the party, and my eyes focused on the wall. The political student, as Lily originally described, stood in front of me. His shoulders were broad, and the black fabric he wore made his emerald eyes darken. His skin was lighter than anyone else I knew, but his jawline was defined with a hint of facial hair that most guys his age couldn’t pull off. His smirk was arrogant, and his height was intimidating, but he offered his hand as his smirk melted into a sincere smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Sophia.”

  I choked at his introduction and nodded as if the loud music made it hard to converse. In reality, I wasn’t sure what to say. Anthony was overwhelming. He looked like Noah.

  He smiled as if he understood his intimidation but was too much of a gentleman to say so. “Would you like to dance?” he asked, pointing to the dance floor with his gaze.

  “Yes,” Lily encouraged, pushing me toward him before I could argue. The dancing crowd was a threatening wave of chaos. In the neon lights, people moved so quickly that I could barely comprehend who was around me, but Anthony guided us through the crowed sufficiently.

  Anthony placed his hand on my hip as if it belonged there. I held my breath, and we swayed into the chaos that was our Homecoming dance. My mind raced with my footsteps. It all seemed so fast: getting ready, Broden’s phone call, Lyn’s Jeep ride, entering through Pierson, Lily’s excitement, and now, Anthony.

  I couldn’t think.

  When I glanced around, the moving shadows began to form into glamorous students. Students I knew. Friends I knew. Then, Broden.

  I gasped.

  The very friend who had tried to stop me from coming to Lily’s party was standing among a crowd of boys, and he was talking despite the loud music, but I was lucky to recognize him. Broden wore sunglasses, and a cap hovered over his sliced brow. The only normal part of his outfit was his suit, but even that didn’t fit him right. It was loose, and when he handed something to the group of boys, his sleeve dangled over his palm.

  My fingers tightened on Anthony’s jacket, and Anthony spoke to me, but I stepped away. “I’ll be right back,” I yelled over the music, hoping he had heard me, and then, I ran.

  I pushed through the crowd, shoving with my elbows as a new song began. People started to jump, and the floor shook. An elbow struck my arm and then, my shoulder. I tripped over my heels and cursed, wishing I had worn my tennis shoes instead.

  “Move it,” I cursed again, but no one seemed to notice that I was panicking as I lost sight of Broden. Even the boys he was with had disappeared, dispersing into the crowd.

  I spun around, and the lights dimmed. Shadows engulfed me. As students cheered, a hand landed on my shoulder. Before I could fight it, the boy pulled me into his chest, and a strobe light appeared. I stared at my flickering palm, trying to comprehend where it had landed. I was clutching his shirt pocket, and his body heat brushed against my cheek.

  “You,” the boy began speaking into my ear, “are not supposed to be here.”

  The jacket he wore wasn’t meant for a dance, but for comfort and durability. The cloth was heavy, too hot for the large crowd, and the survival style was all too familiar.

  I looked straight into his eyes, expecting to see colored-contacts, but I was confronted with his mossy gaze. “Noah.”

  The fake brunette tilted his face to the side. “Nice to see you too, Sophie.”

  “You’re not allowed in here,” I snapped.

  “Nate Harper is,” he said, continuing to sway. He had tricked me into a dance.

  “Too bad you’re not Nate Harper,” I managed, pushing away before he could stop me.

  I stumbled through the crowd as I searched for Broden. If both of them were here, nothing good was going to happen, but I was too late.

  In a matter of moments, everything went wild. I had been to the annual Homecoming before, but I had never seen it this crazy. The chaperones didn’t seem to care, even though I had to push myself to the nearest wall in order to breathe. I grasped the wall with my shaking fingertips and tried to control my breathing. Standing on my tiptoes, I glanced around the room, looking for adults,
and saw none. Lily was missing, and no one was attempting to manage the wildness. The dance was dangerously insane.

  “You really shouldn’t be here.”

  My hand shot to my heart at the unexpected voice. Noah laughed, enjoying my reaction.

  “Why’d you sneak up on me like that?” I asked.

  “I didn’t,” he stated, surveying the party nonchalantly. “If you had been paying attention—”

  “Does this party seem,” I hesitated my interruption, “crazy to you?”

  “No.” Noah was unfazed. “But Broden is fine. He’s a big boy. You can go home now.”

  My jaw dropped. “I never said I was looking for Broden.”

  Noah’s lips pulled up, and he seemed to be dancing despite his stillness.

  “You are extremely irritating,” I said.

  Noah beamed as if I had complimented him. “Irritating enough to make you go home?”

  “Nice try,” I said. “I’m not going home.”

  A shadow crawled over his tamed expression. “Broden was supposed to tell you to stay home.” Even in the dark, his x-ray stare exposed the worry behind my gaze.

  “I don’t have to listen to him,” I squeaked.

  “You never listen to him,” Noah corrected.

  “And?”

  “And that’s a problem,” Noah clarified, pushing himself off of the wall. “For both of us.”

  Before I could speak, a group of kids began to push one another, and one boy fell on top of me. He knocked me against the decorated wall, and Noah grabbed him. He spun the clumsy boy around before shoving him into the crowd. Noah’s eyes scanned my body before he leaned in to whisper, “Why don’t I escort you outside?” His suggestion sounded like an order.