RUN!

17. Seek and Destroy

 Song: Seek and Destroy by Sza

  I'm bothered. Confused. I snap that last entry and send it to Reyna. It was a huge risk bringing the diary here but I've tucked it back securely in my bag pack. Avery's phone is dead, or spoilt but I still take it around with me.

The party has officially begun and for the past 10 minutes the only thing I've been hearing is hardcore rap, no thanks to Landon.

"What's up?" Lee comes to stand next to me. 

"What's not up?" I mutter. He just listens silently as I debrief him on the latest.

"So Avery's phone was here? That's...very incriminating."

"Well, it's dead so I'm not 100% sure for now. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt."

  As if coming to claim it, Declan bounces down the stairs. He's surrounded by girls and I imagine that one of these girls sent Avery that text. Declan has openly dated 3 girls at once because he never told them they were exclusive, in his own words, but no one's ever called him a whore.

"You two look like you're at a cemetry," Yara comes hopping over. Inwardly I groan, she's the last person I want to handle right now. Actually I just want to talk to Declan.

"I'll be right back," I tell them, pushing my weight against the wall and heading towards him. Once he spots me, he grins.

"Wassup King! Thought of what I said last night?"

"What?"

"About the girls?"

"I already said no," I frown. Thankfully, his leeches have left.

"Sorry, I meant girl. There's one particular girl that I'm pretty sure you'd like."

"Still no."

"Won't you even check her out?"

"No– that's not why I even came here–"

"Listen up everybody!!" Jessica's voice fills the room. Well there goes that. "We're gonna have a game because what's a high school outing without a game!?"
They actually scream in excitement. I'm tired of games, I feel like life is playing the biggest game with me.

"We're playing would you rather with a twist. You're actually going to have to do it or you take a shot! In no particular order! If you're not down to play you can go outside to party or something."

Wow. An escape? I start turning but a hand pulls me back.

"Uh-huh dude. You're staying here and tonight, you're gonna get laid." Declan says this like he's saving my world. What is wrong with this guy?

Some people leave, Lee leaves and I feel like screaming for him to come take me too. We're down to 13 playing the game. I stare at that bottle, knowing fully well I'm going to finish it. But a thought occurs to me. Declan wants me to play this game, so what if I do play it, I mean actually play it in exchange for something.

"In no particular order," Jessica repeats herself and volunteers to go first. She turns to Landon. "Would you rather do a threesome or never get to have sex again?"

Laying it heavy I guess. Landon grins.

"Threesome babe." I hope they don't intend on doing it next.

Betty May goes next and she asks Kavinsky another horny question. I wonder what happened to would you rather sleep on the couch or on the roof?

I push myself out of my head and raise my hands, signifying that I wanted to play.

"Declan," I say without turning to him. "Would you rather keep a secret girlfriend you like or openly date girls you don't like?"

He takes a minute to reply. "Secret girlfriend."

"He can't do that," Jessica frowns at me. Oh, the twist part.

"But he did, didn't you?" I lower my voice so that he's the only one who can hear me. Declan raises both brows and frowns at me.

"What are you talking about?"

"A.D," Yara calls. I snap by attention back to the game. "Would you rather kiss a girl in this room or sleep outside the whole night?"

Easy. Sleep outside the whole night, but I tilt my head towards Declan.

"If I do this then you're going to have to do something for me," I tell him. Declan doesn't seem all hyped up now but he nods twice.

Okay. The hard part.

"Kiss a girl obviously," I shrug. Jessica winks at me and I have no idea what that's supposed to mean but I know I have to do it.  There are 7 girls in the room. Yara, Jessica, Betty May, Jordan– Jordan. I don't think it, I just walk straight to Jordan, the girl at the corner, looking at me like I'm crazy. She's probably half my height so I have to lean down like crazy to kiss her but I guess it adds to the fan fare because people whistle behind me. Jordan doesn't freeze like I half expected her to, in fact, she kisses me back. Like we planned this. After a couple of seconds I step back and mouth sorry to her.

"Wow, didn't know you had it in you," Jessica nudges me as I walk back to my spot.

"Nice," Declan grins at me.

"Yeah well that was for show. And info." I don't return the grin.

"What info?"

"Call the game quits, follow me outside." It's not a suggestion, it's an order. One that leaves Declan confused but he still does it.

"What's going on with you man–"

"You knew her."

Declan freezes. It's pretty obvious who her is but he still asks. "who are you talking about."

"Avery. Why did you pretend like you didn't know her at school? And even when she went missing you didn't offer any help."

"We weren't that close."

"Wassup b?" I repeat his last words. Declan's eyes narrow.

"Are you stalking me?"

I laugh. "You guys were dating."

"I don't have to answer to you, you're just looking for something to keep you busy."

"She's missing," I hiss.

"And you think I took her?" He hisses back. Well her phone was on your property.

"You could help find her," I spit. We're logging heads now and I'm this close to hitting the shit out of his head.

"Listen you have no idea what's going on. You don't even know her."

"And I'm sure you do, if all those heart emojis are anything to go by."

"Don't be such a freak King. Does it bother you that I had her while you didn't?"

"Had her? You just said you didn't know her that well."

"We both know what's true. I did have her. Over my head and under my bed and that bothers you."

"You're sick Declan. I could care less about your romantic life but if you like her so much maybe you should do something to find her."

"Something like what? What are you doing?"

"I–" I freeze. Declan's not Nick. He's a self entitled bastard who wouldn't bat an eye before ratting us out.

"I'm doing something and when I find her you'll be the first to know," I amend. He grunts, the booze gone from his system. We step away from each other, one last warning, and I walk back inside and into my room.