Phantom [h.s]

Twenty One

"Sure seemed like it." He narrows his eyes.

"Well, you know what assuming does," I say, pulling the seatbelt over my shoulder and buckling it.

He stares at me blankly.

"It makes an ass out of you and me." I smirk.

Harry fights a smile but fails, and a single dimple appears in one of his cheeks. "Did you just make a pun?"

"Maybe I did," I say. "Only because you're jealous."

"Jealous? No."

I give him a look.

"Fine," he caves, slumping forward onto the center console, looking up at me. "I admit it."

I smile. "Don't worry," I say. "I wouldn't go for a potential suspect."

Harry straightens up. "We've gone over this," he says. "Max didn't do it."

"You don't have proof."

"You don't have proof that he did it."

"You can't just rule him out."

"I can. And I will." Harry crosses his arms over his chest like a child.

I sigh and turn on my car. I'm afraid Max was capable of more than Harry knew, and Harry will end up being crushed over that.

I know I could easily change Harry's mind about completely ruling Max out by telling him what I overheard at the library. But on another hand, he's right. We don't have solid evidence against anyone yet.

So I keep my mouth shut, for now.
-
I sign my name on the note to my parents and set it on the kitchen counter. Neither of them is home yet, both at late meetings for work. Hopefully they won't be too mad when they find I've gone out for the night.

I hear a horn honk from the driveway and grab my things, hurrying out the front door.

I get into the back seat of Jenna's car, as the passenger seat is already occupied by Ria. She smiles at me when I get in.

"Whoa, I haven't been over here in ages," Jenna says, eyes sweeping the front of the house as she pulls out of the driveway.

Ria looks at her lap and Jenna instantly looks as if she regrets saying anything.

I study their expressions closely, but I don't say anything.

The drive to Max's house is mainly filled with Jenna breaking traffic laws and Ria alternating between explaining to me how bad of a driver Jenna is and telling Jenna how bad of a driver she is. It's very comical, actually.

"You just ran that stop sign," Ria scolds.

"What stop sign?"

Ria facepalms.

"You're an atrocious driver," she says from beneath her hands.

"No I'm not," Jenna says as she runs another stop sign. "I'm not, right Jane?"

I stifle a laugh and shrug.

Finally, after multiple occasions in which I actually fear we'll get in a wreck, we arrive at Max's house.

It's not as big as Nate's house, but it's still large on most standards. It has the same old fashioned, stately look as most of the mansion type homes in this area. Faint music is heard as Jenna parks the car in the curving driveway.

We get out of the car, and I follow the other two up to the front door. Ria twists the door handle and walks right in.

People fill the living room, but not nearly as many as there was at Nate's party. I'm glad this party isn't as big as the last.