The Broken Date

¶9¶

Jack's POV:

“I don't believe it. My aunt wants me over there in ten minutes. I just don't get a break. I---” Felix stopped as he saw my frightened face. “Jack, what on earth!”

I was running frantically across the wet tiles, my mouth open in a wide O of terror.

I pushed Felix back toward the locker room. “Let's get out of here! There's someone up there!” I pushed open the locker room and, slipping on the wet floor, ran inside.

“Ho? What do you mean?” Felix asked.

I threw open my locker. I pulled off the wet bathing suit with frantic, fumbling hands, and, still dripping wet, began to pull on my clothes. “I mean there was someone up on the balcony spying on me. A guy.”

“Are you sure?”

I glared at him. “I'm not crazy, Felix.” I struggled to pull my jeans over my wet legs. “You think I'm crazy, don't you! You think I'm cracking up!”

Why was I attacking Felix?

Maybe I really was cracking up.

“No. No, I don't,” Felix said patiently. “I think you're very upset. You've been through a lot. You have every reason to be frightened and on edge.”

“Thanks for your permission,” I snapped. I immediately regretted it. “Sorry.”

Felix shrugged. He rolled up his bathing suit and pushed it into a white plastic bag. He tossed his towel into the narrow, gray locker and started to get dressed.

“There was someone up on the balcony,” I continued, my hands shaking as I pulled on my sweatshirt. “When I looked up, he ducked back so I couldn't see him. I thought I saw black hair. I thought it was Mark. But when I called up to him. . .when I called his name. . .he didn't answer. I just heard laughing. It wasn't like Mark's regular laugh at all. It was so. . .evil. Like he was trying to scare me.”

Felix sat down on the low wooden bench to tie my sneakers. “How gross,” he said, shaking his head.

“But why would Mark do that to me?” I asked, sounding more bewildered than frightened. “Why wouldn't he want to face me, to talk?”

“Maybe it wasn't him,” Felix said. “You know, lots of times boys sneak over from the gym to spy hideout on the balcony to scare people. It was probably just some kid.”

“Well, maybe.” I wanted to believe Felix. But something told me that I wasn't a kid playing a prank up on the balcony. I shook my wet hair and then moved it out of my eyes.

“That would explain the evil laughing,” Felix continued. “It was just some dumb kid.”

“And I'm totally paranoid,” I said, forcing a smile.

“I didn't say that!” Felix cried defensively. He grabbed me by my shoulders. “You're terribly upset. I understand. It's a nightmare, a horrible nightmare. And it won't end until. . .until. . .”

“Until what?” I asked, about to burst into tears despite all of my efforts to hold them back.

“Until you talk to Mark,” Felix said, letting go and turning to pick up his swim bag. “Until you hear what happened from his lips. Until you know the truth.”

“But I already know the truth!” I insisted, hating the hysterical sound in my voice. “I don't want to know the truth! That's the whole problem, isn't it? The truth is the problem! What happened yesterday afternoon is the problem. What Mark did in that jewelry store is the problem. Don't you see, Felix? I don't want the truth to be the truth!”