The Great Divide

28. Westlaker

Night had fallen. The moon decided to stay hidden, and only a splashing of stars canvased the sky. A small gathering of trees loomed on the lawn down from campus and directly across from the stadium, which was where James and I found ourselves Friday night. Just as planned.

We were tucked behind the massive oak trees allowing us protection while still maintaining a perfect view of the stadium door. This was where James had hidden the night I drug Wes down to the locker rooms. Sitting with crossed legs on a plaid blanket – thanks to James who had one stuffed inside his trunk – the two of us kept our eyes peeled for any sign of movement. So far, the only living creature we had seen was a single squirrel dart across the grass in front of us.

It was a strange time for a squirrel to be out, I thought, in the cold and dreary winter.

The thought of the squirrel's nest had my hands running up and down my arms in an attempt to incite heat. The act didn't work. Though I had brought the puffiest jacket I owned, it was no match for the chilly December night. Small tufts of breath rose from my mouth as I watched them dissipate into the air.

James stirred. "Here." He handed me his flannel.

I received it but wasn't quite sure what to do with it. The fabric was warm in my hands; I wanted to nuzzle it to my face.

Wait a second.

"Thanks, but even though my jacket's older than I am, I think it's still superior to your flannel."

James groaned. "Wear it under your jacket, Ren." He groaned a second time. "I swear..."

I swallowed a lump in my throat. Where had that come from? James's flannel still carried a warmth I longed for, and, slipping off my puffer jacket, I slinked into his flannel and layered up. Instantly, my skin thawed, and I contemplated the events leading me to this point.

It surprised me how easy it was to lie to my parents about my whereabouts tonight. I had let them know I was heading to Liv's and would be back in the afternoon the following day. With a quick lecture on needing to set aside time to work on statistics, my mother had then let me escape through the front door. I took the metro and got off at the stop closest to James's neighborhood where a familiar car was parked waiting for me. I piled inside, surprised for the second time that day how easy the new action felt.

Though she huffed and crossed her arms, Liv had ultimately agreed to let me stay the night at her house after James and I finished our stakeout. I had endured a ten-minute lecture on the reasons why our plan was stupid, but, Liv being Liv, she assured me I could come to her house after. Her dads were heavy sleepers, and she would tell them I swung by after they went to bed. It was a vague interpretation of the truth.

It was now nearly ten o'clock at night. James and I had been hiding behind our covert forest for approximately two hours, and, aside from the squirrel, nothing had happened. The door remained locked and shut.

Heaving a sigh, I said, "So, if you had to guess, what would you say the envelopes are all about?"

James stretched his arms and crossed them. "No idea."

"That's a shitty guess."

James wiped a hand across his eyes. "Honestly, Ren, sometimes I think maybe this does all go back to Wes."

I scrunched my nose. "You do?"

"Yeah," he sighed "I mean, he mentioned all that Society stuff to you, which we still don't know anything about other than it being a type of points system."

"But Wes didn't know anything about the envelopes."

James nodded and kept his attention directly ahead. "That doesn't necessarily mean they're not connected."