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September 24
Marla stops her car outside the small house party which is no place for a teenage couple to be hanging out at. I mean, sure, there are quite a few couples that I can see. It's not the company I'm comfortable with my friend getting involved with, though. Marla and Rachael have the same opinion as me. As soon as we say Riley's message in the group chat about 'going to a party with Carlos', the same thing came to our minds.
The girl's going to get herself killed. Or worse, raped.
Since my parents weren't home and Marla's parents aren't as strict as Racheal's about staying out at night, we decided to play cops and recuse her. Sure, it would have helped if we could convince her to stay back. But at least Marla somehow managed to ask her boyfriend which party Carlos was talking about. I, having neither a man nor a car, waited for her to pick me up and take me along.
"You shouldn't be going there alone," Marla's boyfriend Hashir says. His bespectacled face floats on Marla's phone screen because she has no sense of safe driving.
"I'm not alone," Marla says. "I have Tay with me, see?" She turns the screen towards me and I flash a smile and wave at Hashir.
Hashir rolls his eyes. "Yeah, how threatening."
"Stop worrying about me and focus on your exams," Marla shoots him down. "I don't want you getting expelled. The only reason I'm coming to college is so I can be with you."
"And I can't wait!"
Trying not to gag, I turn to stare out of the window at the house looming overhead. It's not too big, old and with a couple of tiles missing from the front. A cracked window allows a view inside so that I catch a glimpse of flashing lights and drinks being distributed in plastic cups. Scared of what Riley might be up to, I scan the dark and creepy neighborhood with its overturned trashcans and open gutters. I see a couple of kids smoking something as they lean against a streetlight and a dog with an injured leg race past them. One of the kids lets out a loud cackle and kicks at the dog which whimpers and runs into the alley right next to the house.
"I'm going to go inside and find Riley," Marla says to me, gathering up her braids and tying them into a pony at the top of her head. "You should stay out here and keep watch. If I don't come back in twenty minutes, call the cops and raid this damn place."
Even though I know she's doing it so I won't have to do anything but sit in the car, she makes it seem like I'm doing her the favor. Proving to be the badass she is, Marla throws open the door of her old 1956 Chevy and gets out. She stretches her arms back, rocking her black crop-top and jeans shorts that leave her long, dark legs bare, she closes the door behind her and heads toward the house, looking both ways as she goes. As she disappears through the door and the low thumping music becomes the only thing rooting me to the present, I lean back in the seat and scan the house and its few windows.
I've never been to these kinds of parties. Carter wasn't sociable and I didn't like going anywhere without my twin brother. I had friends but he didn't, sticking by me and telling me how everyone was only trying to live their best life.
'One day, they'll forget all about you,' he'd say. 'Nobody will even remember you after you die.'
I'd called him a pessimist back then but he'd only shrug and laugh. He took life too seriously, reading meanings into things and being too sensitive. I was the easy-going one, always ready to shake things off and move on.
If only I'd known it would be him I wouldn't be able to move on from.
Closing my eyes and inhaling a deep breath through my nose, I try to block out the memories that come rushing back to me. It's easier being away from them, easier still to remain in peaceful denial that my brother isn't dead. Sometimes, it's even better to imagine I never had a brother at all.
My eyes catch sight of someone walking out of the door of the house Marla entered six minutes ago. I straighten up, expecting to see her leading Riley towards the safety of the car. Instead, though, it's not them.
It's Shane Gray.
Almost every time I've seen him, he's surrounded by his group of adoring friends and admirers. Not today though. He's alone this time, waving over his shoulder and smiling at no one in particular. He still has a cast on his leg which is by now an art exhibition because of all the greetings and wishes written on it. Although I saw him in a new cast the other day, that didn't stop people from writing it all over again. Which kind of stung because I didn't get to leave my message again.
My gaze follows him as he bounds down the four concrete steps in front of the house. I expect him to get in his billionaire car and drive off to his mansion -- which I've heard plenty about -- to sleep. I don't even notice that his car is nowhere in sight and that he's heading not out towards the road. He's instead inching towards the narrow alley into which the stray dog escaped not too long ago.
My brow begins to furrow when I see his eyes glance over his shoulder to check who-knows-what. One hand of his digs into the inside pocket of his coat and I don't see what he brings out, ducking into the dark alley.
Before I can be sure of what I'm doing, I jump out of Marla's car and take quick, silent steps towards the alley draped in shadows. As soon as I can see Shane, I notice he's got something in one hand while he attempts to hide it from the light and -- without knowing it -- me.
"Shane?" I say, my voice magnified in the enclosed space and echoing back to me.
"Holy shit --"
He drops whatever he's holding and I catch sight of a small orange bottle land on the ground with minimal sound. I don't get to see its name, though, because Shane bends over and scoops it up. Wincing when his leg moves too fast, he hides his hand behind his back. I lift my gaze to his face, watching in the semi-darkness his face blotch with pink. He blushes from either embarrassment at what he was doing or perhaps at being caught.
"Oh," he says, completely out of breath. "It's you."
Shane attempts to smile but his wide eyes give away how much he's panicking inside. I don't get it, so many things not making any sense at all. Shane Gray? At such a party and then sneaking into a dark alley? And what was he going to do had I not found him? His perfect image doesn't match with sneaking in back alleys.
"Yeah, I just ..." I frown, picking my words carefully. "I saw you and thought of asking if you're okay."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm ..." He lets out an awkward laugh, waving his free hand in the air while the other stays behind his back. "I'm perfectly fine. I needed some fresh air."
Incredulity causes my eyebrows to lift upward and I visibly scan our surroundings. Garbage flows out of the can to Shane's right, while a couple of rats openly chew at the gory remains of a dead cat to his left. An open sewer spews out black goo, filling the air with the horrendous stench of poop and pee and everything unsanitary.
"Fresh air?" I repeat with skepticism. "Really? And this is the place you chose for a walk? I'm sorry, but I'd be more willing to believe it if you said you were doing drugs here instead."
Contrary to my expectation, Shane Gray winces, arousing my suspicion further. I stare at him, waiting for him to give in rather than argue with my very understandable assumption. Although Shane Gray definitely doesn't look like the kind of person to inject shit into his bloodstream, his presence in this alley is unnatural. Even my mystery-show-binge-watching brain is baffled.
Shane laughs, subtly pulling out his hand from behind his back. For a moment, I think he's going to show me what he's doing. Instead, he puts his hand in his coat pocket and hides whatever that orange cylinder was out of sight. As for me, I'm sure there's more to his need for fresh air than he's letting on.
I mean, when is it ever just about fresh air?
Shane takes a couple of steps toward me, the color in his cheeks fading away as he grows more comfortable. He smiles at me, showing his dimples, his eyes sparkling even in the dim light.
"If I was using drugs," he says, "do you think it would be safe for you to challenge me about it?"
"Drug addicts aren't dangerous," I tell Shane, not affected by his words. "They're only a risk to themselves. No one else."
Shane's eyebrows pull together but he recovers fast, smiling wider.
"You're a strange girl, Taylor," he comments.
"And you remember my name," I note aloud, wishing I didn't.
Shane laughs, shaking his head.
"Of course," he says, his eyes as bright as his smile. "It's not like we're strangers or anything."
With a wink that catches me completely off guard, Shane passes me by and limps out of the alley. The arm of his coat scrapes against mine and I turn around to watch him leave, following him out of the alley. He waves at me over his shoulder and heads back into the house just as Marla exits, bringing an angry-looking Riley along.
"I'm not some little girl who needs watching over, okay?" Riley snaps, her voice reaching me loud and clear. "I can handle myself just fine."
"I know you can," Marla counters, rolling her eyes as she walks toward the car and stops next to it at the same time as I do. "We're worried you're going to end up doing something stupid."
"Well, I'm not," Riley snaps, shooting me a glare too. "Carlos is great and I like him so stop butting in and ruining it."
"He's a dick," Marla says.
"And you're a b..." she catches herself, swallowing hard.
"What? Go on. I'm a bitch?" Marla notes, her face swelling with anger. "Yeah, I'm the bitch to drive over so late at night to make sure my friend isn't lying in a ditch somewhere."
Riley's face flushed fifty shades of crimson before she huffs and turns away again. She stalks back into the house without a backward glance, slamming the door shut behind her. I glance at Marla who looks like she's about to set the house on fire. Finally, I sigh.
"We should go," I say, getting into the passenger seat.
Marla sighs, getting in too and starting the car.
"She's making a big mistake," she mumbles.
I nod, staring straight out of the windshield.
"Let's hope we're wrong," I say.
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A/N: I know the story seems like all over the place right now. There are scenes that should be in a different order but I'm probably going to be changing them when I stop uploading unedited chapters like a maniac. Please bear with me. I love this story but it's a mess right now. I'll probably spend tomorrow to fix it up before uploading another chapter. This will be the last one before I do that then.