Wishful Thinking (23 page)

I wanted to catch up but the pain worsened, making me stop to catch my breath. "You want to head back," came her voice through the dark.
 

"I just need a sec is all, been awhile since my last run."

"Cry me a river already."

"Do you always have to be a bitch?"

"No, but you tend to bring it out in me. I’ve never met a guy who whines as much as you." She doubled back next to me, her arms above her head.

"If my company’s that awful then why seek it out?"

"I don’t know.” She started walking back and fourth, “I’m drawn to you."

"Whoa, I have a girlfriend." I said it only partially joking.
 

I couldn’t see it, but I’m pretty certain she rolled her eyes when she said, "Oh please. You know as well as I there’s no chemistry here. You’re safe is all, unlike most of your friends who are quite—tempting."

"Can we turn around now?"

She nodded her agreement without adding in a snide comment and turned to walk back the way we came. I followed along in silence as she talked about Nate and Kyle. “How on earth did those two become friends they seem like they walk on different planets?”

 
“Money.”
 

“Ahh, is that why you and Dean are friends?” she asked a giggly quality to her voice. Those two definitely had more than debate team going on between them.
 

I didn’t get a chance to raise my suspicions out loud, because a car driving fast towards us captured both our attentions—the black Charger. The engine revved when the car stopped at a stop sign. It waited there idling a hundred yards behind us.
 

“Oh shit,” Claudia said and pulled at my arm, “come on." She dragged me with her into some bushes. We held our breath and watched as the Charger passed. Once it turned and disappeared down Melbourne, she climbed out of the bushes.

"What the fuck was that about?" I asked not able to keep the fear from my voice.

"Have you noticed that car everywhere?" She stared in the direction the car had gone. Her words sent another chill down my back. Who was the car following? Me? Her? Both of us?

"That’s not like, one of your dad’s associates?”

She turned to glare at me, "That car shows up everywhere I go—" she exhaled, “–– and I don’t know what rumors you all believe about my father, but they aren’t true. He’s not connected he works for the FBI for god sakes.” She continued to stare after the car.

 
“Your dad’s FBI?”

I knew she was rolling her eyes. “Let me guess someone warned you to stay away from me. Right?”

“No, but …” Her dad was FBI. No wonder she was such a badass, though I suppose she could have been that way with a mob boss for a father too. “If your dad is FBI and that car is following you why wouldn’t you tell him?”
 

"I don’t know. I can’t say for certain that it’s not my imagination. I see it around my house a lot, but … anyway we better go and fast.”

We hurried down the street taking back alleys and sticking close to the trees and evergreens that lined the streets of Silverton Heights. I don’t know if it was my own fear I was feeling or hers, but to have one other person confirm my suspicions about the black Charger was enough to push me into panic mode. I debated whether or not to tell my dad or go straight to the cops.
 

Why would the cops care? There was no proof the car actually was following either of us. Besides, they had yet to figure out the reason behind the break-in and unfortunately a break-in where nothing was stolen doesn’t rank high on the urgent need-to-solve ladder.

Claudia and I parted ways on my street. She hollered over her shoulder, "See you at school."
 

This whole time I assumed she knew the owner of the Charger that he worked for her dad as some sort of muscle. FBI agents didn’t hire Mr. Joshuas, although they might have fellow agents run security detail on their brave daughters. Keep them safe without looking overly protective. It certainly wouldn’t be something he’d share with his daughter. Right?
 

Why though, would Mr. Kingsly warn Dean about Claudia’s father, law enforcement was law enforcement wasn’t it? There had to be a reason for warning him. Maybe after school, seeing as how I’d have nothing better to do since I was grounded, I’d do a little background check on Mr. Monroe.

✩

School felt different today. The vibe hanging over campus all wrong. Everyone I passed in the hall seemed on edge, ready to jump at a mere hello. Or maybe everyone was acting normal and I was the one on edge, more sensitive to others or something. Before I reached the door to debate, my phone started chirping. Good thing I wasn’t in class yet when it went off.
 

A text message:

Hey, good news Richard can have visitors today-S

I moved out of the rush of students and leaned up against the lockers outside debate class and texted back:

Good news indeed, are you going to see him?

Within seconds Summer responded:

I’m going right now. Would you collect my homework from the office after school, please—I’ll owe you one ;)

I typed right back:

Of course, I’ll miss you

She texted one final message:

Thank you, I’ll call you later, bye xoxoxo <3

I turned off my phone and hurried to class making it just before last bell. Knowing that I wouldn’t get to see Summer all day made my day suddenly look quite bleak. Without Summer to distract me I’d have way to much time to think about my conversation with Claudia this morning, and her confirmation that my paranoia about the black Charger following me might not be a delusion after all.

I slid into my seat for debate at the same time the bell rang, Dean wasn’t there. He wasn’t in third period either, and by lunchtime I realized half of my friends were missing.
 

Apparently, in all my frustration I’d forgotten today was senior ditch day so I was stuck at lunchtime alone with Emily. When I walked up to our usual table carrying a slice of pizza and a soda, she gave me a weak, “Hey.”

“Hey,” I said back putting my tray down at the opposite end of the table from her. I swung my bag off my shoulder and dropped it next to my tray. “Why are you here?"
 

“Why are you?" Emily barked back.
 

I ignored her snide tone, “I’m surprised to see anyone here, even Dean ditched."

Emily shook her head and took a sip of her iced tea, “No, he’s here. Like that freak would miss a day, please, he’d have to be dying and even then, he’d be here IV tubes and all."
 

I couldn’t help it, I laughed.
 
"He is a bit studious."

"He’s been in the office with principal Johan all day," Emily said. She pulled out a book from her bag and started thumbing the edges of the pages.
 

"Oh," was all I said and commenced to eating my pizza.
 

We stayed silent for most of lunch, Emily on one side of the table reading, me on the opposite end not reading. I still couldn’t believe my friends would ditch and not say anything to me at all, it wasn’t like I’d told anyone outside Dean and Summer about being grounded. Then to my surprise and Emily’s, Nate walked up. He threw his bag down on the table and plopped down on the bench beside me, inserting himself between me and Emily. He sighed, loudly, before dropping his head on his bag.
 

“I figured you ditched like everyone else, what are you doing here?"

Nate turned his head to look at me, but didn’t lift it from his bag. He arched his brow then shook his head, “Nah, nobody wanted to do anything fun and …" he didn’t finish his thought, he lifted his head and looked at Emily, "Why didn’t you ditch?"

Emily shrugged, “Didn’t feel like it."

“Wait where’s Dean, don’t tell me that little shit ditched,” Nate said noticing me and Emily were the only two sitting at the table.
 

Emily answered, ‘He’s up in the office doing something.”

"I was gonna freak if he ditched and I didn’t." Nate turned back to me, "So I know why I’m here, why she’s here, why are you—oh wait you’re grounded, when’s that over?”

“How do you—”

“Doesn’t matter," Nate cut in, “this sucks." He sighed, and dropped his head back on his bag again. "My dad’s all ate up over Princeton pissed that I didn’t pick Cambridge, like I want to walk in his shoes, fuck him. Couldn’t even get happy that I got in to Princeton—on my own I might add.” Nate sighed again and stood up and threw his bag over his shoulder, “I’m heading to class. See you guys later." He gave a lingering look to Emily before walking off towards the math building.

Once Nate disappeared I looked over at Emily. Her mouth twisted to the side as she chewed on her cheek.
 

“Did Summer tell you I was grounded?"
 

“Yeah, why? What’s the big deal? It’s not like it was a secret was it?"

It hit me like a million bricks. I couldn’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. “Oh my god.”

Her brow bunched together, “What?”

“You like him. You like Nate.”

Her mouth fell open but she quickly recovered. “Why would you think that?"

I could see it now, the weird exchanges between them during the week—they were sleeping together. “You didn’t answer my question,” I said.
 

Emily looked around as if she worried someone was listening. On this side of the outdoor patio, there was nobody around but us. She picked up her bag and moved right next to me. “Can you keep a secret?” she asked, “Even from Summer?"

“I don’t like—”

“Please, it’s just … I need to talk. I’m going crazy. I don’t know what to do.”
 

She placed her hands on the table picking at the polish on her nails. Emily and I weren’t exactly close, anymore. After we broke up she became a real bitch, but I sort of deserved it. In the last few months she’d thawed a bit towards me and it was hard to ignore the pleading in her eyes.

 
“Okay, I’m listening.”

She pressed her hands together, “You have to give Nate permission.”

“Permission for what? When has Nate ever needed or asked permission for anything?”

She took a deep breath, "I promised him I would talk to you because he’s to afraid to, doesn’t want to ruin your friendship or whatever, but we’re over and you’re all sprung over Summer so I don’t even know why.”

“What the hell are you saying?” I asked wanting her to get to the point already. I’m pretty sure I knew what she was getting at, but I still couldn’t believe it.
 

She looked flustered, her cheeks a rich shade of pink. She took a deep breath, “Nate feels he needs your permission to be with me.”

I took one look at Emily’s face and busted up laughing. I couldn’t help it. Emily and Nate, a couple—hell Nate in a relationship with anyone was absurd, but it was especially so with Emily.
 
She punched my arm, "I’m serious."

“I’m sure you are," I said and continued laughing.

“So …” she said and left the question hanging.

“So what,” I said when I’d stopped laughing.
 

“Will you tell him it’s okay?”
 

“And we’re both talking about Nate? Nate short for Nathaniel, Nate, right?"

"What are you stupid? Of course, I’m talking about you’re only friend named Nate."

“I’m sorry I just … you’re serious?"

“Forget it," she started packing up her bag, “I thought, never mind."
 

She got up to leave and I grabbed her arm. “Sorry, I’m … it’s just, it’s Nate. Like player has never had a girlfriend Nate, has more notches on his bed than, don’t even want to know and you like him?"

She sighed and sat back down, “Yeah, I do. After you dumped—we broke-up, Nate kind of helped me through it, and I don’t know stuff sort of happened.”

“Just a few days ago he was chasing after Claudia. You really want to date a guy like that."

“Whoa, I thought he was your friend."

“He is, and I love the guy, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see that he’s a total dog, I wouldn’t want him dating my sister.”

“Well, I’m not your sister. And the Claudia thing was for show, he’s afraid of breaking some sort of guy code thing or something, so anyway will you talk to him.” She pressed her lips together and raised her eyebrows, “You sort of owe me."

“He doesn’t need my permission, but yeah I’ll talk to him.” For all the good it would do. I had a sneaking suspicion this alleged permission he needed from me was more of an excuse to get what he wanted from Emily.

“Thanks,” she said and without thinking kissed me on the lips. She pulled back after she realized she did it, “Sorry, old habit.”

I nodded. She hugged me this time and grabbed her bag and got up, “See you later," and was gone.
 

What the hell just happened? I shook my head and packed up. Things in my life were getting weirder and weirder.
 

Now I had something new to throw in with the thoughts already churning through my head. I figured I’d get to talk to Claudia more about the Charger today at school, but she wasn’t here. And she said she would be. Should I be concerned?
 

I didn’t even wait until last gong sounded before I was up and out of my seat and rushing to the parking lot. I called my dad as I made my way to my car, see if I could do my time in his office today—I wasn’t much in the mood to be home alone—but he didn’t answer. I left a message and decided to wait for Dean instead. By four o’clock, thirty minutes after school got out, I saw no sign of him. I tried texting him but I knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t answer if he was still in the office. Almost every car had cleared out and I decided I couldn’t kill anymore time waiting and headed home.