She should’ve had my back. There shouldn’t have been any thought involved. If she’d needed help, I’d have been there for her. Period. The two of us could have taken Jake. I can’t trust her to help me in a dangerous situation. I always thought I could trust her with my life. Now I know that’s definitely not true. Talk about a slap in the face.
The best thing about staying home was that Chay stayed home, too. Of course, with both my parents working, I needed a babysitter. What better person than him? Too bad he had to watch me from his house. My parents weren’t stupid enough to leave two horny teenagers alone for the day. Oh, the trouble we could cause. And would.
So Chay sat at his house covered in cuts and bruises, and I sat in my house covered in the same. We texted to keep each other company.
Chay: I hate this.
Me: What?
Chay: Texting.
Me: You don’t want to text me?
Chay: No.
My phone rang, making me jump.
“Hello.”
“That’s better,” he murmured, his voice washing over me like a balm, easing my pain.
“What’s better?”
“I can hear your voice. I couldn’t hear your voice through text messages.”
I smiled. “And why do you need to hear my voice?” I snuggled deep into the quilt I was wrapped in.
“Because it’s beautiful, like you.”
I felt a blush heat my cheeks, which was silly since I was the only person in the room.
“Your voice isn’t so bad either,” I said, grinning like an idiot. “The guy it’s attached to will have to do, I guess,” I teased, closing my eyes and picturing him.
“Oh really?” he said with a chuckle. “Gee, don’t stroke my ego or anything.”
I sighed. “I can’t stop thinking.”
“About?” I could hear him rustling through the phone.
“It’s almost here.”
“What?”
“November first. My birthday.” I picked at my quilt.
He let out a breath. “I know. All Saints’ Day.”
“Ironic, isn’t it?”
***
Monday, I was forced to go to school. I spent the weekend holed up at home. It wasn’t all bad, though. Chay spent most of the weekend with me. He came over Saturday morning for our traditional family breakfast. I was sure he charmed my parents more every time they saw him. Of course, it helped that he saved my life Thursday night.
When Chay wasn’t at my house, I was at his, usually looking to see what goodies he had stocked in his personal refrigerator. He was so spoiled. But so was I. He made sure it was stocked with all my favorites. Peanut butter M&Ms could ease a world of hurt, and it just happened that Chay seemed to have an unending supply of them—and they were my favorite candy. Coincidence? I didn’t care. I just wanted the candy.
But Monday dawned a beautiful fall day, and makeup covered most of the horrendous bruises on my face, so off to school I tromped under extreme protest. My parents were unmoved. But it turned out to be an okay day. Chay picked me up in his bright yellow Camaro. We sat together in AP chemistry and texted each other during calculus. We held hands while we ate lunch with the group, and sat together in English class. Yeah, my days were becoming gauged on how often I saw, touched, and kissed Chay Roberts. All three of which I seemed to be doing more and more.
The only down side to school was Muriel. It was the first time we’d spoken since Thursday night.
“Hey,” Muriel said when I sat down in calculus.
“Hey back.” I didn’t look at her. My emotions were still bouncing back and forth. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her excuse for standing around during the fight with Jake. It just didn’t ring true, and I couldn’t shake it off.
“How was your long weekend?”
“Pretty good. Yours?”
“Horrid,” she said, her voice catching.
“Why? What happened?” I turned to her then. Her eyes had dark rings around them, and her normally silky black hair looked like she hadn’t washed it in days. She looked terrible.
Muriel put her hand on her chest, and she shook her head while she spoke, “I feel horrible about Thursday night. I don’t know what happened. I just froze.”
Waving her words away with my hand, I instantly felt horrible that I doubted her.
She wasn’t the person in my dream. She wouldn’t betray the group, betray me. She just got scared. I was scared. I mean, we’re all scared, right? She’s always been there for me. And I’m doubting her for one mistake. That’s not fair… although it was a pretty big mistake. Something just isn’t right.
I didn’t want Muriel to know I doubted her. I didn’t want anyone in the group to know I suspected anyone of being a traitor, so I blew it off. “Don’t worry about it. It can happen to any of us.”
I looked to the front of the class where the instructor had started his lecture. Chay watched us, his full bottom lip turned down in a frown.
“You don’t trust Muriel, do you?” I asked Chay on the drive home from school that afternoon.
“I’ve told you, we don’t know who—”
“Yeah, I heard you the first fifty-eight times you’ve told me. We don’t know who we can trust. But we have to trust someone, Chay. Otherwise, how can we function as a group?”
He drummed his thumb on the steering wheel. I didn’t think he was going to answer, but he finally said, “No, I don’t trust Muriel.”