Wow. Straight to the point for once.
I closed my eyes and swallowed. “I like you, Eli.”
“But you don’t like me, like me?”
What was this? Third grade?
“No,” I answered softly and chewed on a piece of nail to avoid his eyes. I sighed and said, “Eli, you could have any girl you wanted. Why do you want me?”
He smiled. “You’re different. Most girls around here are so superficial. But you’re not. You care about people. I like that about you.” He laughed. “I think I fell in love with you a bit in fifth grade when Stan fell off the playground swings and started crying. Everyone wanted to make fun of him but not you. You stood up for him. Right then, I thought, that’s the girl I want to marry.”
“Eli—” I started.
He held up a hand. “I know you’re not interested but you asked why, and I wanted to answer honestly. Friends?” He held out his hand.
“Friends.” I took his hand.
Just then, fireworks erupted over the lake making me jump.
“It’s okay. Just fireworks,” he told me in a soothing tone.
I laughed. “Sorry, I’ve been kinda jumpy today.”
Eli started to swing. “Where are you going to college?”
I sighed. “The community college. It’s only one course, that’s all I could afford, but it’s a start.” I lifted my feet in the air and tilted my head back as I swung so I could see the stars. “We don’t have the extra money for me to go and besides, my dad needs me. I need to stay here and work and help him out. Maybe one day …” I let the sentence fall away. I had never liked the word maybe it was too open, too vague.
Maybe I’ll do this, maybe I’ll be that, maybe, maybe, maybe. It was all so tiring.
“That’s very admirable of you.”
“Hardly,” I snorted.
“I’m sure your dad is very proud to call you his daughter.”
“I hope so,” I replied. “I love my dad and I know he loves me very much but sometimes I wonder if he regrets me. I mean, I was a baby when my mom died. If he hadn’t had to take care of me there are all kinds of things he could’ve done.”
“But none of them would have had any meaning without you,” Eli supplied.
I laughed. “This got deep fast.”
Eli chuckled. “Yeah, sorry.”
“Mara! Mara!” I heard called in a panicked tone. I sat up in the swing and the metal chains twisted around each other.
“Dani?” I hollered into the darkness.
Eli stopped swinging.
“Mara! Mara! Mara!”
“Dani?” I screamed back, turning in every direction. I couldn’t pinpoint where her voice was coming from. It was like it was coming from everywhere all at one time.
My beautiful friend appeared through the darkness.
“Dani!” I rushed to her, grabbing her. Her hands and legs were covered in blood.
So much blood.
“Are you okay? Where are you hurt?” I asked, looking her over.
She sobbed, her body shaking. I’d never seen my friend like this—so unhinged. But I guess I’d be pretty upset too if I was covered in blood.
“N-Not mine,” she swallowed thickly. “Ian.”
Eli joined me, looking Dani over. “What happened?” he asked.
She moved her hair out of her face and I noticed then that there was blood splattered on her face too.
“I-I don’t know. H-He was fine one s-second and the next he was mumbling all these things. It didn’t even sound like any language I know. Almost alien. T-Then blood started coming out of him. First it was just a trickle out of his mouth t-then his shirt was drenched with blood. I-I tried to stop it I held his chest, but the b-blood kept coming and then he started choking. Before I k-knew it, he was g-gone.”
I looked from her to Eli, both of us horror stricken.
Things like this didn’t happen in our town.
First my dream.
Then the sword.
The guy.
Now this.
Something big was happening. Something I believed none of us were prepared for.
In the distance, sirens could be heard, and everyone scrambled to hide the alcohol.
“It happened so fast,” she whispered, her eyes glazed over.
“We need to leave,” I told her, grabbing her arm.
I knew the normal thing to do would be to stay and talk to the police, but my gut was screaming to get away from there. That it wasn’t safe.
When she started to stumble and shake, I put an arm around her to hold her steady.
“It’s okay,” I whispered.
“Jake! Jake, wait up!” Eli called after a retreating truck. Eli slumped. “There goes my ride.”
“Come on.” I nodded toward Dani’s car. “I’ll drive you.”
He perked up. “Thanks, Mare,” he said.
I flinched. Did we have nicknames now? This friend thing was going to be harder than I thought.
I unlocked Dani’s car and helped her in. She was a blubbering mess. Eli climbed in the back. I started the car and raced out, at a safe speed, hoping to avoid the cops.
“He was fine,” mumbled Dani. “It was so strange.”
“Dani,” I said softly. “It’s okay.”
Eli leaned between the two front seats and patted Dani’s shoulder. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Of course she didn’t,” I snapped. Eli held his hands up in surrender and sat back. “Buckle up,” I told him.
“You got it, boss.”
“Where do you live?” I asked him.
He rattled off the address. I pulled in front of his house, located in a neighborhood not far from Dani’s.
“Thanks for the ride,” he started. “Mara, maybe we could—”
“Goodnight, Eli,” I snapped. I’d officially reached my limit with him.
He shook his head and closed the door.
I parked Dani’s car and helped her inside.
“She’s not drunk, is she?” asked Dani’s mom coming from the hallway. Instead of worrying about underage drinking, Mrs. Danielson—yes, Dani’s name was Danielle Danielson—was probably more worried about Dani throwing up on her floors.
“Someone died,” I explained softly. “Ian Gordon. Jules’ brother.”
Mrs. Danielson’s face paled. “Goodness,” she said and put a hand to her chest. “That’s a tragedy. What happened?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged, edging Dani closer to the stairs. “Dani was with him when it happened.”
Mrs. Danielson’s eyes widened even more. “Let me run you a bath, sweetie,” she said sympathetically and took Dani from my arms. I watched them disappear upstairs.
I was turning to leave when Levi collided with me.
“Did you say someone died?” he asked. He looked up at me with wide eyes.
“Uh … yeah,” I hedged.
“Cool! That’s awesome!” he cried.
My jaw dropped open and I shook my head. Fifteen-year-old boys.
I placed Dani’s keys on the foyer table and pulled my own from my pocket before heading out the door.
I kept my head ducked as I walked down the driveway to the truck. An uneasy feeling that someone was watching me took over, but I was scared to look—afraid if I did it might convince them to jump me if someone was there. I reached the truck and it started right up. Breathing a sigh of relief, I headed home.
Exhaustion was swallowing me whole and my bed was calling my name.
Chapter 3