But I couldn’t linger, because the crowd behind me had begun to murmur as Knox made his way onto the stage to stand beside Cassidy. When Cassidy smiled, she looked like she was baring her teeth. A freshman boy and girl came out from either side of the stage, holding the winners’ crowns. Cassidy was taller than the girl, and she bent down, knees pinned together, and let her fasten a shiny, plastic tiara to the top of her silky, loose curls. Owen was right. Cassidy Hyde was beautiful. She was a perfect specimen.
Once crowned, Knox thrust his fist in the air and crossed over to the microphone propped up at center stage. “Anybody have a drink?” He glanced around the stage. The two terrified-looking freshmen shrugged and retreated into the backdrop. “I’d like to propose a toast.”
The stage lights glared so brightly it turned the strands of Cassidy’s hair into a glowing halo, but the newly announced royalty couldn’t hold the crowd’s attention. A ripple continued through the student body, moving closer and closer to the front. The throng of people parted down the center until it broke open entirely and spit out Adam.
My Adam.
“Last night,” Knox was saying. “We defeated Lockwood for the first time in ten years. And it wasn’t one man…”
My heart practically leaped into my throat and out of my mouth I was so relieved to see him.
“Adam!” I waved. I felt a sharp pain in my foot and buckled over. “Ouch!”
I looked down to see the needle-thin spike of Paisley’s stiletto. Her nails were at my scalp, and she yanked my hair back. “Stay out of this one, Frankenstein.”
She released my head, and I rubbed the spot where she’d pulled.
Adam’s fist was clutching a bouquet of handpicked flowers. They drooped and sagged over his grimy hands. He was still wearing his jersey and crusty jeans, and traces of black paint smudged his face, so faint now that it only looked like dirt. His forehead smoothed when he looked up to see Cassidy standing on the stage, sparkling in her sea-green dress.
Adam looked around. I separated from Paisley and tried to make my way to Adam, but it was too late. He was already tromping up the steps to the stage, carrying those wilting handpicked flowers. Just as he had for me once. Exactly as he had for me. My glands began to sweat. Cassidy gritted her teeth and angled herself away from Adam.
The crowd was rapt. No, no, no, no, what are you doing, Adam? I thought.
Knox stopped mid-sentence. He cocked his head, watching Adam approach. “What do you think you’re doing, man?” he said into the mic. “This isn’t about you. The game is over. It’s over for you, Adam.”
Adam kept coming. He pushed the flowers out in front, ignoring Knox. “For you.” I could barely hear him say this. Cassidy looked sideways without turning her head. It felt like I was watching two cars barreling toward each other and we could all already sense the explosion in the air.
“She doesn’t want to see you, dude.” Knox stepped off the microphone stand and held up both hands to stop Adam’s progress. “Did you hear me?”
Adam was like a machine. He tried stepping around Knox, but Knox headed him off.
“For you.” I saw Adam’s mouth form the words again. And there were those pathetic flowers.
“You wanna go?” Knox shoved Adam. “We can do this right here, right now.”
This rattled Adam. He looked Knox in the eyes for the first time. I scrambled to get closer, to reach Adam in time, for what, I didn’t know.
“You’re a freak, Smith.” Knox pushed again. Someone threw an empty soda can at Adam. It bounced harmlessly off his arm, but he jumped at the sound it made clattering onto the stage.
The DJ cut the music.
“Cassidy.” Adam stretched out his hand with the flowers. Another can, this one at least a little bit full, hit Adam in the ear. His head jerked sideways.
I froze in place. This was happening. They were turning against him. They were calling him a freak.
“Stay away from me.” The venom of Cassidy’s words stopped Adam. He turned as if noticing the onlookers for the first time. He turned and they booed.
Knox ripped the flowers from Adam’s hand and tore them at the stem before dropping them. “She said, get lost.” He pushed Adam again.
This time Adam pushed back. My heart stopped beating. No. Time stood still. Every clock in town stopped ticking if only for that one crystallized moment. Knox’s arms windmilled wildly. I caught a glimpse of his eyes as he fell from the stage. They weren’t foxlike at all, but wide and keenly aware of the feeling of nothingness into which he was careening.
His head hit the dance floor first. A pop fired off. Screams came from everywhere. Knox Hoyle lay still, his hair tossed over his eyes, his neck bent at an unnatural angle and a sickening bulge sticking out just above his collarbone.
Bile burned my mouth. My eyes watered. I had to get Adam out.
“You did this.” Cassidy was backing away. Her throat was tight. She barely opened her mouth to speak. The words oozed out. “You did this.”
Knox Hoyle was dead.
And Cassidy was right. Adam did this.