“Never,” Ollie said.
Vehicle after vehicle was packed with college-aged kids—voices hollering, music thumping, windows rolled down despite the frigid temperature. Makani stared at them with open displeasure, though not with disbelief. She’d lived through too much to feel disbelief. “People are sick. They think this is all a game.”
On the other side of the maze, one of Ollie’s neighbors was trying to turn out of their driveway. “That’s gonna take a while,” he said.
Makani texted her friends with an update and told them where she was going. It was important to know where everyone was right now. Darby was at home, and Alex was at school with the band. But as soon as Makani’s message disappeared, her phone vibrated with a response from Alex: I’m freaking out.
Makani frowned as she texted: ???
Too many people here. Too crowded. Can’t breathe.
can your parents come back and pick you up?
They think it’s safer in a crowd! I reminded them about Caleb and the memorial, but they weren’t having it. I’m freaking out. I’m totally freaking out!!
Ollie watched her from the corner of his eye. “What’s going on?”
“Alex. I think she’s having panic attack.”
He was a QUARTER MILE from my house last night. Now it feels like he’s here. I can’t do this. I SERIOUSLY CANNOT DO THIS!!!
“Does she need us to come get her?” Ollie asked as another text appeared from Alex: Could you come get me?
on our way, Makani said. Emoji heart.
Hurry, Alex said. Emoji scream.
The stadium was packed, and the wind carried the cheers and marching band and commotion all the way to downtown Osborne. As their car raced past Walnut Street, Makani looked toward her grandmother’s house. It was just out of sight.
The bright lights of the football field pierced through the dusk. Alex was waiting for them at the front gate. The whole area was packed, but she stood alone.
Ollie unlocked the doors, rolled down his window, and waved to her. The aroma of cheap chocolate invaded the car. Tomorrow’s trick-or-treating had been canceled, and word had spread to bring candy to the game. Costumed children dashed through the madness, collecting treats in their pillowcases and plastic orange pumpkins. Teenagers and adults had been banned from wearing costumes—in fear that David might hide among them—so they were decked out in scarlet and gold instead.
The home crowd was so huge that it had spilled onto the visitors’ side. The cheerleaders were leading them in the “Lion Roar,” a school-spirit chant, and a powerful stampede of feet pounded and rumbled against the metal bleachers.
Two members of the National Guard were visible just behind the main chain-link fence. They were dressed in fatigues and carrying assault rifles. They were supposed to make everyone feel protected, but Makani felt a nervous, unpleasant shudder.
Alex flew into the backseat with her trumpet. Her plume caught on the doorframe and knocked the hat sideways. “Ow.” She undid the chin strap and ripped off the hat. She glared at the plume. Or maybe she was scared of it.
“Are you okay?” Makani asked. It was a dumb question.
Alex slammed the door closed. “Go!”
“Won’t you get in trouble for leaving?” Ollie asked.
“Fuck that,” Alex said. “Fuck all this. I can’t play a peppy fight song and pretend that you guys weren’t almost murdered. I can’t pretend that my crush and my section leader and three of my other classmates weren’t actually murdered. And I can’t pretend that the loser who did it isn’t still out there!”
That was enough for Ollie. He pulled away from the curb. Makani unbuckled her seat belt and crawled over the console into the backseat, where Alex was fumbling to unzip her red uniform. Makani helped her with the hidden buttons, which Alex had forgotten about, and then out of the jacket. Alex shook it away on the verge of tears.
As Makani dug through her pockets for tissues, her phone rang. Darby had skipped straight past texting. “Is everything okay?” Makani asked.
“Put him on speakerphone,” Alex said.
“I’m fine,” Darby said. Makani pressed the button, and his voice filled the car. “I’m only calling because I’m driving.”
“That’s still unsafe,” Ollie said. And then he winced for being the square.
Makani wondered if his reaction was triggered by too many car-crash stories from Chris. Or maybe any type of accident reminded him of his parents. She still wasn’t wearing a seat belt, so she strapped in and motioned for Alex to do the same.
“I know, but I just got your texts,” Darby said. “My signal was on the fritz from all these damn tourists. Is Alex with you?”
“I’m here!” Alex said. “Where are you?”
“I was coming to get you. I’m passing the Dollar General right now.”
“We’re almost to the hospital,” Makani said. “Meet us in the parking lot?”
Darby’s hatchback pulled up beside them less than five minutes later. Darby’s and Alex’s doors flew open, and they ran into each other’s arms. They hugged for days.
Makani crawled back into the passenger’s seat and rubbed her hands in front of the vents. Ollie turned up the temperature.
Darby and Alex popped into the vacated backseat. Darby was dressed in an old-man tweed sport coat with actual elbow patches, and he was wearing a button-up and sweater underneath it for warmth. He snapped the suspenders of Alex’s uniform. “Did you guys see this? She’s trying to steal my look.”
“Did you lock your car?” Ollie asked.
The question instantly brought the mood back down.
Darby assured him. “It’s locked.”
They fell into silence as they surveilled their surroundings. The parking lot was nearly empty. After several tense seconds Makani said, “We’re running out of time.”
No one challenged her. The apprehension in the car was suffocating.
“I can’t just sit here,” she said. He might be looking for me.
Alex agreed. “He’s killing faster and faster, and since everyone’s looking for him—everyone not at the football game,” she added darkly, “he probably feels like he has to finish his stupid plan, whatever it is, now. Before he gets caught.”
“I wish we knew who else he’s been gaslighting,” Makani said.
Ollie stared, unblinking, through the windshield. “Haley, Matt, Rodrigo, you, Caleb, Katie. What’s the real connection?”
“Cliques?” Darby was hesitant. “None of you hung out together, but you all had a unique social group. Maybe David felt alone. Like he didn’t belong to any group.”
“Except he did,” Alex said.
Darby shrugged. “I know, but . . . I don’t know. It seems like there’s something there. So far, he’s singled out one person from every group.”
“I still think he’s targeting the most talented students,” Alex said. “Or ambitious. Or maybe even just the people who stand out. Maybe you all make him feel inferior and invisible, and this is his way of becoming more visible.”