The football field was busy, but Freddie was nowhere to be found. I asked a few of her friends if they’d seen her but apparently she’d skipped school altogether today. She didn’t seem to understand that any negative attention would result in a child services check. Everyone knew she lived with Oma and me. Even though it was a small town and everyone was up in everyone else’s business, nobody had ever reported it. Anna McAllister had such a bad reputation everyone knew we were better off living with someone else.
So everyone knew but nobody had ever questioned the arrangement.
The school on the other hand wasn’t understanding when it came to unexplained absences, especially from a student that was barely passing.
I walked back to my car ready to call Oma to check in. Gunner followed me and even nodded to a few people in greeting. Butler apparently liked the strong and mute type.
“Emmerson, wait up.”
I turned around and came face to face with a very wide chest. I lifted my head and looked into the serious eyes of Tate, football star and all-around good guy. He lived on our street and gave Freddie a ride to school most mornings. They used to be good friends, but I hadn’t seen him around in a while. He usually never missed our Sunday roasts. Come to think of it, there had been a few missed roasts the last couple of weeks.
“Hey Tate, how you doing?” I greeted him. His blond hair was tousled, his shirt on inside out. Not the Tate I knew.
“I think I know where she is,” he said.
Please don’t say jail. Please don’t say jail. Please don’t say jail.
“She’s at the water tower.”
What the hell? I wish he’d said jail instead. The old water tower was a hazard. It barely stood upright and was rusted to bits. There wasn’t any water in it and hadn’t been for a few years. The mayor was in an ongoing standoff with Burke Construction who were contracted to rebuild the tower. Same old story of two guys trying to prove who had the bigger dick, or in this case the bigger water tower.
I groaned and turned back towards my car. I guess I was headed for the blasted water tower.
“Don’t tell her it was me who told you,” he called after me.
“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed,” I said, not looking back.
I made it there in record time, cursing the entire way. Why was she doing this to me? And why the water tower? She could have just sat on a bench in the park. Much safer and so much easier to get to. Even the road leading up to the tower was filled with potholes and safety hazards. My little car was groaning in protest when I forced it over yet another branch.
The tower looked as unsteady as ever, leaning slightly to the left. I couldn’t wait to climb up there and risk my life. Just the thing to do on this grey afternoon.
“Freddie? Are you up there?” I called out, hoping I didn’t have to climb at all. I got no answer and walked around to the other side, looking up. The relief I felt at seeing two familiar shoes stick out from the railing. She had done a lot of stupid shit lately, but this time I was more worried than I let myself realize. I was surprised she would be out here all by herself. She was so scared last week that I thought she’d never leave my side again. I wondered what had changed.
“Freddie,” I called out again. Her head came into view as she leaned over the side.
“Go away.”
“No. Come down here.”
“I’m not ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“To talk to you.”
The conversation was shouted and could probably be heard two counties over. But I really didn’t want to climb up the rusty ladder to get to her.
“What the fudge did I do?” I shouted back.
“You told Rhett you were going to work for him. In Denver. You are going to leave us, just like mom.”
What the actual fuck? How the hell would she know that?
“Who told you?” Better to own up to it. She was a smart kid. Lying would just make it worse.
“Rhett.”
Again, what the actual fuck?
