I watched Jackie’s face, and noticed her eyes light up when Mom mentioned the fires.
“I agree,” Dad said, peering at me with a face full of concern. “We’ve been wondering if you shouldn’t come back home until it all blows over.”
Jackie waved him off. “Oh, don’t be silly, Robert!”
I sat down, and raised an eyebrow at her, but she simply continued. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ve been keeping averyclose eye on your daughter.”
30
~
Rhea
My parents had insisted on going to the first day of the festival, which suited me just fine. I hadn’t invited Jackie, and I knew the guys would be leading the big parade, so I wouldn’t have to balance them and my parents while we were there.
We struggled for a while to find parking, but eventually we managed to do so and headed for the entrance. There were a lot of people around and the crowd was thick, already gathering to watch the start of the parade. My heart was pounding at the idea of watching the guys come by on the truck, and at the thought that someone—Jackie, maybe—would target the festival next.
“Oh, this is exciting,” Mom said as we found a spot to stand and watch the coming parade. “Isn’t it, Robert?”
Dad grumbled something under his breath. He wasn’t a big fan of crowds, but hedidlike craft beer, and I’d promised him there would be some at the festival. First, though, he would have to suffer through the parade with us. He’d begrudgingly agreed, and was now impatiently glancing at his watch every minute or so.
“Oh, look, I think they’re starting!” Mom said, clutching at Dad’s arm with one hand and pointing with the other. At the entrance to the festival, over the heads of the crowd, I spotted the bright red paint of the truck at the very front of the parade. The school band started playing behind them and the musicrang out over everyone, creating an exciting buzz among all of the people present.
Mom leaned forward over the tape that held everyone back with her phone now in her hand, trying to get some pictures, while Dad seemed to be trying to breathe his way through the whole thing. I kept my eyes on the firetruck, waiting to see the guys. I knew they were the ones chosen to ride on the back, and that excited me. I couldn’t wait to see those uniforms knowing the bodies that hid beneath them.
“Oh, look!” Mom said as the truck approached the spot where we were standing. “It’s so shiny!”
I had to fight the urge to lean forward myself, since I wanted to appear nonchalant and not arouse any suspicions from my parents.
“Heavens, arethoseyour friends?” Mom asked when the guys came into view. They hung from the back of the truck, leaning out and waving at the crowd. Calder looked open and welcoming, Ash serious and mysterious, and Beck had a huge grin on his face, even offering kisses to the crowd.
“Yeah,” I confirmed, looking away for a moment so that she didn’t notice me blush or make eye contact with them. “They’re pretty cool.”
“I have to say,” Mom said, “I’m not sure how you’re just friends with boys like that. You sure you don’t have a little crush on at least one of them?”
I laughed a little too loud and shook my head. “No, come on now, I’m an adult, I can be friends with people without falling in love with them.”
I almost over-explained and went on a whole rant, but I managed to shut up just in time; or, at least, I hoped that I had, and that Mom didn’t think anything more of it. She was a prettyobservant woman, though, and it was possible that she’d noticed there was something more. But until it actually came up directly, I wasn’t going to say anything.
We watched as the high school band, a group of dancers, and several more sets of people passed by, and finally, the parade itself was over, and the crowd began to disperse. I knew that the guys would be around, since they were on call just in case, but they’d also promised not to intrude on my time with my parents—at least for now.
“Can I have a beer now?” Dad asked, and Mom and I both laughed.
“Sure, beer tent is this way,” I said, leading them toward the big tent in the distance. I heard snippets of conversation around me; people who were worried that the arsonist would show up, who were worried that their houses were next, and some who saw the whole situation as juicy drama sharing the gossip they’d heard.
I tried not to think about it, to just be in the moment with my parents, but it was still hovering in the corner of my mind. I found myself looking around the crowd, watching for one person in particular.
My heart hammered so loudly I was surprised that my parents couldn’t hear when I saw Jackie at the entrance to the beer tent, and she bounded over to us excitedly. I tried to keep my face even, not wanting her to think that I suspect her of anything heinous.
“You’re here!” she exclaimed, looking from me to my parents and back. “I thought you’d have the guys with you, too. I’m sure they’d want to meet—”
I interrupted her quickly. “I just wanted to spend some time with Mom and Dad alone, you know?”
“Of course, of course,” Jackie laughed, reaching out to shake their hands. “Blazing hot today, isn’t it? It’s like the whole world is on fire.”
I almost expected her to wink with that comment, but she only smiled as my parents agreed. My anxiety was getting to me, and I felt like I needed to get out of there.
“Uh, I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll see you in a bit,” I said, turning on my heel and trying not to run as I walked away. I started searching for the guys, hoping that they would listen to my suspicions. If they didn’t believe me, and Jackie did have something to do with it all, then it was possible that she was planning her next target and could actually get it.
