I shove the first aid kit back under the bed and go back to my reading. The words blur together. All I can think about is the way Liam looks at me. He came to me instead of the nurses.
Idiot.
¦
After Quiet Time, we’re outside. I stand with my back against the courtyard wall. Liam sits alone under the oak tree, picking at the wrapper of his protein bar rather than eating it. My jaw tightens. He's going to need that energy for MMA later.
I'm about to go tell him off, but the sun disappears behind dark clouds. I've been watching the sky for the past half hour. Storm warnings were issued this morning, but administration decided outdoor time would proceed as scheduled. Thank God, because it sucks when they lock us in the gym or rec room. This many punks locked together never ends well.
The wind picks up, rustling through the leaves above Liam's head. He doesn't notice, too busy with whatever's going on in that head of his. It doesn't happen often, Liam being quiet. I suspect he doesn't have enough thoughts for it to happen often. But it happens.
Jack approaches, dropping down beside him with that easy smile. I relax slightly. Jack has a way of pulling people out of darker moods. While Liam is a stray puppy, Jack is a goldenretriever. Their conversation is too far to hear, but I notice Liam laughing. Like nothing happened.
A fat raindrop lands on me. Then another. I look up just as it starts.
In less than thirty seconds, it's not raining. It'sraining.
The reaction is immediate: fifty-some bodies get to their feet, rushing for shelter. Some kids hold papers above their heads, others pull sweatshirts up as makeshift hoods. The rain intensifies to a proper downpour.
That's when I notice them. While the last kids dash for the doors, Jack isn't sitting anymore. He's standing in the open space beyond the tree's canopy, facing the sky, arms spread wide, laughing like the madman he is.
Beside him is Liam.
"Hey!" I shout over the rainfall. "Jack, Liam! Inside, now!"
Neither acknowledges me. Jack says something to Liam that makes him laugh, then spins in a circle, arms extended.
Miles appears at my side. Silent, as always. He doesn't rush for the doors, just stands beside me under the overhang, observing.
"They're going to catch pneumonia," I say, not expecting a response. He smiles. Faintly. That's enough.
"Last warning!" My voice competes with the storm. "Get inside! Now!"
Jack turns toward me, rain streaming down his face, black t-shirt drenched and clinging to him. The Batman tattoo on his neck glistens with water.
"Come on, Mr. Leader!" he shouts back, grinning.
I should march over there, grab both of them by their soaked collars, and drag them inside.
"You're setting a poor example, Jack," I say, stepping forward. The rain plasters my hair to my forehead instantly. I have to blink water from my eyes.
"For once in your life, break a stupid rule," Liam calls out.
Miles has a smile on his face. That never happens. "They'll come in when they're ready," he says. "Or when they're forced to."
I look at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He shrugs. "They'll make you go get them. You know it."
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. Check my watch, the face fogging with moisture. "They have exactly thirty seconds before I go get them," I announce, loud enough for them to hear.
Jack responds by dropping to his back and making what I can only describe as a rain angel in a forming puddle. Liam watches for a moment, then follows, falling backward with an audible splash, laughing. I count down the seconds, trying to ignore the feeling in my chest.
"Time's up."
I cross the courtyard, water streaming down my face, shirt pasted to my skin. The rain is almost horizontal. I'm halfway to the tree when they bolt: up and sprinting, mud splattering everywhere as they circle the tree, laughing so hard I can hear it over the storm.
I start jogging. The things these fuckers make me do. They split around the trunk, playing keep-away.
