My breath is coming out in small white puffs in front of me because the temperature has dropped two degrees in the hour I’ve been outside, and I don’t know what to say to him.
“I just wanted to have fun with my friends.”
A hand lands on my shoulder. I jump out of my skin, and then I see Mila’s face. She’s bundled into her coat and her cheeks are pink from the walk. She doesn’t say anything. She nods at me.
Chase makes a noise on the other end of the line.
“So you’re canceling Halloween on me.”
Mila nods at me again.
“Yeah,” I say. “And I think we should talk.”
“We are talking.”
I look up at Mila with my eyes wide.What now.
Mila puts a hand on my back.
“Yeah,” I say into the phone, “but we should talk in person.”
The line goes silent.
I look at Mila. My heart is in my mouth. She rubs my back and nods, once.
“Are you — are you still there?” I stutter.
“Are you breaking up with me?” Chase says.
I open my mouth, but he cuts me off before I can get a word out.
“Don’t tell me you want to talk in person just to make me drive ninety minutes over there so you can break up with me, Melly.”
The first tear breaks past my eyelashes. “I’m sorry.”
“Wait, you’re seriously breaking up with me?”
I can’t look at Mila. I look down at the sidewalk between my feet, at the small puff of my own breath leaving my mouth in the cold.
“I’m sorry, Chase.”
I think I hear him sniffle. I’m not sure. The wind is doing things to the connection.
“Have fun at Camden, Melly.” His voice isn’t yelling, but I can hear the pain in it. “I hope it’s everything you ever wanted.”
“Chase,” I get out, but it comes as a soft cry. “I’m sorry.”
He ends the call.
The phone goes silent in my hand.
I lean into Mila and cry.
Chapter 6
Blue
Sevenmonthsago,akid in a red jersey took a high stick to Percy’s mask after a whistle in the third period and grinned about it on his way to the bench.
