Why couldn't he have realized sooner that coming here was a terrible idea? And why do I still feel sorry for him?! I don't write any of that, though. Instead, I take a deep breath before tapping at my screen.
I always worry.
Am also at the lake. Wait for me
I exit Olli’s chat and text both Vince and Sasha to meet at the car now, hoping they aren't too busy having fun to check their phones. If they want to stay after that, maybe I can at least takeOlli home with Sasha's car and pick them up later. As long as everyone gets home safe, I don't mind playing taxi for a night.
On my own, the path through the forest is creepy, but I'm in too much of a hurry to let my tingly nerves hold me up. A few times, I think I've caught up with Olli, but every time it turns out to be a giggling couple or someone relieving themselves behind some bushes.
Finally, the trees are thinning, giving way to the streetlight reflecting off the parked cars. I crane my neck, looking around for—
“Hey, asshole!”
The shout makes me jump. My head whips around, preoccupied with finding the origin rather than my surroundings. I land with one foot on a root, tripping sideways against the tree it belongs to.
My shoulder collides with the rough bark, knocking the wind out of my lungs. A whole carillon of bells goes off in my head.Through the ringing, I barely recognize Olli’s angry snarl.
“’m al-already leavin’! The fuck do you want?”
Someone answers in a derisive hiss, but I can't make out the words. I shake my head to get rid of the remaining high-pitched beep in my ears and stumble onward.
They can't be far away.
I round the first line of cars. This time I can understand the hissing: “Just making sure youstaygone.”
“Yeah.” Another voice, loud, boisterous, less concerned about being overheard than the first one. “Since you didn't take the last warning seriously enough.”
“You weren't ev’nthere, you—you fuckin’…fuck.”
“But we are now!”
“And this time it's personal. Putting your hands on our quarterback? Dis-gus-ting.”
“That’s what you're wo-worried ’bout? That ’m contagious? Bein’ this stupid should be fuckin’ illegal.” Olli punctuates his slurring with a laugh, but it's higher than normal, making the hairs on my neck stand on end. I speed up my steps despite the dull throb in my ankle.
“Olli?” I'm too out of breath to raise my voice above a hoarse croak.
Several cars are packed too tightly to squeeze through, and I have to go around, following the voices down to the lake.
“No one wants freaks like you anywhere near them!”
“Davenport said it too. You’re a fuckingpervert.”
“Fuckin’—let go!” Olli is shouting now, overpowering the by-now distant music.
“This—” The hissy voice breaks off with a pained grunt.
“You fucking cocksucker!” the other one yells.
Olli cries out, then falls quiet abruptly. Water splashes loudly.
“This is what you get!” the guy with the loud voice barks.
More splashing answers.
The edge of the slope cuts off all light, leaving only the black beach stretching out in front of me. In front of the glistening darkness of the water, two silhouettes are standing in the nothing where sand and water meet.
Drops are flying up from where their arms are buried in the blackness. A lonely hand, belonging to no one, sticks out, reaching for the stars high above before grabbing one of the arms.
