The Night We Said Yes (4 page)

“Want to get food? I haven’t eaten.”

And again he’s trying to get me to leave. Again he’s making a weird effort. I could easily just say no, go back to the party—or better yet, go home—and call it a night. Not let him get under my skin, even though he’s already started
slipping in. Not go down the road we’ve already traveled. Not let it dead-end again.

But even though my mind is saying that it’s smart to stay, my heart is racing for me to go. Because last year with him and my friends I felt strong and invincible. I was able to live out fears, wake myself up, and be in the spotlight only Meg previously occupied. And since he left, I’ve simply been living in a cocoon, afraid to put myself out there again. Afraid to be let down again.

I miss that feeling of being alive.

I look over to him and his eyes hold me. I can never say no to those eyes.

Before I answer, he calls out, “And follow.”

“Huh?” I answer, confused.

“The end of the lyric. It’s ‘and follow.’”

A piece clicks in place as he waves the sheet music in his hand, and without realizing it, I nod. I follow.

“Where to?” I ask.

“Wing King?”

THEN

8:50
P
.
M
.

“So you’re the new bassist I’ve been hearing about?” I yelled to Matt over the noise at the house party.

“It depends, what have you heard?” he asked with a smile.

“That you’re going to save the dying Pepperpots.”

“I resent that,” Barker interjected.

“Heh, they’re pretty good. I don’t know if they need me to save them. But, yes, I am that superhero.” He nodded, striking a Superman pose.

I smiled at him, in awe of how
comfortable
I felt. I never felt this comfortable in front of Nick; I never was able to make jokes or make him laugh. He didn’t care about my
retorts, something I realized much too late.

“I’m going to grab a drink, do you want one?” he asked. Meg still hadn’t returned with my drink, so I shook my head.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Okay, cool,” he answered, combing his fingers through his hair, and letting it fall back into place. I watched as he turned away and walked toward the keg.

“Hey,” Barker whispered—well, loudly whispered. “She’s here.”

“Who’s here?”

“Jake’s new girl. Does Meg know about her?” he asked cautiously, glancing at Meg to make sure she didn’t hear.

I looked over at Meg. She was laughing with a girl from her math class, her head tilted far back, full-on reckless. She looked so happy, and it made me scared to think of how quickly Jake and his new girl could sink it all. “Yeah, she mentioned her on the way over. Thus the, er, outfits.”

“I noticed that,” he said. “I was wondering who it was for.”

“Well you know I’d never buy a shirt like this for myself,” I said, playing with the sleeve.

“Eh, it suits you. You look nice.” Barker and I had only been friends for a few years, but he knew me better than any other guy. We got along well, and there was never an attraction to ruin it. He could call my bluffs; I could call his. Anyway, he was so ridiculously happy with his girlfriend, Gabby, that it didn’t matter. They were like a married
couple. They cooked dinners together.

“So what do you think of Matt?” Meg asked, sneaking back over and handing me a cup of foamy beer.

“Is this the goal for the night? Hook me up with him?” I asked the question jokingly, but at the same time my heart expectantly flipped. I didn’t feel ready for a relationship, I didn’t feel ready to be interested in a new guy, but it didn’t hurt to meet someone new. I looked over and saw him coming back. My face heated right up.

“Pretty much.” Meg nodded.

“Yeah,” Barker agreed. I rolled my eyes, smiling at my very persuasive friends.

The kitchen started to fill up more, bodies pressed against bodies. A last chord rang out as the first band ended their set, so we were finally able to properly hear one another.

“I’m gonna go look for Gabby. She should be here by now.” Barker turned to go.

“Um, want me to come?” Matt asked, a crease forming on his forehead. He was obviously unsure where to go, considering he didn’t know anyone else here. Well, except for Jake, who, if I knew Jake, was probably off with his new girl doing something Matt didn’t want to see. I hoped Barker would tell him to stay with us.

“Nah, stick with the girls. In about twenty minutes, meet me by the stage. I’d say earlier, but it might take this band two hours to take down their gear. Let’s just say they’re
not the best.” He gave Matt a small salute and walked away.

“I . . . guess you’re stuck with me?” Matt asked. I looked back at him, knowing I was okay with that.

“So how do you like Orlando?” I asked. There were tons of things I wanted to know, but it was the first question that popped in my head.

“It’s okay. I’ve only been here for about a month. I don’t know much about it yet, really.”

“We’ll have to take you out, then,” I answered, carefully using the plural so it would seem casual.

“That would be cool,” he agreed. “You know, I’m really glad Jake offered me the spot. It sounds like fun, playing again.”

“Did you play a lot before?”

“A bit. I’m not a pro or anything,” he said with a shrug.

“Don’t worry, neither are they.” I smiled back, still feeling at ease. He had little dimples that popped when he smiled; they were adorable. “So, where did you go to school before you—”

“Mingle?” Meg interrupted, cocking her head to one side. I was slightly irritated by her sudden desire to join us, but it was Meg. As I looked at her, a small part of me questioned—what if he liked her better? She was taller, blonder, prettier . . . why wouldn’t he? But as I looked back, he was still gazing at me—not Meg—still waiting for me to finish my question. So I shrugged, silently agreeing and knowing we had a full night of conversation ahead of us. It didn’t end there. Matt
nodded in response as well. I put my cup on the table, trading my drink for Meg’s hand, grabbing hold so I didn’t lose her in the crowd. It looked like our entire high school and the neighboring high school were there. Rivals in football, best friends in parties. Some were there for the bands, still surrounding the stage and pumping their fists; some for the beer, chugging drinks faster than the drummer hit his drums; and some for the company. I was there for friends.

We pushed past a few people I vaguely recognized, to whom I offered a nod or wave. I looked back, hoping to make eye contact with Matt, but realized he hadn’t kept up with us. Stuck a couple of people behind, he was vigorously trying to catch up. To help, I reached back through the throng of bodies until I felt a hand grasp mine. A shiver spread through my body.

We made it to the living room, where, as predicted, the band was unsuccessfully packing up their equipment. Wires were crisscrossed, cymbals were tossed about. The bodies milling around in the hot, small space were clammy and packed in close. I held on tight to both Meg and Matt, not wanting to lose them in the crowd.

“Oh god.” Meg stopped dead in her tracks, forcing me to halt behind her. Matt, unaware of our pause, crashed into me.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t—”

But I ignored him because through the mess of people I saw what had caused Meg to stop. And my heart dropped. Jake had his back to us, but we knew it was him. The black
T-shirt was his staple. His dyed-orange hair, curly and usually gelled, was disheveled. And that was because two hands were raking through it, pulling his face toward hers. While I couldn’t see who was currently ruining Meg’s life, I assumed it was Jake’s new girl. I hated her instantly.

“I . . .” Meg started, turning back to me. Her normally composed face was ashen, her eyes huge.

“Drink? Kitchen?” I asked, looking for something to distract her. I knew drowning her sorrows in alcohol wasn’t the best idea, but it was the only thing I had.

“What’s the matter?” Matt asked, but before I could answer, there was a stampede of people yelling, running, charging directly at us. It was a domino effect starting at the front of the house.

“Oh, what now!” Meg yelled. Shouts informed us that those outside groups who’d been talking, smoking, or puking were the first to see the cops pull up.

I didn’t even have the chance to panic. Cups were flying everywhere as people grabbed their belongings and tried to escape the house before they were caught. Like a herd of animals, everyone ran toward the back door. Bodies pushed against bodies, yells and screams bounced throughout the room. I tried to see what was going on but every time I looked up, someone else rammed into me, knocking me to the side. One guy, easily twice my size, tried running through me as if I wasn’t there, my body just an obstacle in his way. He hit my side hard, and I dropped Matt’s hand. In the current of
people, I lost my balance and started to fall. But before I was trampled, I felt an arm slide under my shoulders.

“You okay?” Matt yelled.

I nodded, in shock from the moment and how quickly it passed. Matt’s face was close, his body protecting me from the pandemonium. I felt my heart skip a beat as my face flushed. His eyes were fierce, determined.

With my left arm draped over his shoulder, I held on tight as we steadied ourselves. Meg still held my other hand, unaware of my near fall. Her phone was out, and she was reading a text.

“Upstairs,” she yelled.

Matt let his arm drop, moving in front of us to block our little group from those running past. His arms spread around us, creating a circle of protection. A tossed cup hit me in the head, and it took me a second to realize that beer was now dripping through my hair in streams. I was frozen in place. Thankfully, Meg jolted me back.

“Go upstairs,” she said again. Holding my hand tight, she pushed her way to the stairs. I grabbed Matt’s hand instinctively, and he squeezed it back.

“But what’s upstairs?” he shouted. I shook my head, wondering the same thing.

“Meg, what’s upstairs?” I repeated, the situation starting to scare me.

She continued to run, ignoring our questions. Just as we touched the stairs, light beams passed over us. The cops
were inside the house. Not one person was twenty-one, and there was a lot of alcohol. Someone was definitely going to be in trouble. I thought of Barker and Jake, and pulled on Meg’s hand. Despite not liking the latter too much at the moment, we couldn’t just leave him behind.

“Meg, the guys,” I yelled as we climbed the stairs. We were the only ones going in a different direction. While the reprieve from the crowd was nice, I was worried about being alone. I trusted her, but what good could come from going upstairs? Were we supposed to hide under a bed?

“Don’t worry,” she answered, glancing at me in a way that said
they’re fine.
Upstairs, it was empty. We followed her into Ross’s bedroom. It was a typical guy’s room, full of video games and leftovers. It was then that I heard the footsteps behind us, and my heart picked up the pace in fear.

“There you are. Thanks for the text.” It was Jake, sans lady friend. Relief hit me fast. We weren’t caught. He was okay. “Barker’s already gone; let’s go.”

I stayed back with Matt as Jake followed Meg to the window.

“I hate to point this out, but we can’t fly,” Matt said. Lines deepened on his forehead as he raised his eyebrows. Great introduction to our social scene, I thought.

“There’s a ladder,” Meg pointed out, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I glanced at Matt and we ran over. We were still holding hands.

Jake opened the window and voices flew in, a cluster of
screams, cheers, and cries. I looked out and finally understood. There was a long metal ladder that stretched down the side of the house, away from the back door, the cops, and the mass of people. It was secluded, a side of the house no one even thought to visit. Clearly, Ross snuck out quite often.

“Ladies first,” Jake said. Meg glared at him, but started her descent. I followed after.

“This is not how I expected tonight to go,” I whispered to Meg as we climbed down. She landed first, quietly, and then grabbed my arm, pulling me down beside her. The grass was wet from a recent downpour and squished where I landed.

“Keep moving,” Meg demanded. Pieces of hair were in her mouth from the wind that was still shaking the trees. I looked back and saw that Matt and Jake were down from the ladder and right behind us. We ran across the yard, keeping to the shadows, not wanting to attract attention. Thankfully, the yard was only a few feet long, so we made it to the fence in about two breaths.

“I’ll go first,” Jake whispered, taking the lead as usual. His hair was still disheveled, and even in the dark, I noticed the purple hickey mark on his neck. I wanted to slap him.

Jake easily reached the top of the wooden fence and hoisted himself over, landing with a rough thud.

“You guys next,” Matt whispered, meaning Meg and me. The fence was a little taller than I could reach, so he grabbed my waist and, with a quick lift, helped me reach the
top. The wood was wet under my grasp. I flung my legs over so Jake could grab me and support my landing.

“Gotcha,” Jake said, holding tightly so I wouldn’t fall.

I moved over for Meg, who landed next, and then Matt, who came down in one swift movement. We paused for a second, waiting to hear if we were caught, or lucky escapees. When no one came, I let out a deep breath and closed my eyes in relief.

“Hey, man,” Jake said, slapping Matt on the back. “Glad you came.”

“Hey, yeah, thanks,” Matt replied, pushing his hair out of his face. He then turned to me. “Okay?” he whispered, touching my back. His hand was still damp from the fence and tickled my skin. I nodded, looking at him and adjusting my clothes, my hair. We were behind the house, standing on a sidewalk that snaked around the neighborhood. With the fence in front of us and forest behind us, our only options were walking to the left or right.

“What now?” I asked, heart still racing.

“This way, it’ll lead to the street,” Meg announced, and started walking to the left.

“And how do you know this?” Jake asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. Meg simply eyed him, obviously trying to lead him on. I knew the truth, though; all last semester she visited Ross once a week to tutor him in geometry. I assumed at one point during their sessions she’d learned about the ladder.

“What about your cars?” Matt asked.

“We’ll come back once everything dies down,” I reassured him, adrenaline still coursing through my body. “There are cars parked all up and down the street. They can’t, like, assume all of them are there for the one party. And by the way, welcome to a Jefferson High party. They’re not all this exciting, unfortunately.”

“I don’t know. I think we hit my quota on near-police-bust-ups for the year,” he said nervously. He, too, looked like he wasn’t used to this much action at a party. His breathing was heavy, and he kept looking back; I assumed to make sure we weren’t being followed.

We stayed a few steps behind Meg and Jake, who were clearly being cordial only for our benefit. Like two parents fearful of telling their children they’re getting a divorce. We walked silently, too scared to talk, afraid it might bring on more trouble. We let the night air talk for us. The crickets chirped in unison, while the wind answered with a breeze. The forest to our right was dark, full of unknowns, much like our night ahead. I braced myself for what might be next.