III: Straggler
He sat at the edge of the dark parking lot watching the others, a boy barely more than five feet, thin like a glass-sculpture, the hair resting on his shoulders so blonde it was practically white. No one had noticed him, and he did not plan on being noticed. He wasn’t sure why he had come, other than to watch. Maybe it felt rude to ignore it when Zeke reached out personally to ask him to come. Maybe he just lived too close and the noise was keeping him from falling asleep. Maybe he wanted… he pushed the last thought aside.
Lucas hadn’t attended graduation that afternoon. He hadn’t seen the point, didn’t want to be associated in any way with that horror show they called a school. He’d pick up the certificate later, when no one was around, though he doubted it was something he’d ever need. Throw it in your desk and forget about it, then go back to working a cashier job at Rite-Aid. It wasn’t even certain he’d finish, those last couple of years. Probably wouldn’t have bothered if some teachers hadn’t pulled strings.
At least the people dancing down below seemed to be having a good time. Another reason not to go down- he’d probably just end up killing the buzz. It’s what he’d told Zeke, who of course hadn’t listened. You gotta come through, man, one last time. Fuck what anybody else thinks. Well, he didn’t care what they thought, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be the one responsible for bringing everybody down either. More trouble than it was worth, really. Plus he could see Mathias down there, yukking it up wrestling, and he was never in the mood for dealing with that. He was about to leave when he almost walked right into a girl standing behind him.
Like most people, she was taller than him by almost a head. Her dark hair fell down her back in long braids, and she stared at him with a look of concern that was easy to see even in the dim firelight.
“Leaving already?” she said.
He tried to push past her, but she grabbed him by the arm and held him back easily.
“Let me through, Reyna” he said. “I was just checking in.”
“You could at least say hi to Zeke,” said Reyna. “How long’s it been since you talked?”
“Doesn’t matter. Let me go.” She did, and he took a step back, shaking his arm. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but stop. There’s no point. I only came because I thought Mathias wouldn’t be here.” A lie. Of course he was going to be here. From her face, she saw through it too.
“Maybe Zeke wanted you both here. Maybe he was hoping…” she trailed off.
“Well, if he was, he’s an idiot. And Zeke’s not an idiot.”
“Whatever.” Reyna rolled her eyes. “Look, you don’t have to go down, but at least stay for a minute. One cigarette?” She pulled a pack of reds from her pocket and shook it. Sounded nearly empty. Lucas sighed.
“One. Sure”. She passed it over and lit it, and they leaned against the hood of the car, smoking in silence until Lucas spoke up again. “How’d you know I was hear?”
“Just got lucky,” she said. “Was coming back from the bathroom and happened to catch a sight of you.”
“Seems like you get lucky a lot.”
“Maybe,” she said. There was a playfulness in her eye that hadn’t been there a minute ago, but it quickly vanished. She was smoking her cigarette faster than Lucas. He was barely half-done, but hers was only a nub. She lit another. “You wanna know what I heard?”
“What?”
“Pete’s parents are moving back to town.” She stared at him, waiting for a reaction. He tried not to give her one, but couldn’t help it. His hands were shaking.
“Fuck,” he said. “Fuck, why would you tell me that now?”
“Well it’s not like anyone else would, and I figured it was better than you running into them randomly.” She was drumming her fingers against the car door nervously. Lucas lowered his cigarette, stared at the sky. Yes, she was right. If he ran into them again he didn’t know what he could say. At least this way he could be prepared. Try to avoid them. Something.
“Yeah. Thanks I guess.” He flicked the cigarette away, unfinished, and turned to walk away. “I’m gonna head back. Tell Zeke I said hi.”
“No,” said a man’s voice behind him, “you’re staying here.”
Lucas turned and saw Mathias.
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