letting myself remember. The bus trip home that night had been epic. We sang songs and screamed at passing cars until our throats grew raw. We were strung out on runner’s high and winning and youth and the world spinning precisely the way it was meant to. On the bus, Coach passed his Coach of the Year trophy around, a team win. We ran our fingers over the cool metal of the running figure, over the smooth wood and the etched words of recognition, over Coach’s name. Finally the winner, finally after his disappointment at the Olympic Games. He’d worn the medallion from the ceremony, all the way home, a long, dark ride. Fitz commented on the craftsmanship of the medallion, of the sturdy, bright-blue ribbon, while we girls took turns studying the trophy and sending the runner racing for his life, bouncing seat to seat, past the point of hilarity.
“All right, all right, girls,” Coach finally said, “Give him back.” The round, brassy Coach of the Year medallion hanging heavy around his neck. Maddy had jogged the trophy up the aisle and back into Coach’s hands.
That was Southtown, after all the hell some people had put us through, calling us names and telling us we didn’t deserve what we’d earned. But that night, we’d garnered our team the two top spots in the state finals, and our leader the state’s top coaching honor, and no one could tell us we were anything but champions.
“What?” Beck said. “What is it?”
“It’s just—” I held up the photo.
He peered at it, then behind him again. “Let’s go.”
I put the frame back, then retrieved the photo and held it to myself tenderly.
“You’re taking that?” he said.
“She left it for me.”
“This is a crime scene, Townsend—”
“She meant for me to find it,” I said. “I’m the only one who would have.”
He frowned at the photo in my hands. “Shouldn’t we—”
There was a creaking sound down behind him. We hurried out and closed the door gently behind us. I led Beck to the center stairwell and down past the office. At the bar’s end of the parking lot, several cars remained. A young woman teetering in high heels struggled into the open passenger door of a car with a buckled hood.
I went to the door of the bar and peered in. The crowd had dispersed, but a few of the hardcore regulars were closing it down. I still didn’t have a ride home, but now it was too late to call Lu or bother her for my keys. If I fetched my haul from Yvonne’s tip jars, I could see who was left sober enough to ask for a ride. But I couldn’t bring myself to go in.
Beck’s boots kicked gravel as he crossed the lot toward his truck. Something in his movements reminded me of the boy he’d once been—the one who caroused, who skipped out of woodshop and art classes to strut past our advanced English class, winking. The one who wanted Maddy all to himself. Even now, it seemed. Even now, he wanted all the grief there was. I hadn’t liked that boy, and I was pretty sure I didn’t like the man he’d turned into, either.
For a long moment I watched him walk away. Why had I trusted him?
But I knew why.
Because Maddy had. And she’d trusted me, too. I held the photo of us to my chest and wished again that I’d been better to her on that last night. Maybe everything would have turned out differently.
“Hey,” I called to Beck’s back. “Give me a ride home, and we’ll figure out what to do next.”
CHAPTER TEN
The next morning, the phone rang early. I’d been hoping to sleep in, since the Mid-Night was no-vacancy for a while, and then walk to Lu’s house to fetch my keys and car. After that, my plans petered down to lying in front of the TV until Billy called us back in. I did a few calculations in my head with the balance of my checkbook. Change of plans. I’d have to get a newspaper for the want ads.
I sat up, reaching first thing for Maddy’s photo. Beck had dropped me off the night before without either of us deciding what we’d
“All right, all right, girls,” Coach finally said, “Give him back.” The round, brassy Coach of the Year medallion hanging heavy around his neck. Maddy had jogged the trophy up the aisle and back into Coach’s hands.
That was Southtown, after all the hell some people had put us through, calling us names and telling us we didn’t deserve what we’d earned. But that night, we’d garnered our team the two top spots in the state finals, and our leader the state’s top coaching honor, and no one could tell us we were anything but champions.
“What?” Beck said. “What is it?”
“It’s just—” I held up the photo.
He peered at it, then behind him again. “Let’s go.”
I put the frame back, then retrieved the photo and held it to myself tenderly.
“You’re taking that?” he said.
“She left it for me.”
“This is a crime scene, Townsend—”
“She meant for me to find it,” I said. “I’m the only one who would have.”
He frowned at the photo in my hands. “Shouldn’t we—”
There was a creaking sound down behind him. We hurried out and closed the door gently behind us. I led Beck to the center stairwell and down past the office. At the bar’s end of the parking lot, several cars remained. A young woman teetering in high heels struggled into the open passenger door of a car with a buckled hood.
I went to the door of the bar and peered in. The crowd had dispersed, but a few of the hardcore regulars were closing it down. I still didn’t have a ride home, but now it was too late to call Lu or bother her for my keys. If I fetched my haul from Yvonne’s tip jars, I could see who was left sober enough to ask for a ride. But I couldn’t bring myself to go in.
Beck’s boots kicked gravel as he crossed the lot toward his truck. Something in his movements reminded me of the boy he’d once been—the one who caroused, who skipped out of woodshop and art classes to strut past our advanced English class, winking. The one who wanted Maddy all to himself. Even now, it seemed. Even now, he wanted all the grief there was. I hadn’t liked that boy, and I was pretty sure I didn’t like the man he’d turned into, either.
For a long moment I watched him walk away. Why had I trusted him?
But I knew why.
Because Maddy had. And she’d trusted me, too. I held the photo of us to my chest and wished again that I’d been better to her on that last night. Maybe everything would have turned out differently.
“Hey,” I called to Beck’s back. “Give me a ride home, and we’ll figure out what to do next.”
CHAPTER TEN
The next morning, the phone rang early. I’d been hoping to sleep in, since the Mid-Night was no-vacancy for a while, and then walk to Lu’s house to fetch my keys and car. After that, my plans petered down to lying in front of the TV until Billy called us back in. I did a few calculations in my head with the balance of my checkbook. Change of plans. I’d have to get a newspaper for the want ads.
I sat up, reaching first thing for Maddy’s photo. Beck had dropped me off the night before without either of us deciding what we’d
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