day.”
“Maybe she was just surprised you were alive,” Rosa suggested.
Josh shook his head. “No, it had to be Bryan,” he said with conviction. “He’s the only person I know who’s capable of it. And when I find him today, I’m going to straighten him out.”
Josh slammed the door of his father’s car so hard that the vehicle shuddered against the black concrete. Rosa looked more than a little nervous as she flung her school bag over her shoulder and followed him. “Josh, you just got out of the hospital,” she reprimanded. “Please avoid getting in any fights for a least another day or two.”
“I can’t make any promises.”
Despite his protests, Josh knew she was right. He didn’t feel like he was going to throw up anymore, but he still felt weak and tired. He would be lucky if he made it through wrestling practice let alone a full-fledged parking lot brawl. He knew if he saw Bryan he might not be able to control himself.
“Well, don’t expect me to play nurse if you get hurt,” Rosa said, annoyed. “If you’re stupid enough to get in a fight, you deserve what you get.”
“I’m sorry,” Josh said in exaggerated remorse. He slipped his arm around her waist as they walked toward the entrance of the school. “I’ll try to be good. I don’t want my girlfriend mad at me.”
Rosa stopped dead in her tracks, and looked up at him with wide, doe brown eyes. “Your girlfriend?”
“Well, yeah,” Josh said, a little flustered himself. After she had been glued to his side all weekend, he had just assumed they were a couple. “I mean, only if you want to be.”
“I’m Joshua Hanover’s girlfriend,” Rosa said with a light laugh. “The chess club is never going to believe it. That was a joke,” she added when Josh gave her a baffled look. “I’m not that much of a nerd.”
Josh beamed as he walked hand in hand with his new girlfriend. He had forgotten all about Bryan for a few minutes. In fact, his arch nemesis was the furthest thing from his mind. That is, until he noticed him stumbling through the parking lot with a bottle of Vodka in one hand. Rosa noticed him too, and she visibly stiffened.
Josh had every intention of keeping his word to Rosa. He tried to side-step his obviously drunken classmate, but it was too late. Bryan had already seen him, and he was heading in their direction. He somehow managed to place himself between Josh and the door, blocking the entrance with his bulky frame. Josh knew there was no avoiding a confrontation no matter how many promises he made. Bryan was dead drunk and he wasn’t going to be rational.
When Bryan opened his mouth, Josh expected a multitude of insults and vulgar words. He expected to be cursed and threatened. What he didn’t expect was for the larger boy to fall to his knees and begin to sob. He looked up at Josh with eyes that were red-rimmed from crying, and glazed from too much alcohol.
“You’re a murderer,” Bryan cried, pointing an accusing finger at Josh. “You killed Lily!”
Chapter 12
“She’s dead!” Bryan sobbed. “She’s dead because of you!”
Josh’s mind whirled. He staggered backward, and probably would have fallen if a black pickup truck hadn’t been there to steady him. He wasn’t sure how long it was before he was able to take another breath, but his lungs were aching when he finally felt himself inhale. Rosa’s grip on his arm tightened protectively, and he knew he must have looked as pale as he felt. His stomach was churning for reasons that had nothing to do with rat poison.
“Wh . . . what are you talking about?” Josh managed to stutter. “What happened to Lily?”
Bryan threw the empty Vodka bottle to the ground and it shattered into pieces. “She’s dead! My little sister is dead!” He cried, his words slurred. “Oh, Lily! Lily, how could you?”
Bryan slumped back against the brick wall of the school, and Josh thought for a minute that he might have passed out. He
“Maybe she was just surprised you were alive,” Rosa suggested.
Josh shook his head. “No, it had to be Bryan,” he said with conviction. “He’s the only person I know who’s capable of it. And when I find him today, I’m going to straighten him out.”
Josh slammed the door of his father’s car so hard that the vehicle shuddered against the black concrete. Rosa looked more than a little nervous as she flung her school bag over her shoulder and followed him. “Josh, you just got out of the hospital,” she reprimanded. “Please avoid getting in any fights for a least another day or two.”
“I can’t make any promises.”
Despite his protests, Josh knew she was right. He didn’t feel like he was going to throw up anymore, but he still felt weak and tired. He would be lucky if he made it through wrestling practice let alone a full-fledged parking lot brawl. He knew if he saw Bryan he might not be able to control himself.
“Well, don’t expect me to play nurse if you get hurt,” Rosa said, annoyed. “If you’re stupid enough to get in a fight, you deserve what you get.”
“I’m sorry,” Josh said in exaggerated remorse. He slipped his arm around her waist as they walked toward the entrance of the school. “I’ll try to be good. I don’t want my girlfriend mad at me.”
Rosa stopped dead in her tracks, and looked up at him with wide, doe brown eyes. “Your girlfriend?”
“Well, yeah,” Josh said, a little flustered himself. After she had been glued to his side all weekend, he had just assumed they were a couple. “I mean, only if you want to be.”
“I’m Joshua Hanover’s girlfriend,” Rosa said with a light laugh. “The chess club is never going to believe it. That was a joke,” she added when Josh gave her a baffled look. “I’m not that much of a nerd.”
Josh beamed as he walked hand in hand with his new girlfriend. He had forgotten all about Bryan for a few minutes. In fact, his arch nemesis was the furthest thing from his mind. That is, until he noticed him stumbling through the parking lot with a bottle of Vodka in one hand. Rosa noticed him too, and she visibly stiffened.
Josh had every intention of keeping his word to Rosa. He tried to side-step his obviously drunken classmate, but it was too late. Bryan had already seen him, and he was heading in their direction. He somehow managed to place himself between Josh and the door, blocking the entrance with his bulky frame. Josh knew there was no avoiding a confrontation no matter how many promises he made. Bryan was dead drunk and he wasn’t going to be rational.
When Bryan opened his mouth, Josh expected a multitude of insults and vulgar words. He expected to be cursed and threatened. What he didn’t expect was for the larger boy to fall to his knees and begin to sob. He looked up at Josh with eyes that were red-rimmed from crying, and glazed from too much alcohol.
“You’re a murderer,” Bryan cried, pointing an accusing finger at Josh. “You killed Lily!”
Chapter 12
“She’s dead!” Bryan sobbed. “She’s dead because of you!”
Josh’s mind whirled. He staggered backward, and probably would have fallen if a black pickup truck hadn’t been there to steady him. He wasn’t sure how long it was before he was able to take another breath, but his lungs were aching when he finally felt himself inhale. Rosa’s grip on his arm tightened protectively, and he knew he must have looked as pale as he felt. His stomach was churning for reasons that had nothing to do with rat poison.
“Wh . . . what are you talking about?” Josh managed to stutter. “What happened to Lily?”
Bryan threw the empty Vodka bottle to the ground and it shattered into pieces. “She’s dead! My little sister is dead!” He cried, his words slurred. “Oh, Lily! Lily, how could you?”
Bryan slumped back against the brick wall of the school, and Josh thought for a minute that he might have passed out. He
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