sat reading the menu. I’d eaten at this place a million time, I already knew I was getting a cheeseburger and fries. I guess I thought the thin piece of laminated paper would shield me from the inquisition that January was about to unleash on me. I peeked out over the top at her excited grin. Hap was obliviously texting away on his phone. “So?” she said picking up a fry and slopping up an overly indulgent scoop of ketchup into her mouth.
“So, what?” I pretended not know what information she was fishing for. I needed to talk to Alyssa before I talked to anyone else.
“Don’t play dumb, Jesse Vaughn.” Her face twisted to annoyance. “What are you gonna do?”
“Well… I was thinking about eating a burger.” I put the menu down and grabbed my drink, pulling the straw between my lips.
“You know what I mean.” She crossed her arms. “She needs you, Jess.”
“Stay out of it, Jan.” Hap looked up from his phone long enough to shoot his girlfriend a reprimanding glance. He usually managed to keep his know-it-all girlfriend out of everyone’s business, but January was not going to let this one go.
“I will not stay out of it, Hapley.” She whipped her annoyed face to his, at which point he retreated to his cell phone. “You know as well as I do, that we’ve done everything we can think of to help that girl get out of the funk she’s been in for the last nine months. Now, she’s taking the pills again…” She let her voice trail off, regretting what she’d just said.
“Wait, what pills?” What was she talking about? Alyssa was on drugs?
January’s eyes told me that she thought she’d said too much. “I didn’t… I mean…”
“I told you to stay out of it,” Hap added.
“What kind of pills?” I was pissed. How could they let her take drugs? They were supposed to be her friends.
“She’s not on anything illegal,” Hap tried to calm me down.
“No,” January confirmed, “they’re prescribed. Some kind of anti-depressant or anti-anxiety, I don’t know.”
“Oh,” I answered.
“She doesn’t need them though. She hasn’t taken them for months,” January sighed, “She was doing good, really, I think she was finally starting to heal. Then graduation happened and…”
“I came back.” I started to think that maybe it was a bad idea to come back after all. Maybe what Alyssa and I had wasn’t worth her risking her health.
“She’s confused, Jess.” January saw the sadness in my eyes. “She might not think so right now, but she’ll be glad you came back. You just need to talk to her. She thinks that you blame her for the accident.”
“That’s crazy. It was just that… an accident. No one’s fault.”
“Oh, shit.” Hap held up his cell phone. “This is not good.”
I looked at the screen at a message from one of Hap’s buddies. It said that Alyssa was out with Collin Smolder. Apparently, the two of them were making out in front of half the town. I felt my heart start to beat out of my chest. I balled my fist and took in a deep breath.
“Where is she?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Out at old man Smolder’s field,” Hap answered.
“What are you going to do?” January asked with bated breath.
I pushed out of the booth. “I don’t know, but I’m not going to let her hang out with him.” I rushed out the door, not knowing how I was going to do it, but I was determined to get her as far away from him as humanly possible. Even if that meant dragging her out of there against her will.
Chapter 9
Alyssa
“How about a drink?” Collin reached into his center console which held a small insulated bag cooler and pulled out a beer. We’d meandered off County 5 to a much less traveled gravel road. I took the beer and promised myself I’d only have a couple, not wanting a repeat of the last time I drank.
“Thanks.” The apprehension I was feeling about going out
“So, what?” I pretended not know what information she was fishing for. I needed to talk to Alyssa before I talked to anyone else.
“Don’t play dumb, Jesse Vaughn.” Her face twisted to annoyance. “What are you gonna do?”
“Well… I was thinking about eating a burger.” I put the menu down and grabbed my drink, pulling the straw between my lips.
“You know what I mean.” She crossed her arms. “She needs you, Jess.”
“Stay out of it, Jan.” Hap looked up from his phone long enough to shoot his girlfriend a reprimanding glance. He usually managed to keep his know-it-all girlfriend out of everyone’s business, but January was not going to let this one go.
“I will not stay out of it, Hapley.” She whipped her annoyed face to his, at which point he retreated to his cell phone. “You know as well as I do, that we’ve done everything we can think of to help that girl get out of the funk she’s been in for the last nine months. Now, she’s taking the pills again…” She let her voice trail off, regretting what she’d just said.
“Wait, what pills?” What was she talking about? Alyssa was on drugs?
January’s eyes told me that she thought she’d said too much. “I didn’t… I mean…”
“I told you to stay out of it,” Hap added.
“What kind of pills?” I was pissed. How could they let her take drugs? They were supposed to be her friends.
“She’s not on anything illegal,” Hap tried to calm me down.
“No,” January confirmed, “they’re prescribed. Some kind of anti-depressant or anti-anxiety, I don’t know.”
“Oh,” I answered.
“She doesn’t need them though. She hasn’t taken them for months,” January sighed, “She was doing good, really, I think she was finally starting to heal. Then graduation happened and…”
“I came back.” I started to think that maybe it was a bad idea to come back after all. Maybe what Alyssa and I had wasn’t worth her risking her health.
“She’s confused, Jess.” January saw the sadness in my eyes. “She might not think so right now, but she’ll be glad you came back. You just need to talk to her. She thinks that you blame her for the accident.”
“That’s crazy. It was just that… an accident. No one’s fault.”
“Oh, shit.” Hap held up his cell phone. “This is not good.”
I looked at the screen at a message from one of Hap’s buddies. It said that Alyssa was out with Collin Smolder. Apparently, the two of them were making out in front of half the town. I felt my heart start to beat out of my chest. I balled my fist and took in a deep breath.
“Where is she?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Out at old man Smolder’s field,” Hap answered.
“What are you going to do?” January asked with bated breath.
I pushed out of the booth. “I don’t know, but I’m not going to let her hang out with him.” I rushed out the door, not knowing how I was going to do it, but I was determined to get her as far away from him as humanly possible. Even if that meant dragging her out of there against her will.
Chapter 9
Alyssa
“How about a drink?” Collin reached into his center console which held a small insulated bag cooler and pulled out a beer. We’d meandered off County 5 to a much less traveled gravel road. I took the beer and promised myself I’d only have a couple, not wanting a repeat of the last time I drank.
“Thanks.” The apprehension I was feeling about going out
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