camp.”
“You’ve been at camp, huh? Is it over already?” Tyler asked. She shook her head. “What are you doing back?”
“My dad died.”
His eyes widened. Teri’s hands flew over her mouth. “I’m so sorry!” she cried. “Are you okay? Maybe you should—”
She cut Teri off. “I’m fine.” Tyler looked incredulous, so Rylie repeated, “I’m fine . Don’t worry about it.” She wasn’t lying, not exactly. “Fine” may not have been the right word for how she felt, but Rylie didn’t know how else to describe the emptiness between her ribs.
Teri finished off the last half of her drink in one gulp. “Let’s get more,” she said, giving Tyler a significant look.
Mentioning dead family members was the perfect way to kill the mood for the rest of the night. Rylie tried to bring up some of her favorite movies that Tyler also enjoyed, but he was too distracted by Teri’s attempts to suck his face off to converse.
She tried to enjoy the music instead. Rylie liked Black Death, and they were even better performing a small venue. But she just couldn’t get comfortable. The walls of the coffee shop were too close. The ceiling was too low. The music was too loud. Why had Rylie gone to such a place?
Rylie gave up after three more songs. The wolf couldn’t stand it anymore.
“You know what? I’m going for a walk,” Rylie said, interrupting Teri and Tyler in the middle of their make-out session.
“I’m bored here. We’ll come too,” he said, grabbing Teri’s hand and pulling her along.
Rylie knew he wasn’t bored. He was worried about her. Tyler had always been way too sympathetic.
The crowd mobbed them as they left. Hands grabbed for their jackets and tickets, hoping to get into their empty spots. The bouncer pushed everyone back long enough so Rylie could squeeze through, and she ducked further down the underground street.
“Aren’t we going up to the surface?” Teri asked, clinging to Tyler’s arm.
“I thought I’d walk to the subway station from here,” Rylie said. The road underneath the bank building ran a few blocks and emerged right next to the train.
“I don’t think it’s safe.”
“It’ll be fine!” Tyler said. “You can just hold me if you’re scared, babe.” He winked at Rylie and pulled Teri closer with his arm around her waist.
“Tyler, please,” Teri complained.
Rylie groaned. This was even worse than sitting at home with Jessica.
Tyler and Teri followed her down the tunnel. It was marked by yellow lights near the roof every few yards, leaving large swaths of the road in darkness. Their footsteps echoed against the concrete walls. The further they got from The South Den, the louder every little movement became.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tyler muttered to Rylie when Teri released him for a moment to stare anxiously around the tunnel.
Rylie responded by staring at him. What was she supposed to say? He didn’t look at her longer than a half second at a time, and she wondered if he had finally noticed her eyes.
"I don't want to scare you guys, but I think we're being followed," Teri whispered. Rylie glanced over her shoulder. Three formless men in bulky jackets were down near the curve in the tunnel. Their hoods were pulled over their heads. They could have been anyone.
When Rylie sped up, their followers sped up too. There was no mistaking their intentions. The men were trying to catch up like the werewolf had on the night she was attacked. Rylie, Teri, and Tyler were being hunted.
“They must have come from The South Den,” Rylie said. She surprised herself with how detached she sounded.
“They probably want to buy our tickets to the Black Death gig,” Tyler said.
Everyone knew that wasn’t true, but nobody had to say it. The word muggers hung unspoken in the air around them. Teri clung harder to Tyler’s arm.
They ducked down
“You’ve been at camp, huh? Is it over already?” Tyler asked. She shook her head. “What are you doing back?”
“My dad died.”
His eyes widened. Teri’s hands flew over her mouth. “I’m so sorry!” she cried. “Are you okay? Maybe you should—”
She cut Teri off. “I’m fine.” Tyler looked incredulous, so Rylie repeated, “I’m fine . Don’t worry about it.” She wasn’t lying, not exactly. “Fine” may not have been the right word for how she felt, but Rylie didn’t know how else to describe the emptiness between her ribs.
Teri finished off the last half of her drink in one gulp. “Let’s get more,” she said, giving Tyler a significant look.
Mentioning dead family members was the perfect way to kill the mood for the rest of the night. Rylie tried to bring up some of her favorite movies that Tyler also enjoyed, but he was too distracted by Teri’s attempts to suck his face off to converse.
She tried to enjoy the music instead. Rylie liked Black Death, and they were even better performing a small venue. But she just couldn’t get comfortable. The walls of the coffee shop were too close. The ceiling was too low. The music was too loud. Why had Rylie gone to such a place?
Rylie gave up after three more songs. The wolf couldn’t stand it anymore.
“You know what? I’m going for a walk,” Rylie said, interrupting Teri and Tyler in the middle of their make-out session.
“I’m bored here. We’ll come too,” he said, grabbing Teri’s hand and pulling her along.
Rylie knew he wasn’t bored. He was worried about her. Tyler had always been way too sympathetic.
The crowd mobbed them as they left. Hands grabbed for their jackets and tickets, hoping to get into their empty spots. The bouncer pushed everyone back long enough so Rylie could squeeze through, and she ducked further down the underground street.
“Aren’t we going up to the surface?” Teri asked, clinging to Tyler’s arm.
“I thought I’d walk to the subway station from here,” Rylie said. The road underneath the bank building ran a few blocks and emerged right next to the train.
“I don’t think it’s safe.”
“It’ll be fine!” Tyler said. “You can just hold me if you’re scared, babe.” He winked at Rylie and pulled Teri closer with his arm around her waist.
“Tyler, please,” Teri complained.
Rylie groaned. This was even worse than sitting at home with Jessica.
Tyler and Teri followed her down the tunnel. It was marked by yellow lights near the roof every few yards, leaving large swaths of the road in darkness. Their footsteps echoed against the concrete walls. The further they got from The South Den, the louder every little movement became.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tyler muttered to Rylie when Teri released him for a moment to stare anxiously around the tunnel.
Rylie responded by staring at him. What was she supposed to say? He didn’t look at her longer than a half second at a time, and she wondered if he had finally noticed her eyes.
"I don't want to scare you guys, but I think we're being followed," Teri whispered. Rylie glanced over her shoulder. Three formless men in bulky jackets were down near the curve in the tunnel. Their hoods were pulled over their heads. They could have been anyone.
When Rylie sped up, their followers sped up too. There was no mistaking their intentions. The men were trying to catch up like the werewolf had on the night she was attacked. Rylie, Teri, and Tyler were being hunted.
“They must have come from The South Den,” Rylie said. She surprised herself with how detached she sounded.
“They probably want to buy our tickets to the Black Death gig,” Tyler said.
Everyone knew that wasn’t true, but nobody had to say it. The word muggers hung unspoken in the air around them. Teri clung harder to Tyler’s arm.
They ducked down
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