Chapter 30

With the Halo opening music blasting through my headphones, I peer up from my game for the third time since lunch started. Harlow's still watching me, a cute little smile playing on her lips, and I look back down, try to focus on my game. This morning, I left her house at the crack of dawn and headed home. I would've stayed until she woke, but last night, when I came home to shower, my grandpa wasn't there. I wanted to leave enough time this morning in case I needed to find him. He wasn't in the living room or in his bed, and so I sent Jonah a message to pick up Harlow. It was about ten minutes after I'd normally leave for school that I found him in the backyard, face up, beer in one hand, clutching dead grass in the other. For one split-second, I almost thought it was time. That he'd passed. And then I nudged him with my toe, and he gasped awake.

I got him settled into bed before driving to school and entered the classroom a few minutes late.

Harlow smiled when she saw me.

The same way she's smiling when I glance up at her for the fourth time. Then she pokes out her tongue, and my immediate reaction is to glare at her. She pulls out the empty chair beside her and motions for me to take it.

I look down at my game, at my character lying in a pool of blood—similar to how my grandpa was this morning. Minus the blood, of course.

Harlow's with her friends, the cult cousins, and I don't really know why she'd want me to join them. With a sigh, I grab my things and take the few steps to her, sitting down right where she wants me.

"Mornin', Sunshine," Sammy greets.

"It's afternoon," I respond, and the three of them giggle.

I don't know what's so funny and I don't ask.

Jonah walks by with his tray of food, but stops when he sees us sitting together. Without so much as an invitation, he takes the chair at the end of the table and joins us. "Ladies," he says, looking over at Jeannie and Harlow. Then to Sammy: "And Sammy."

"Shut up, dickhead," she retorts.

He chuckles, returns with, "Such filthy things come out of your mouth."

She glares at him. "Like you have any idea about my mouth."

Harlow giggles, and Jeannie says, "Ew."

Jonah looks at me, gives a two-finger salute. "Oh, Captain, my Captain."

"Hey," I say and focus on my game again. Sitting here is one thing, but I don't know how much more I can give than that.

"When do you guys start practice?" Sammy asks, and I doubt she's talking to me, because Jonah is the one who answers.

"Next week."

Harlow's hair brushes against my arm as she leans in close, looking at my screen. "Can I play something?"

I glance up at her, noting how close she is. "Sure," I say, handing it to her. She goes through the games until she finds the most basic one. Mario Party. She clicks into it, brings it in front of her. I try to watch what she's doing, but her hair's blocking the screen, and so I raise my hand, shift her hair behind her ear. She has three earrings on this side, two on the other, but she doesn't change them out. A small hoop, a stud, and another hoop with a moon hanging off it. The other ear has a star and a lightning bolt. I've wondered if they're a set or if they're significant, but it would be weird to ask, right?

"Where'd you go this morning?" she asks, her words just for me.

"I had some things to do," is all I offer, and then I stare at her profile while she focuses on the game. I watch her brow furrow in concentration, watch her throat shift with each tiny breath, watch her?—

"What is this?" Sammy asks, breaking my trance. I glance over at her as she points her fork between me and Harlow. "What's going on between you two?"

Harlow answers for the both of us. "Nothing."

I don't miss the way Jeannie rolls her eyes.

"We're just… hanging out," Harlow adds, and it's true. That's all we've done.

"Uh-huh," Sammy says, eyes narrowed at us while Jonah grins from ear to ear.

Harlow clears her throat, shifting in her seat, and goes back to Mario Party. I say, because I feel like I need to contribute something to the conversation, "Did y'all know it was Harlow's birthday yesterday?"

"What?" Sammy screeches.

"No!" Jeannie adds.

"You bitch!" Sammy yells, and I almost throw my arm around Harlow's shoulders again. "Why didn't you say something?"

Harlow glares at me first, and I don't know why, then schools her features as she looks over at her friends. "It's not a big deal."

"Fuck that." Sammy stands. "Jonah, you're on snack duty. Jeannie and I will go home and get towels and swimsuits."

Jonah jumps to his feet. "Hell yes!"

I stand too, while Harlow looks between all of us. "What's going on?"