An hour had passed when his phone buzzed in his pocket. A notification from Steve lit up the screen:
"Hey kid, something came up. I'm not gonna be able to pick you up today."
Typical.
After the earlier chaos, things had settled. He'd finished the rest of the homework quickly, mostly tuning out Jessica and Angela's conversation about makeup and relationship drama. Eventually, he slipped on his headphones, letting the smooth sounds of New Edition drown out the background noise.
Eric was still glued to his phone, thumbing through whatever app had his attention, while rain tapped steadily against the windows like a lazy metronome.
Outside, a dark blue Suburban and a beat-up Chevy Astro pulled into the lot. Mike and the rest of the guys hopped out, with Lauren squeezed next to Tyler in the back seat.
They waved through the window before coming in and shaking off the rain, their jackets dotted with water.
"Yo, what's up?" Mike greeted as he stepped in, barely acknowledging the weather beyond a shrug.
"Hey, Mike. Want anything?"
"Yeah, just grab me the usual," he replied, sliding into a seat at the table.
"Same," Tyler chimed in right after.
Connor shot him a look. "Yeah, maybe if you paid me back for the last time."
"Come on, man…" Tyler groaned, dragging out the plea, while Lauren stayed quiet behind them.
Ben piped up from the side, "Y'all hear about that animal attack in the next county?"
"Three campers. Tore them to pieces," he added.
Angela covered her mouth. Jessica rolled her eyes like it was just more small-town gossip. Eric didn't even look up. And him? He didn't care enough to comment—just stared at Ben for a long second.
Ben had a problem with him. Always had. Never said why. But the message was clear. And when they were alone next time? They were definitely going to handle it.
"God bless the families," Angela whispered, head bowed slightly as if offering a prayer.
Eventually, the others returned from the counter, and the group conversation drifted into safer territory—sports, mostly. The guys debated whether they'd even make the playoffs this season.
He checked his phone. They'd been there nearly two hours. Time to go.
He stood up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and said a quick goodbye, patting Eric on the back as he passed, snapping him out of his phone coma. Jessica offered him a ride, but he declined. He needed the walk. Needed the air. The rain had eased into a light mist anyway.
He stepped outside and started down the street, heading toward the high school. His house was about two miles out, and the quiet helped clear his head.
He crossed the school lot and turned onto the main street. That's when he heard a honk—short, not aggressive.
A weathered red truck, aged into a rusty orange, pulled up beside him. A brown-haired girl leaned out the window.
"You need a ride or something?"
He recognized her. The other new girl. The one from lunch and Bio II.
The drizzle had picked up again, sky growing darker by the minute.
"Yeah, if it's not a problem," he said, climbing into the passenger side.
"Thanks again."
She nodded and started driving.
"So… you're the police chief's daughter, huh?" he asked. He'd figured it out—she was the reason Chief Swan had left early the day before.
"Yeah, he's my dad. What about you?"
"Steve. Officer Steve's mine." His tone made it clear he wasn't proud of it. The conversation moved on.
"So, where are you from?" she asked.
"Chicago. You?"
"Arizona."
He glanced her over. "You're kinda pale for a chick from Arizona."
She grinned. "Yeah, I get that a lot. My mom says I'm part albino."
He snorted, the joke catching him off guard.
"You were out getting groceries?" he asked.
"Yeah. My dad—Charlie—doesn't cook, so I figured I'd grab a few things."
They rode in silence after that, the truck humming along the wet road.
Eventually, she pulled up to the spot he pointed out, just short of the driveway.
"Hey," she said, "if you need a ride tomorrow, just let me know."
"Yeah. Will do," he replied, hopping out and closing the door behind him.
He didn't look back as he walked the rest of the way to the house.