Page 4 of Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

“Just one more week and life will be back to normal,” she said, reaching for my hand and squeezing reassuringly. “Alright?”

“Right.” I squeezed back, desperately wanting to believe her.

Evelyn’s friends waited for us at school, assembled by the front steps. I called them Evelyn’s friends, because while I was part of their clique by default, I was an outsider who only had an insight into their lavish lives thanks to my best friend. None of them really liked me. Well, except for Dustin.

Evelyn couldn’t understand why I refused to date him. But we were friends now. Really close friends.

It wasn’t that I didn’t find him attractive; he was. The cornerback was blessed with blonde locks that fell over his baby-blue eyes and a boyish smile that could be both adorable and sexy at the same time. Even so, he was too nice, if that was even a thing. I also didn’t want to do anything to risk ruining this fragile friendship we’d struck up in the last year.

Evelyn wanted me to date him to help me fit in. I didn’t get the logic of that. It would make me even more disliked by the other cheerleaders.

They already sneered at me because of his strange crush that wouldn’t shift when, in reality, he was probably only intrigued by me because I didn’t reciprocate his flirting. It was all a mess. A year ago, I was responsible for someone’s death, and now Evelyn wanted me to date as if I wasn’t a monster that belonged behind bars.

No, thank you. I would continue wallowing in my own self-pity and blending with the shadows.

Pushing off the small brick wall and meeting us halfway, Dustin slung his arm over my shoulder and pulled me into his body. His parka was unzipped, and I had to admit, he smelled nice—fresh linen and soap.

Evelyn walked past us up the stairs, and we followed behind. Alice and Harper were talking animatedly about the movie they went to see last night, while Lewis and Max pretended to listen.

Max, wearing black jeans, a maroon jacket with a funnel neck, and a black tee underneath, was the tallest of the guys. He was also the lankiest, but it worked for him.

Lewis was the stockiest but also the shortest, standing at half a head taller than me, with brown hair, a nice, dark complexion thanks to his Jamaican heritage on his father’s side, and a love affair with rings. He had one on each pointer and his thumbs. He was also Harper’s boyfriend of two years.

“You girls should go and watch a horror or something,” Lewis said as we entered the bustling hallway. His brown eyes found mine over his broad shoulder. “You like horror, don’t you, Skyler?”

Surprise had me looking up. I was rarely included in their conversations; it was as if I was always here in spirit, watching their interactions from far away.

“She once made me sit through a Friday the 13th omnibus,” Dustin interjected, a toothy smile spreading over his lips. “I think we need to worry about her.”

We stopped at the boys’ lockers, and Max smirked at Dustin when he passed. “I hope you at least got laid.”

“Har. Har.” Dustin flipped him off behind his back, sliding his arm from around my shoulder and flashing me a wink. “It was epic, by the way. You know horror movies are the way to my heart.”

Evelyn snorted, pulling on my ponytail. “Let’s get our books.”

Dustin’s eyes burned my back as I walked away, turning the corner. Sometimes, like today, it was awkward to be friends with someone who was so openly into me. I knew I should step back, but I was also selfish. Maybe I didn’t want to date or commit, but I also secretly liked his attention, even if it was misplaced. Once he’d fucked me, I’d cease to be a mystery, and he would move on to a new challenge.

“I feel fucking sorry for him,” Evelyn whispered, careful not to let Harper and Alice overhear.

“He knows the deal.” I sidestepped a group of students watching something on a phone. “I have never led him on.”

“I beg to differ.”

Her words annoyed me.

We reached our lockers and I inputted the combination to mine with jerky movements. As soon as it opened, I whirled on Evelyn. “What do you mean by that?”

Harper and Alice sniggered amongst themselves as they walked past.

Evelyn remained unfazed, taking her time to remove her books. Shutting her locker, she looked at me. “You don’t flirt with him like the other girls here, but you encourage him with your Friday movie nights.”

I scoffed, more bothered than I had any reason to be. Evelyn had a point, but I wasn’t ready to admit it yet.

I opened my mouth to retort, but Lily came running around the corner, out of breath and flustered. She had a knack for running late for school and was possibly the only other cheerleader who seemed to like me enough to want to be my friend.

“My dad’s new girlfriend wouldn’t stop talking at the breakfast table. Did I tell you she used to be a figure skater until she developed patellar tendonitis?”

“Patellar, what?” I asked.

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