Page 51 of Foolish Games

“Exactly how long has he been gone?” I ask.

“I don’t know,” he says. “A few days.”

“A week?” I press, even though it’s clear he doesn’t want to talk about it.

He narrows his eyes and stares off, like he’s counting back the days.

I should mind my business and leave it alone, but I feel bad for him. I haven’t noticed him acting any differently this week, but if I’d known this was going on, I’d have paid better attention. I can’t believe he didn’t even mention it. Maybe I could help. My dad has connections.

“Try… Three hundred or so,” Sebastian says at last.

“Three hundred weeks?” I can’t help gaping at him as I pull off on the shoulder of the dirt road behind Billy’s familiar brown truck and an old El Camino.

“Give or take,” Sebastian says, swinging open the door and climbing out. “Come on, let’s see if the swimming hole is frozen over. Maybe we can skate around on it.”

A car pulls up behind mine, and four guys pile out. I recognize Tony right away, and his brothers from another time we hung out and ran into them.

“It’s cold as fuck,” Tony says, rubbing his hands together and blowing into them. “I thought Arkansas was supposed to be warm.”

“I told you, there’s no party up here tonight,” says his brother Vinny, gesturing to the gravel area beside the pit. There’s one small fire with a half dozen people huddled around it, and a couple cars pulled up at the ends of the flat area where last time the party was happening. The place is mostly deserted, probably because it’s below freezing out.

“Party’s at the Beckett place tonight,” Billy calls, hauling a Styrofoam cooler out of his truck bed. Lexi and a handful of football players climb out of the cab to join us on the road, and Sebastian puts his arm around me, pulling me into his side. I’m simultaneously grateful for the warmth and disturbed by how natural and comfortable the gesture feels, like he’s always pulled me close when our friends are around.

“Fuck,” Tony says, kicking the gravel on the road. “They cut us out.”

“Relax,” says Donny, the oldest brother and the only one I haven’t met before. “I’m sure they just forgot to tell you where it was.”

“Or they intentionally didn’t invite us,” Tony grumbles. “Fucking cunts.”

“There’s no invite list,” Billy says. “Half the crew is there. But I got beer if you want to hang out here and have a quiet night.”

“Nah, too fucking cold out,” Donny says. “My balls can’t handle it.”

“Aren’t you from New York?” Lexi asks. “You should be able to handle a little Arkansas winter.”

“Fuck you,” Tony says. “Or better yet, fuck me. Your pussy’s warmed half the dicks on our street. When’s it my turn?”

“When hell freezes over,” she shoots back, flipping him off before reaching into the cooler and grabbing a beer.

“Then how about right now, sweetheart?” Tony says. “Because this place is hell, and it’s sure as fuck frozen over tonight.”

“Speaking of frozen over, let’s go check out the swimming hole,” Sebastian says.

“Want to go?” Benny asks his brothers. “Or head back to the party, now that we know where it’s at?”

“Fuck them,” Tony says. “They don’t want us at their party, we’ll make our own. Isn’t that right, Lex?” He throws an arm around Lexi, who shrugs him off with a scowl.

While they’re figuring out their night, Sebastian takes my hand and starts up the trail that leads to the swimming hole off to the right of the parking area. No one is back there, since it’s way too cold to get in the water. When we reach it, Sebastian gives a whoop, seeing the ice on top. Gripping my hand, he runs down the steep, slippery gravel incline to the edge, dragging me with him.

“Wait,” I yell, sure he’s going to jump onto the ice and fall through.

He stops and sets his foot on the frozen surface, pressing down. A creaking sound emerges, and he groans and steps back. “It’s not cold enough,” he says, looking crestfallen.

“It’s only been cold for a few days,” I point out. “It takes a while to freeze all the way across.”

“I know, but it would’ve been so cool to skate with you,” he says, pulling me into his arms and cuddling me to his chest. I wrap my arms around him and look up at him while he pouts at the swimming hole. Little curls show beneath the edge of his beanie, and clouds of white rise into the frosty night with every exhale. Cold, bright stars pierce the stark sky, and a half moon hovers above, illuminating his strong silhouette.

“Sebastian?” I whisper, my heart hammering hard in my chest.

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