Page 39 of Abyss

God, I fucking hate Nathan’s dad more than I ever have. Even more than when he beat the shit out of Nathan two years ago for coming home a half hour past curfew.

And as much as I’m secretly relieved that he’s in jail for being caught dealing a portion of his coke to some other junkie, I hate that he left Nathan saddled with having to pay off his dealer. Fucking cretin.

It’s the last thing my best friend needs, between taking care of the rest of his family and dealing with his panic attacks and anxiety.

The bell rings, snapping me out of my thoughts as I watch Nathan’s shoulders slump.

He clears his throat, trying to find his voice as a few stranglers eye us as they run up the steps. “Wh-what sort of dare?”

Vance’s smile widens, his head turning from his crony Dan to Miles, before addressing Nathan, “Since you’re asking, I’m assuming you couldn’t come through with my money.”

Nathan’s face falls. “I . . . I tried. I’ve been working extra hours at the drive-thru and have about a grand I can give you right now—”

Vance tsks, that evil gleam in his eyes. “A grand is not five grand plus interest, now is it, my friend? You’d think thatwith the free education my parents’ charitable donations provide for your schooling here at this world-renowned establishment,” he tilts his head toward the entrance of our school, “you’d at least have paid attention in math class.”

Nathan rubs a hand over the back of his neck, likely wiping off sweat. “Could you possibly give me an extension? Another month?”

Vance nods solemnly, and a part of me hopes that might be his answer, before he throws back his head, barking out a laugh into the clear blue sky. Suddenly snapping his mouth shut, he leans closer to Nathan, making him flinch. “No. I’ve already made a tiny exception for you, given I didn’t show up at the disgusting little trailer you call home last night and drag your ass out. Today is the day overdue debts are paid.”

I can see the tremble in Nathan’s hand, the way his chest rises and falls with each breath. “Alright. Tell me whatever this darkness clause is, then.”

Vance, Dan, and Miles exchange glances before Vance rubs his hands together, as if excited about the prospect of doling out the punishment. He probably is, the sick fuck. “Meet us in the parking lot at five, eh?” He slaps an arm around Nathan’s shoulder, pulling him into his side. “I think you’ll be happy to know your darkness clause might actually be fun.”

I shake my head, placing my hand on Nathan’s elbow. “Nathan, don’t. You know he’s lying. You know whatever he wants you to do is going to be fun for everyone but you. Let’s talk—”

Vance snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Wake up, chubby cheeks. There isn’t much to talk about. The terms were clear for your little friend Nate here: pay up on time or pay the price. The rich don’t get richer by making exceptions.”

I glower at him, my index in his face, even though I’mscared shitless. “Says who? I could walk into Principal Larson’s office right now and—”

Vance and his friends burst out with hearty laughs before he shakes his head at me. “You’re not new here. Take stock of your surroundings. Our great grandparents literally built this school from the ground up. Every fucking dollar, including what goes into that potbellied excuse for a principal’s bank account, is funded by our families.” He points at himself, leaning in to meet my eyes. “Funded byme. I’d be really fucking careful before you go stirring a pot of soup you don’t intend to eat, you feel me? You wouldn’t want your little brother never coming up for air when he goes over to your neighbor’s pool to swim, would you?”

The fuck?

Every hair on my body points skyward. How the hell does he know Neil swims at our neighbor’s pool? How the hell does he even know where I live?!

Before I can string a coherent sentence together, the five of them start up the stairs. Paulina shoves my shoulder with hers as she passes me, while Josephine glares. “Stay in your lane,trash bag. It’s in your best interest.”

Vance turns around at the top of the stairs, a creepy smirk tipping up his thin lips at Nathan. “Five o’clock, Nate. Don’t make me wait.”

“You can’t go, Nathan!”I whisper-yell from my seat at the back of Ms. DeLaney’s pre-calculus class three hours later.

We’d been separated all this time with different schedules, but I haven’t been able to think about anything but the fact that my best friend is supposed to meet the school’s most feared bully in a few hours.

I wish I could talk to someone. I wish we had friends—any friends at all—who could help. But no one would go against Vance and his clan, not even Alisha.

I could potentially text or call Dad, but he’s still in Chicago for work, and Mom would probably say I’m inflating the issue. Or she’d tell me to go talk to Principal Larson, which is basically like talking to no one at all. Or worse.

What if Vance does to Neil what I know in my gut he did to Chris?

Nathan keeps his focus at the front of the class, speaking in minced words. You never know who is listening from Vance’s crew, so it’s important we keep our voices low. “Dan was in history with me last period. He said, apparently, we’ll be going on a drive.”

My heart stutters. “What do you mean, a drive? A drive where?! That is exactly how people get abducted!”

He shrugs. “What other choice do I have? He’s not going to let me off the hook unless I chalk up his money by today, and I can’t do that.”

“Go to the police! I’ll come with y—”

Nathan’s head snaps to me. “Do you even know what that would mean? I have a fucking little sister to think about. Not to mention, my good-for-nothing mother. Who knows what Vance and his asshole friends are capable of?”

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