Page 44 of Don't Let Go

Bryce took my last fry and lifted it in the air like a gesture. “Thanks, man.”

“Yeah.”

I grabbed my phone and thought to text Quincy. He’d probably laugh his ass off thinking of me playing on a team like this.

Then again, Quincy hadn’t reached out to me since that crappy party. Maybe I did need new friends. After all, my old ones seemed to have buried me along with my father and moved on with their lives.

I did miss the game, but would it be worth it to hear Paolo run his mouth?

Maybe. Being on another team, even one like this would help me with college, and I needed all the help I could get now that I was on my own.

That night I sat outside my window again. There were no drive-bys, but the train that drove by a few miles south of here sounded as if it was coming through the house. I stared at the full moon as it glowed softly. My mother once said to look to the moon in times of sorrow or turmoil. It was always there for you and never changed. It would forever be the size of your thumb. Pain shot through my veins when I remembered my mom. I didn’t think I’d live through her death, and now I was reliving the torment of losing another parent, this time one the public wanted to mourn too. I still came across shit on social media about my father passing. Something someone in Congress commented on and it so happened to pop up in my feed. Between being reminded of my father’s death and not having my friends anymore, it was better I went dark online.

The window next door slid open, and a head full of chestnut brown curls poked out. Rory smiled and then looked up to the sky. “You turning this into a habit? You want to be an astronaut or something?”

I laughed. “Nah. I don’t do heights.”

She pouted. “Pity. I think you’d look good in the suit.”

I rubbed the back of my neck and caught myself. “What woke you?”

“Paolo. I forgot to silence my phone. He’s blowing it up. It’s all about the team and crap like that…” She paused as if she wanted to say more but couldn’t. She licked her lips and added, “He’s worried about the finals.” I had a feeling that wasn’t what kept her awake, but if that’s the game she wanted to play.

“The team might still make finals.” A cloud covered the moon. It glowed with a silver outline.

“How? Are they praying for a miracle or getting into the dark arts?” She climbed out and perched on the little ledge, her right leg dangling over the edge. I wondered how often she came out here. I liked the peace, at least when there wasn’t a drive-by ortrain nearby. I liked how I still had a semi-decent view of the night sky.

“Coach Grant and some guys from the team spoke to me earlier today at lunch. They know how I played at Lincoln and want me to join South Ridge as a transfer.”

She grabbed the windowsill to keep from falling forward and onto the grass below. “Oh. I didn’t know.”

“Yeah. Paolo doesn’t know yet. They want me at practice on Monday.”

She bit her bottom lip. I fantasized about what her lips tasted like. For some reason, I imagined bubblegum, sweet yet never got too old to devour.

“Great. I can’t wait for that meltdown.” She looked at me and winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I hate listening to him whine.”

“He whines more than rich ladies’ purse dogs.”

Rory laughed and then sighed. She glanced up again. “Don’t you sometimes want to disappear?”

“Lately? That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” The moon slipped out from behind the cloud again and highlighted her face. She looked lost yet thoughtful. “Why are you with Paolo again? He’s a total tool.”

“I know. Plus, he’s a dickhead. I’ve been with him for two years. My goal was to finish high school and then dump him. Lately, I feel like I need to make the break sooner, but...” She squeezed her eyes shut. “My life is a mess.”

I let out a breath, making my lips vibrate. “Doesn’t seem worth it.”

She let her other leg dangle. Her toes pointed toward the ground, and she almost looked like she wanted to jump into the darkness.

“Perhaps, but we all end up doing things we don’t want to. I also don’t want to be in band, but there I am, playing each game.”

My eyebrows pushed together in confusion. “Why don’t you wanna be in band?”

She braided a strand of hair to avoid looking over at me. “I share too much late at night. I should get some sleep.” Rory moved to go back inside.

“Sometimes, we need to let the truth out.”

Her body was inside, but her head remained out the window. “What was that?”

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