Page 16 of Oliver

Charming Charlie cycled through insulting my sister by calling her a fat cow, telling her she’s stupid and moved to complimenting her and encouraging her to find new thrills. One that popped out for me was the mention of drugs.

I knew Dixie smoked pot. I mean who didn’t but when did she graduate to harder drugs like cocaine. Was it at the urging of Charming Charlie? Why did she take the bait?

Although school let out an hour ago, I’m hoping he might still be hanging around the building.

Unfortunately, when I drive through the lot, it’s virtually empty.

Of course, yesterday I tried to avoid my peers and ran into half of them. Today when I want to actually find someone, they’re all fucking gone.

Gah.

Dixie mentioned they used to hang out at a diner down the street after school. Since I’m fresh out of ideas, I pull into a parking spot and exit with another headache circling my skull.

As I walk toward the door, I wonder absently when the last time I ate was but soon forget when I spy Oren walking by in the lot. “Oren, er, Ghost!”

His head pops up and he meets my gaze with a frown before his shoulders hunch and he slowly approaches.

“Hey,” he says quietly, kicking the dirt with his shoe.

Eyeing his thin frame, I say, “You weren’t at the funeral…”

Flinching, he raises his stricken eyes to mine and says, “I know. I couldn’t…I’m sorry.”

Rubbing the ache blooming in my chest, I say, “I know. It’s okay.”

He shifts awkwardly but I power through because his unease doesn’t compare with my burning need to finish this ridiculous quest.

“I need to talk to you. About Dixie.”

His shoulders curl further into his frame and tingles race down my spine. What does this little shit know and why didn’t he say anything?

“Um, okay,” he says, and I glance around. This isn’t exactly a conversation for the parking lot, but I suspect based on Oren’s squirrelly behavior that he’s not going to go anywhere with me.

“Was Dixie into drugs? Like harder drugs?” I ask.

Oren’s brows furrow and he licks his lips. “Well, kinda. Yeah. She was experimenting, you know?”

Not really. I’ve never tried, nor have I ever had the desire to try hard drugs. Then again, I’ve also never messaged weirdos in a dark web chat room.

“Okay. Do you know when this started?” I ask.

“No, I don’t. Look…I’m sorry…” He glances around and pauses. Following his gaze, I grab his arm. “Bone? Does Bone know something?”

“What? No, no. Look, I gotta go.”

He breaks away and I study his bowed head before turning toward Bone across the lot. Bone? I knew him peripherally but obviously I never associated with him.

I guess it makes sense. He was the resident drug dealer. She had to get her high from someone.

Bone is chatting with some dude I don’t recognize.

Squaring my shoulders, I approach him with a halfhearted smile. I’m tired of the subterfuge. I wish someone would just tell me what the hell is going on.

My skin itches as Bone says, with a dip of his chin, “Penny.”

I would never have been caught dead around him before, but I need answers and who the fuck cares?

“Hey,” I say.

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