Page 67 of Stop and Seek
Alyssa wouldn’t let him live it down. She’d have way too much fun teasing him. It’d hang over his head like a fucking noose for days.
Speak of the devil, and he will appear.
Except, Theo’s devil wore the tiniest black shorts and glittery makeup.
Theo opened the front doors and she ran at him—full speed—her platforms clomping on the pavement.
“Oh my god,” Alyssa screeched. “Where have you been? I wasliterallyabout to like, peace out without you. Look, look!” She held up her hand, shaking the red band on her wrist. “I like, got super lucky! I caught six people. Six!”
“Congrats,” Theo said. “Glad you did your job.”
She punched his shoulder.
“Buzzkill,” she muttered, her eyes floating up to Noah. “Did you get lost too, Golden Boy?”
“Totes lost,” Noah replied. “I’d still be wandering around if Theo hadn’t found me.”
Theo shot him a glare, and Noah’s smirk just curled more into his cheek.
Noah raised an eyebrow.
Dared him to say more.
“Where’s Max?” Theo asked, shifting the conversation before Alyssa got any ideas. “She leave already?”
“Yeah, sad day.” Alyssa made a mock-crying motion, rubbing her eyes with her fists. “She took Benji to the twenty-four hour urgent care.”
“Damn, is he okay? What happened?”
Alyssa fished her phone out, fiddling with her bangs before flipping the screen toward Theo.
Max
can u let kyran know i have to split?
Alyssa
yes!! *snugs* are u coming back? *pleads with u with tears in my eyes*
Max
maybe. benji ran into a locker or w/e idk. i think his nose is broke. :/
Alyssa
T~T
The cutesy asterisk talk made Theo’s soul cringe. He couldn’t read anymore without physically wanting to bleach his eyeballs.
“I smacked into tons of shit,” he said as he pushed the phone back to Alyssa. “I never broke anything, though. Dented a locker once.”
“My toe hit the recliner and shattered like, two bones.” She looked up at him, punching his shoulder again when he snorted. “Everyone’s not made of freaking steel or titanium, babe. Some of us are like,actualhumans.”
“Benji’s a klutz,” Noah chimed in. “I think it has to do with the glasses. It’s another one of thosepatterns. You know, Theo? We talked about those.”
Theo couldn’t narrow his eyes any further.
FuckhittingNoah—he was going tokill him.
