Page 18 of Stop and Seek
Theo hesitated.
But the promise of something to dull the melty edges of his brain… that was too good to pass up.
Besides, what were they going to do? Crown a new prom king and queen? Swap war stories over senior photos?
“Fine,” he muttered, just loud enough to be heard over the sudden roar of a muffler from the parking lot. “One hour, and then I’m dragging you out by your extensions.”
Alyssa beamed. “Youdohave a heart in there!”
“Aw, my kids are getting along. I’m touched.” Rachel wiped a fake tear from the corner of her eye. “Can we all go back into the A/C before I turn into a puddle? Please?”
Alyssa corralled him back inside, her tiny, grubby claws pressed firmly against his back like she thought he might bolt. He wasn’t planning on making a mad dash for it, but now he was stuck.
It only took a couple of minutes of weaving through the crowd before they spotted Ethan by the punch table, leaning on it like he might collapse from exhaustion or boredom.
Ethan and Rachel exchanged a high-five, already launching into that fast, half-shouted kind of conversation everyone adopted in loud rooms.
“How’s work?” Ethan asked.
“It’s good! I transferred into labor and delivery last year.”
“You gonna deliver my kid?”
“Carrie’s pregnant? Congrats, buddy.”
“Yeah! I thought Theo would’ve told you. Y’all see each other more.”
Theo blanched.
Okay,maybeit had slipped his mind.
He was a shit friend, sure, but—in his defense—kids weren’t his thing. Who in their right mind would want to bring some screeching, needy human into a world already this broken?
“I wish they had coffee,” Ethan grumbled, rubbing his head.
“You that drunk?” Theo asked.
“No, man. I’mtired. My back’s killing me.”
“I feel you. I woke up from a nap and my knees cracked so hard I thought I broke something,” Alyssa added.
Theo’s eyes glazed over as the conversation shifted gears—straight into millennial complaints and crap sleep schedules.
There they were, back in theirhigh school gym, talking about how old they felt.
The big 3-0 looming ever closer.
Hell no.
He didn’t need to be reminded of his age. Not when freshmen came into the library talking in slang that sounded like fucking Martian.
Then came the screech of the PA system—sudden, teeth-gritting.
“Is… is this thing on?” Decker’s voice crackled through the speakers, warped and sharp with feedback.
Someone screamed, “Yes!” and Decker’s laugh echoed across the gym ceiling, bouncing off metal bleachers and peeling banners.
Theo turned, scanning the crowd until he spotted Decker standing on top of the bleachers with a mic in hand. The spotlight swung toward him, catching his sweat-slicked forehead and leaving everyone else in near-total darkness.
