Page 89 of Stop and Seek
“The one video has—what—tenbillionviews? This is my golden ticket, baby. My sure stop to fame. I’m gonna be a superstar. All the networks are going to want to pick this up as a reality show when it hits.”
Noah bit down on his thumbnail, half listening as Kyran continued ranting.
The spots Theousuallypicked? Showstoppers. But now it was like he disappeared off the school grounds. It made Noah's throat close up, like he’d misplaced something precious.
“Where’s Benji?” Max asked, tapping away on her phone.
Kyran dropped into a chair beside them. “The weight room.”
“Weight room’s locked,” Noah murmured, squinting at one of the feeds. Nothing. Still nothing. No Theo.
“Not when Ben-Ben found a frickin’key,” Kyran shot back. He was slurping his drink, the sound grating on Noah’s last fucking nerve. “He’s so resourceful. We should’ve let him know he was being recorded. I feel bad about it.”
“Uh, fuck no. Noahwinkedat the cameras. No one else gets to know.” Max popped her gum. “Anyway, Benji wouldn’t have played if we told him. Where did you get that? I want one.”
“Secrets.”
“I’ll get you whatever he has when they go on break,” Noah said, distracted.
If they didn’t shut up soon, he was gonna chew his thumb down to the bone.
“You spoil her so bad.Princess Maxinekinda has a ring to it. Where’s your crown, girl?”
Another pop of gum. “Blow me.”
There.
Noah’s breath caught. He’d know that hair anywhere. The sleeves, the hunched posture. Theo.Tucked against the back wall of the stairwell, perfectly still and right in view.
And just like that, all the noise around him faded out.
There you are.
Noah’s chest filled with that weird, floaty feeling again, like someone poured sunshine straight into his ribs.
His Theo.
He loved the way that sounded.
But then his brows pulled together.
Why the hell was Theo in such an open spot? It wasn’t like him to be careless. Theo was way sharper than that.
Was he trying to get caught?
Was this some kind of message?
Is he okay?
When Kyran finally called time, Noah watched Theo curl into a ball, arms thrown over his head like he was bracing for a tornado. Something about it made his chest ache—maybe melt a little.
“You dipshit,” Noah muttered to himself.
“Who?” Max lifted her head. “God, I’m starving. Can you make a food run when you get the slushie for me?”
“Yeah. Sure. What are you feeling?”
Did Noah look away from the screen? No.
