You and Everything After

“Sure thing,” he says, putting my reworked quiz in a small folder on his desk and propping his feet up on it while leaning back in his chair. “Here every Friday.”

“Right, got it,” I say. Got it—you’re here every Friday. As in, I should come more often, and you’d like to see me here? Or as in, this is a courtesy to students, don’t blow your studies dumbass, and get tutoring before the quiz. I’m actually laughing to myself as I exit the class, and when I turn to look at him over my shoulder, he’s already returned to reading whatever is on his iPad.

When I return to our room, Rowe is listening to music and looking through a few art books on her bed, and Paige is squealing on her phone about some party.

“Oh my god, of course I’m going. I don’t know what I’ll wear though, hang on…let me ask…” Paige says, snapping her fingers at me while she riffles through things in her section of the closet.

“I’m sorry, are you summoning me?” I ask, my eyes zeroed in on her long lavender nails.

“Yeah, party tonight. Pete’s. That place we went the first week of school. You wanna go?” She’s barely registering me while she talks, inserting yeahs and uh huhs to the other person on the line while inviting me to a party I really don’t think she wants me to go to.

“I don’t know, Paige. I think I’m just going to hang with Ty,” I say, and she’s already shrugged and moved on. Well, that was easy.

“So, how’d it turn out?” I ask, sitting down next to Rowe on her bed. She startles when I do, and I realize she was listening to her music still. “Sorry,” I cringe.

“It’s okay. Had it up kind of loud,” she says, rolling the ear buds up in the cord and setting them to the side. “The room looks fantastic. They are going to flip their lids. Seriously, I took pictures.”

Rowe pulls out her phone, and we scroll through half a dozen shots of a room that looks like it has been hosed down with Pepto-Bismol. I’m kind of proud, actually. “Wow, this is the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” I say, handing her back her phone. She studies the image left on the screen for another second, and then looks back at me.

“Yeah, me too,” she laughs.

Rowe is still going through the books on her bed. I move back to mine and open my backpack, digging to the section where I’ve tucked away my physics syllabus. I’ve been trying to remember the instructor’s full name ever since the tutoring session. I remembered his first name, Paul, but that’s all that was coming to mind when he was hovering over me with his hot-ass breath and…I don’t know…lurkiness? I browse to the top of the syllabus to find it—Cotterman. That’s right, Paul Cotterman. His cell phone number and email is underneath his name, and it catches my attention. I don’t know why. I have no reason to call him now that I understand the lesson, but something about seeing it there listed out draws my attention, and it makes my stomach twist.

The knock on our door stops us all instantly. Even Paige whispers into her phone, telling the person on the other end that she’ll have to call them back.

“Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!” I whisper, my stomach suddenly overcome with the thumping of my heart. “Rowe, what do we do? It’s them. It’s totally them.”

“Maybe not,” Rowe shrugs, and I just push her off balance, because like hell it isn’t them.

Paige is standing on her bed now, biting her thumbnail and pacing in place, like she’s hiding from a mouse. I hold my finger to my lips, like somehow if we’re all quiet we’ll be able to get away with this. I get closer to the door, now able to see the shadow of someone standing on the other side.

“It’s Molly. I’m out of printer ink, and I need to get this paper done. Can I borrow yours? It will only take a few seconds,” says a soft voice, clearly the shy girl that lives next door. I relax, and wave off Rowe and Paige as I put my hand on the door.

“One second,” I respond. But the instant I turn the knob I feel the pressure of the door push in on me, and before I know it, Nate has slid past me, and Ty is staring at me—his arms folded over his chest, his face scowling.

“Run, Rowe! Run!” I try to save her, but Nate is swift, and he quickly carries her over his shoulder out our door. She giggles the entire way.

“You are in soooooo much trouble, ladies!” Ty’s voice fills our room as our door closes behind him.

“Oh please, like you didn’t have it coming,” I say back, standing my ground. I’m still not sure if he’s truly angry or amused.