Fallen Crest High(30)

When we bypassed the gate around the pool, Becky grabbed one of the bars.

"Look at that. They have their own pool and a hot tub." Her eyes were wide as she took the rest in, the sand volleyball and basketball courts.

Adam touched her shoulder. "I think they have a bonfire started down here."

"Oh, wow…" Becky was lost in stardust as she followed the line downwards.

I breathed another sigh of relief when I saw the divider door was still closed, not to mention locked.

Then we were on the beach and there were three bonfires. A keg had been hidden in some bushes towards the back of the beach with coolers placed all over. When people quickly congregated to them, I figured they had alcohol inside.

"Oh, look!" Becky pointed to the farthest bonfire.

Logan and their friend were there with others grilling over the fire. Soon music blared from speakers placed by the pool.

Adam suggested we sit around one of the smaller bonfires and after we snagged some lawn chairs, Becky jumped back up. She was all smiles. "I'm going to get something more to drink. You guys want?"

She hotfooted it away before we could answer and Adam looked over with a hesitant smile. "More?"

"We got into her mom's wine."

"Ah, I see. Nancy. She does love her Moscato."

I grinned. "My mom's decided she loves tea, not the coffee she's been drinking since I was born, but tea now."

The small smile disappeared. "Yeah, uh…I heard your dad that night…" He seemed to be choosing his words.

"No one knows. Please don't say anything."

He nodded quickly. "I won't. I wouldn't—I mean—I know what that's like, to have your personal life on display, you know?"

I nodded. "Yeah…"

"So," he sat forward and leaned closer. "You and Sallaway, huh? You two were together for awhile."

"We were."

His eyes seemed to be watching me intently. "And you don't think there's any chance…?"

It took a moment before I realized what he was asking and my eyes went wide. "He cheated on me for two years with my best friend. Some girls might tolerate that, but I have self-esteem."

His shoulders loosened and he grinned. "That's good, I mean, you deserve better."

"Any girl deserves better."

"You're right. No one deserves a cheater."

From the dark look on his face, something relaxed inside of me. He understood. "I heard DeCortts cheated on you?"

He looked startled for a moment and then cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh, she did."

I lifted a shoulder. "It was all over school."

"I know, I just…hearing it from a stranger is different, you know…"

"I was informed the two of you were the 'hottest couple ever'." I thought those were Lydia's exact words.

He stiffened in his chair. "I guess so. She's—she threw herself at one of the Kades, of all people." He laughed and gestured around.

"Which one?"

"Logan, I think." He frowned, and then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. She said he turned her down, but I still knew what she'd done. I heard the whole thing at some stupid party. Then Peter told me she'd been sleeping around for the last six months."

"Peter Glasburg?" His best friend.

Adam nodded. "Yeah, I don't know who with, but I trust him. Peter doesn't say much and if he said it, then it's worse than he let on."