Fallen Crest High(97)

"Where have you been all day?"

"Huh?" I looked down.

Logan rolled his eyes. "You've been missing in action since this morning. Most people took naps, but they didn't sleep the whole day away."

I shrugged. I couldn't peel my eyes off of Mark, whose eyes were directed anywhere but at me. "I don't even know where I slept. I never found my room."

He whistled. "Are you serious? I was sure I saw Mason showing you."

My hand clamped down on his shoulder and he winced, howling under his breath. "Remove the claws, Sam. Seriously."

I forced a laugh from me. "Ha ha…ha, Logan."

He rolled his eyes again. "Your friends are on the bottom patio outside. I know that's where you'll be the rest of the night."

I gave him a thankful grin and started forward, only to stop and look back.

"How do I get there?"

Mark stood and pointed through a doorway. "You go through there, up the left stairs and the door will take you to the kitchen. The patios are out from there."

I narrowed my eyes at him. Why was he being helpful? Did he not know of his mother's intentions? I knew I should've thanked him, but I clipped out, "How's your mom?"

He frowned. "She's fine…Why?" His eyes seemed wary.

I shrugged. "No reason."

Logan's gaze had been skirting between us with a frown on his face. A look of frustration passed over him. "Where's Mason, Sam?"

I jumped. "Why would I know?"

"You saw him last?"

I looked away and cursed when my face went in flames. "I have no idea. I've been asleep the whole afternoon."

"Uh huh. Right."

When I glanced back, I was grateful to see that only Logan studied me. He gave me a tight smile and I knew that he knew. Guilt and anger coursed through me, but I frowned back at him. Then I stuck my tongue out at him before I pushed through a set of doors that led where Mark had told me to go.

When I pushed into the kitchen, so many people poured everywhere. No one looked at me and I got an extra bounce in my step from that. No one cared.

That was good, very good. And I meandered through to the patios. From the top, I looked down and my eyes went wide again. When Logan said my friends were on the bottom patio, he'd declined to tell me there were six different patios. There were walkways that connected them and each patio was set beneath the other one.

When I got to the bottom, that patio was settled between a tennis court and a sand volleyball court.

Who were Nate's parents and what did they do for a living?

"Sam!" Becky saw me first and pumped her hand in the air. The fierceness of her movements sent most of her drink over the glass' edge that she held in her other hand. Amelia White scrambled up next to her and brushed frantically at her lap.

As I approached, she had snapped something at Becky, who didn't seem to care as her grin was etched from ear to ear. She pulled over an empty seat next to her and shoved it out to me. "Here. Sit here."

I sat.

Amelia scoffed and rolled her eyes as she moved a seat away on the other side of Becky. Her two other friends, Miranda and Cassandra both gave me polite smiles before they sipped their drinks. Adam was surrounded by Peter and a second guy that I didn't know. He looked like the Academy Elite, preppy and stuck-up.

"Where did you go?" Becky gushed. "I didn't know you ran. Adam said you went running. How far did you?"

I shrugged. "Far enough."