Of the Trees(26)

She listened for the soft chime after she hit send. It sounded, low in the night, but Laney never texted back.





Cassie slept fitfully that night, plagued by nightmares, uneasy. She woke sometime before dawn and had the overwhelming urge to look out into Laney’s backyard, look for dark shapes pressed together behind the wood shed. She saw nothing. The black stillness of the night mocked her, left her looking too hard for things that would not move. She woke tired, carelessly getting ready for school.

She was still pulling on her shoes when a knock sounded at the front door.

“I got it,” she called to her father. Patrick sat back down at the kitchen table and pulled his half-finished oatmeal back in front of him. The cold morning air rushed through the door when Cassie whipped it open, bringing in a scattering of dead leaves. Laney stood on the front step, a coffee in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other.

“I’m sorry,” she said before Cassie could speak. She extended the hand holding the paper bag. It swung toward Cassie and Laney’s eyebrows rose. “You look like shit.”

Cassie shot her a look, and Laney stepped inside. “Go change. I’ll wait.”

“Laney,” Cassie started, her teeth gritting. Laney sighed, shaking the bag she brought in Cassie’s face.

“I was being insensitive. I get it. I really am sorry. I bought you a bagel and coffee.”

“Onion?” Cassie asked tentatively through a frown, sniffing at the bag.

“Yup,” Laney confirmed. “And I’ve got gum in the car for after so you don’t stink for the rest of the morning. C’mon, change into a sweater, at least. I’m driving to school this morning.”

Cassie started to object, but then closed her mouth. She turned for the stairs, shaking her head. Her father and Laney said good morning to each other, and the front door opened and shut a moment later. She stripped off the sweatshirt she had thrown on, rummaging in her closet for a decent shirt instead. It only took her a moment to look halfway presentable, and she got back to the hall to find Laney sipping at the coffee she brought. She nodded in approval as she handed it and the bag over to Cassie before pulling the door open.

“Your dad said he’d see you at school,” Laney said. Her mom’s Toyota sat in Cassie’s driveway. “Mom’s working from home this morning. She let me borrow it for the day. I have student council after school anyway. If you want to hang out and wait for me, I’ll drive you home, too.”

Laney got into the driver’s seat. Her own coffee was waiting in the cup holder. Cassie slid into her seat, taking a sip of her drink. It warmed her throat, and Cassie felt more alert. The sky was overcast and dark, even though dawn had broken an hour earlier. The forecast promised rain, and it was cold. She and Ryan would probably skip the hiking today. A thrill coursed through her at the thought of seeing Ryan again. She had no idea how she was going to act. She felt giddy, and she pressed her lips tightly together to cover her grin. “Maybe,” she answered Laney, “I’ll see if I can find something to do during your meeting.”

There was usually something going on, people hanging around, practices to watch. Maybe she and Ryan could watch Jon run laps in the rain. Or maybe they could sneak off, find a quiet place together, maybe talk about what the hell happened last night when he dropped her off.

Laney started up the car and pulled out of the driveway. Her fingers gripped the wheel tightly, flexing over the leather grip that her mother strapped around the steering wheel. “So, we’re good, right?”

“Yeah,” Cassie answered, “Of course we are. I’m sorry, too. Lieutenant Watson was kind of a friend of my dad’s, so … ”

“I know,” Laney murmured. “I mean, I knew that. I should have been nicer about it.”

“It’s okay,” Cassie said. She opened the paper bag, pulling a wrapped bagel out and handing it to Laney. She accepted with a smile.

“All right,” Laney said, unwrapping her breakfast. “So, we’re good. Which is awesome because I have something to tell you.”

“Who is he?” Cassie asked, watching Laney’s eyes widen as her hand spasmed around her bagel.

“You know?” she hissed. “How could you possibly?”

“Did you really not hear me last night?” Cassie asked, incredulous. “I called for you. I could hear your phone ringing. You must have heard me.”

“I didn’t,” Laney said, shaking her head slowly. “When? When you texted? I didn’t even hear that. I just saw it after … After—”

“After you were done making out?” Cassie quipped. She watched as the blood flooded her friend’s face. “I could see you behind the shed.”

“You could see us?”

“So who is he?” Cassie pressed, suddenly nervous. She remembered the carnie, the soft-spoken one who kept staring at Laney. She could picture him in her mind, see his face just the way it was, lined but youthful. She felt suddenly uncomfortable, and she took a large gulp of coffee, scalding her tongue.

“His name is Corey,” Laney said, her eyes glued firmly to the road. She took a small bite of her breakfast, chewing slowly and swallowing. Cassie did the same, waiting her out. “He goes to St. Paul’s. Same year as us.”

Cassie exhaled slowly. It wasn’t the carnie.