human, with a glinting blackness perched behind it. He screamed, pure fear pumping into his veins, heart accelerating so rapidly it thudded in his ears. His feet at first refused to obey his mind’s frantic command to move, but as he collected himself enough to take two steps back, the light shifted, and staring back at him were a mounted police officer and his very unimpressed horse. “Son,” said the officer in a low drawl, “what in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Zach exhaled, all at once, all the air left from his screaming. “Jesus Christ. I thought you were the Bunny Man.”
The officer smirked. “You wish.”
“You are such an idiot,” said Fairen. “I can’t believe you mistook a horse for the Bunny Man.”
She was sitting on the molded plastic chair beside him in the orthopedics unit of Holy Cross Hospital. The slow-ticking clock said it was two in the morning. His left arm lay swaddled in a black splint. They sat waiting for his discharge papers, and Fairen had just now dared to ask him for the details.
“I was freaked,” Zach replied. “Sometimes when you’re looking for something, you know, you just see what you’re expecting to see instead of what’s really there.”
“But you were
“Yeah, but I was pretty disoriented.”
“I’ll say.” She traced a finger along his good arm. “We’re damn lucky they’re not charging us with trespassing, especially with you coming on like such a goober.”
“Hey, I got help for Tally. Cut me some slack.”
“I
Someone from the nurse’s station called his name, and he was handed a packet of papers. Fairen had called his father, and he was on his way. In the meantime there was nothing to do but wait, with Fairen to keep him company. He could think of worse ways to spend an evening.
“Your shoe’s untied,” she observed as he sat down.
He held up his splinted wrist helplessly.
“Oh, yeah.” She bent to tie it for him. “Does it still hurt pretty bad?”
“Not as bad as before. The Percocet helped.”
“What’s Scott’s beef with you, anyway? The way he went off on you was completely mental.”
“Beats the hell out of me.”
“I swear, he and Tally are made for each other. Between him coming after you like a pro wrestler and Tally hallucinating she saw needles in that shaft, they’re like the king and queen of overreactions. This was just supposed to be a simple tour of a historical site, for research purposes. It’s not even their project, and they had to go muck it up.”
She traced the Velcro bands of his splint, lightly, where it rested on his leg. He said, “Thanks for everything. For taking me to the hospital and calling my folks and all that. And for doing three-quarters of the project. I guess I should mention that part, too.”
“It’s no problem.”
“Well, I won’t forget it. I’ve had better nights than this one, that’s for sure.”
She ran her hand along his inner thigh. “Me, too.”
For what seemed like the first time in hours, he smiled.
“What are you doing Monday night?” she asked. He glanced at her, and she added, “The school’s doing Advent Spiral tomorrow, but I thought maybe you and I could do something over break. Not with the whole crew. Just us.”
“I don’t even now if my folks will let me go to the Spiral, after this. I’ll probably be grounded.”
“I doubt that. I already covered for you. Told your folks it was all Tally’s fault. She called Scott in a panic from the elevator shaft and he dragged us all there to rescue her. You’re a hero.”
He laughed. “That’s awesome. I hope they bought that.”
“They did. Monday I’m supposed to be going to the Wicker Man Festival at the lake, with my cousin. Celebrate the start of vacation. We already have tickets, but I can get you an extra one. I have connections.”
“That sounds cool.”
She smiled. “Awesome. It’ll be good to spend time with you again. On a regular date. Act our age this time.”
He nodded and examined his wrist. “I can’t even tell you how good that sounds.”
27
When I came to bed late that night I sat on the edge of the mattress cautiously, as though Russ might flop over like a corpse in a movie, arms splayed, eyes fixed. But beneath the covers it was warm. I leaned over him and tipped my ear toward his face. He snored faintly, the same as always.
I turned my back to him and bunched the covers beneath my chin. My scalp still felt sore where Zach had pulled my hair. My skin burned from the friction that had lasted just long enough to rub me raw. He was often rough, but normally a little apologetic about it, and when he took it too far I found subtle ways to turn it around. This time I didn’t dare, suspecting he was doing what he needed to do to make it work. I could bite my lip through an encounter that felt more than a little like rape, or I could have nothing.
I took the rape.
I thought of him out somewhere in the night with Scott, free-spirited and cheerful, the way he had been when I
