Not the Only One (Book 1 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

Ten

Luke

I slid into Mr. Brooks' physics class just before the bell and took my regular seat at the back lab table. Rachel had been sitting with me since the other day when she asked me for tutoring, but she wasn't in the room at all. I furrowed my brow; Rachel was never late to class, and I know I saw her today. I had missed AP Euro and lunch because I was working on the mural for Mr. Sanders' art class, but I assumed I'd see her here.

Mr. Brooks looked around the room as he took roll, but when he got to Rachel's name, he frowned.

"Anyone seen Ms. Cross today?" he asked.

"Yeah, I saw her in the cafeteria this morning," someone said from the back of the room. 

"Maybe she signed out early." He shrugged. "I'll check with attendance later." He finished roll, and I heard whisperings at the table next to me.

"I saw her leave out the back door with Miles Jefferson during lunch," the girl next to me whispered to her lab partner.

My eyes widened, but I didn't look over. I wanted to listen without alerting them.

"What?" the other girl asked. "Rachel Cross left with Miles Jefferson?"

"Yeah, I'm Coach Davidson's student assistant 5th period, and he had me picking up trash around the fieldhouse. I saw them running out the back door and to Miles' Jeep. I guarantee you if you go outside now, her car will be here and his won't."

"Wow, who would've thought?" 

I was dumbstruck. Rachel didn't seem like the type to skip school, and to do it with Miles Jefferson just made it even stranger. I wondered if Brooke knew, and I wished I had her phone number.

I listened to Mr. Brooks drone on about laws of motion for the next forty minutes, and when the last bell rang, I shot out of my seat and into the hallway, looking for Brooke. I looked for a minute, then I saw her coming down the hall, waving at someone. I looked around and realized she was waving at me. I could get used to this, I thought.

"Hey, Luke!" she exclaimed, throwing her arm around my shoulders.

I couldn't help but smile. "Hello, Brooke. How was your day?" I asked, not wanting to jump right into Rachel's illicit tryst with the devil.

"Eh, it was all right. Have you seen Rachel today?" she asked, and I knew then that she had no idea.

"I did this morning, but she didn't show up to 7th period," I said, watching her face out of the corner of my eye.

"Really. Well, she wasn't at lunch either. Just where in the hell is she?"

I twisted my mouth as I opened the door for her and we stepped out into the sun. "I heard she skipped the second half of the day," I began.

"Skipped? Rachel Mae Cross skipped school?" Her voice was raising decibels, and I held a finger to my lips.

"Shh, Kane, calm down," I said, unable to keep the mirth out of my voice.

"You don't understand, Salazar, this is huge. I have asked Rachel to ditch so many times in the last four years, and she has turned me down cold every damn time. What would make her skip today?" 

"I think I know the answer to that."

"You do?"

I nodded.

"Well then tell me, you ass!" she exclaimed, bumping me with her shoulder.

"Rumor has it that she skipped during lunch with Miles Jefferson," I said, hating the way those words rolled off my tongue.