Incinerate

Chapter 18 - Finish Line, Part 2

The hallway is mostly empty by the time I get there. Everyone, save for two people huddled together, has gone home for the day. As I get nearer, the tall one with their back turned to me becomes familiar. The honey blond hair that reaches his shoulders gives him away. I would have thought that Harley's locker would be further away, not so close to mine. The shorter figure behind him, looking into a locker, helps make sense of his presence.

"Ah, come on, you know you want to," Harley says to her, leaning against a stranger's locker. There's a hint of something unfavorable in the way he speaks, something sly and maybe even a bit sleazy. It makes my skin crawl. "Just one night. You, me, a case of Bud, stargazing from the bed of my truck. Who can say no to that?"

"Someone with taste and self-respect," she answers in her patented sharp wit. "Besides, I've got plans this weekend."

"What kind of plans?" he asks, not letting up. "Anything that would benefit from some good company?"

"Sure," she nods, the curls of her red velvet hair giving a little bounce and shake. "If only there was someone around who could be classified as such."

I pass by them to get to my own locker, doing my best to not seem like I'm dropping my eaves. I keep my head down and my attention on gathering necessary notebooks and textbooks to take home for homework. My presence, of course, does not go unnoticed.

"Speak of the devil," Sera perks up. Turning my head, I find her and Harley both looking at me. While she bears a half-grin, with one side lifted in the corner, he lets his dissatisfaction be known on his sour face.

"Everything good here?" I ask them, though it's directed more toward Sera.

"Yeah," Harley answers. "Was just keepin Sera here company while I waited for you. I got your twenty." He fishes into his pocket and pulls out a crumpled bill.

"Thanks," I say as I put it in my own pocket.

"No problem," he pushes away from the locker. His attention goes back to Sera. "Think about it. Offer's always on the table." Harley makes his way down the hall and disappears up the staircase.

"You and Harley got a thing going on?" I ask, ignoring the pang of jealousy threatening to turn the paper cut into a wound.

"He wishes," she slams shut her locker door. "You didn't need to butt in. I can handle myself just fine."

"I don't think opening my locker constitutes as butting in," I argue as I close my own door. "And yeah, I'm sure you can. You've got spunk."

"Never say that word again," she groans as she passes me.

"Okie dokie," I say, looking around for a moment. Elliot, my ride home, is nowhere in sight. Did she forget our arrangement? Did she go home early? Did she have family stuff come up and she couldn't wait around for me? I hope she's okay.

"You coming or what?" Sera calls from midway down the hall.

"Oh, um, yeah," I falter for a moment before catching up with her.

She doesn't say much as we make our way up the steps and through halls with scant stragglers. After the somewhat tumultuous end to our time up on the bell tower, I can't say I'm surprised. I struck a nerve, so of course she would have gotten upset. But why, then, would she now have me accompany her out into the warm afternoon on the walk home?

"Hey, I'm sorry about earlier," she finally says, and I'm caught off guard. "During lunch, when you were asking about my dad."

"Yeah, I remember," I try to play it cool. "It's okay, really."

"No, it's not," she argues, a genuine regret in her voice. "I know I can come off as a bit rough around the edges. I'm not always the nicest. Doesn't mean I should take it out on people."