Amy followed him, and put a hand on his arm.
“You just gotta get used to her…” she tried to
explain, but at that moment, she realized that the group of them had grown up
together, and they were about as used to each other’s shit as they could be.
“She’s a bitch but she’s my best friend,” she explained.
“I
know Ames, I’ve always known that,” he said, pulling her hair back from her
forehead. They kissed a long tender kiss. “I got some friends coming over
tonight, you down?”
She
shook her head. “I’m sorry Luke, but I can’t hang out tonight. I
have a psychology presentation on Tuesday and I need to get ready for it,” she
said.
“Tuesday? Well that gives you four days,” he said,
pestering her.
“No,
Luke, I really can’t.”
He
straightened up. “Alright,” he said, but inwardly, he was inexplicably,
undeniably angry. His heart began to burn, and a dark anger lurked just
behind his eyes. Amy studied him, a look of worry crossing her face.
She looked at him expectantly, but he just drank down his wine and set
the glass on the counter.
“Okay,
so… I’ll see you tomorrow?” she said.
“Yeah sure. I’ll call you,” he said. He went to
the door and grabbed his jacket, throwing it on and snapping the collar with a
jerk.
Savannah
was still perched in her chair. Amy hesitantly followed him, and then he
leaned over to kiss her, pulling her by her lower back and kissing her lips
more gently than he wanted to. When he let her go, he was looking at
Savannah with a cold, black expression of hate that made her momentarily lose
her composed, statuesque demeanor. She looked surprised for a moment,
maybe even scared. He smirked and left, closing the door behind him.
Back
at the house, a group of guys sat around the television watching an action
movie with a pizza box open on the coffee table. Luke went to the
kitchen, grabbed a beer and joined them, but he couldn’t concentrate on the
movie. He was still reflecting on his actions at Amy’s
house, especially on the way that strange anger had come over him out of
the blue. That wasn’t me, he thought. I’ve never felt
angry at anyone like before, especially for no good reason.
The
image of the black car also played itself out over and over in his mind.
Idling there in front of Tiffany’s house, the windows blackened.
And then it had sped off, avoiding him.
His
cell phone began to vibrate, and his back stiffened. He ignored it.
He
chugged the beer and pretended to watch the movie. He turned down the
pizza Chris offered him, but accepted a mixed vodka cranberry drink when his
beer was empty. On the television screen, a car crash and explosion was
followed by men shooting at each other over loud music, which helped to mask
the sound of the vibrating phone in his pocket. But every time the phone
vibrated, his leg burned, and the urge to look grew harder to resist.
“Why
don’t you turn it off if you’re not going to answer it?” asked Amit who sat
closest to him on the couch.
“It
won’t turn off,” said Luke.
“So,
take the battery out,” said Amit.
“Good
idea,” said Luke, and he stood and retreated up the stairs to his room.
He grabbed the phone, which sat vibrating in his hand, the movement
tingling his fingers and arm. He flipped it over and ripped the battery
out, throwing it in the top drawer of his desk then tossing the phone
carelessly on the bed.
When
he came back downstairs, he was still introspective, but without the burning
vibration in his pocket, he felt much more relaxed.
“There’s
my man!” said Chris, and he patted Luke’s shoulder as he sat on the couch.
Slowly the anger and bewilderment began to lift. The fire was
crackling, and his friends were laughing, welcoming him into the circle. All
is well, Luke , he told himself. He sipped his drink and enjoyed the
warm vodka feeling in his stomach. When the movie ended, he drifted to
his room and fell on the bed, exhausted. It was two in the
Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Martin A. Lee, Bruce Shlain