Free Unconventional Scars by Allie Gail

anything.”
    “Possibly. However, Bailey once decided to put our little theory to the test. She practically threw herself at him and he shot her down.”
    “Maybe she’s the one who’s not his type.”
    “Please. Bailey is everyone’s type.”
    “Really? If she’s so great, how come you aren’t dating her?”
    “I already swam in that pool,” Sebastian confessed , shrugging nonchalantly.
    “Oh my gosh, you are such a pig !” The bell rang then, so she slammed the book shut and grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder as she stood. “Alex is not gay, if that’s what you’re insinuating. I don’t even know why anyone would start a rumor like that. It’s total crap.”
    As she walked out of the classroom, she heard him call playfully after her, “Let me know if you ever have the urge to go swimming!”
    ****
    As a senior, Creed only had four classes and always left early to go to his job at some sporting goods place in the mall . It seemed pointless to take the bus when home was only a mile or so away, so Anna walked home in the afternoons. Alex stayed behind at school all week, presumably to do some artwork for the yearbook. She wondered, not for the first time, if he was avoiding her, then brushed the thought away. It was useless to speculate. He was, if nothing else, her friend . That would have to be enough. Time to concentrate on less confounding issues. Boys only clouded the mind.
    Using her key to enter the quiet house, Anna tossed her backpack on the floor by the coffee table and headed to the kitchen for a snack. After selecting a peanut butter granola bar from the pantry, she wandered into the living room, flopping down on the couch to channel surf. The house, though empty, didn’t seem that way. Not like the apartment she used to share with her mother. This house was truly a home, and exuded warmth and security even when Uncle Phil was away. She could feel his presence in a way she never had with her mom. Bianca never stayed in one place long enough for it to absorb any of her personality. True, they’d lived in the apartment complex for two years, but with her mother gone so much, never once had it seemed like a home. The difference was colossal.
    An hour later, just as Anna was pulling out her history book, she got a text from Karen. The only thing it said was graveyard dance! Confused, she responded with WTF?? Karen loved being dramatic and Anna was used to it by now, but this had her baffled. What did she mean by graveyard dance ? It didn’t make any sense. The next text read call u later! But i n Karen’s typical flighty fashion, she never did call, and Anna was left to wonder. She tried to reach Karen twice that night but only got her voice mail, and later when she went to bed she was still trying to mentally decipher the cryptic message.
    The next morning, as soon as she was in the passenger seat of Creed’s extended cab truck, she turned to Alex in the back and asked, “Do the words graveyard dance mean anything to you?”
    The brothers exchanged looks and laughed. “It means there’s going to be a party at the Graveyard this weekend,” Creed offered.
    Anna stared. “People have parties in cemeteries here?”
    Backing out of the driveway, Creed shoved the remainder of an English muffin into his mouth and licked his fingers. “The Graveyard’s a place people go to party, have bonfires, stuff like that. It’s called that because it’s in a clearing in the woods and there’s a trail out there that leads to a really old grave that’s been around since the 1800’s. There isn’t actually a cemetery there.”
    “Josh mentioned it last night,” Alex added. “A bunch of seniors are having a bonfire there Friday night. Dalton invited all of us.”
    Intrigued, Anna said, “Sounds like fun ! Are you going?”
    Alex shrugged. “I doubt it. Not really my thing.”
    “Well, I’ll definitely be going,” Creed announced. “The parties there are epic! It’s far enough in