don’t know what else to do here, okay?Even the doctor suggested it. Bringing you to the hospital, I mean. She’s at Quiet Gardens now. They transferred her there after they finished stitching her up at General.”
“Quiet Gardens?” I repeated. “Isn’t that a mental hospital?”
“Yeah.” Dominic nodded. “And her doctor really … I mean, he said it might calm her down if you came. You know, since she keeps asking for you.” He hesitated, realizing the weight of his request, and shoved a hand inside the pocket of his cargo pants. “Will you come with me? I mean, can you? You can ride with me if you want. In my car.”
“Right now?”
“Yeah. I told you, that’s why I’m here. That’s why I drove out.”
“But
I
don’t know what she wants.” I squeezed the rubber grips on the handlebars, felt the stiff ribbing twist against my skin. “I mean, I don’t know what I could do.”
“Maybe she just has to tell you something.” His fingers clutched the edge of the windowsill. “I don’t know. But she’s hysterical. She’s been hysterical for hours. They gave her something to calm her down a little while ago, so it’s not quite as bad right now, but I’m telling you, as soon as it wears off, she’s going to start asking for you again.”
I looked down at my Keds, squeezed my eyes tight behind my sunglasses. This could not actually be happening.
“Marin.” He took a step toward me. The movement brought him less than a foot closer to me, but I understood.He was here to make a point, and he wanted to make sure I knew it. “I know you’re probably still a little freaked out after everything that happened between you two at our house, and you have every right to be, but you won’t be alone with her. She’s in a private room. There’s doctors and nurses and stuff, and my parents and I are right there too. Nothing will happen. I promise. I’m pretty sure all she wants to do is talk to you.”
A long, silent moment passed as I stared at the ground. My cheeks burned, remembering. Aside from Cassie and me, Dominic was the only other person who knew about the closet incident. He was the one who had heard my screams that day, the one who had flung open the door, only to stare down at me, horrified, as I cowered inside.
“Maybe she wants to apologize,” he said. “You know, for what she did that day.”
The ribbon of heat moved up my face, flushing out across my forehead. Cassie Jackson was the sort of girl who might apologize … if someone held a gun to her head. I chewed on the inside of my lip, tried not to think about what might happen if I went.
Or if I didn’t.
“Five minutes.” Dominic’s eyes were pleading. “I promise. Just so she can see you. And hopefully calm down a little. Please, Marin. I told my parents I’d drive over and try to get you to come. I’m on a mission here.” He laughed, waiting maybe for me to laugh, too, or at least smile. I didneither. “We don’t know what else to do,” he said. “We’re desperate here. Please.”
I didn’t look up for at least another twenty seconds. And when I did, I could see the sun starting to set just behind Dominic’s shoulder. It hovered like a gold dinner plate in the horizon, watering the clouds beneath it in a milky hue. It was getting late. If I was gone too long, Nan or Dad would call my phone. Or worse, come looking for me.
“Okay,” I heard myself say. “Five minutes. But then I have to go.”
Five
Dominic put my bike in the back of his Jeep and tossed at least fourteen empty Gatorade bottles onto the backseat to make room for me on the passenger side. I crawled in tentatively, trying not to touch anything, and held my helmet on my lap. The smell of deodorant, melting chocolate, and salty traces of sweat drifted up from the seat and then faded again. Crumpled peanut M&M wrappers littered the floor, and half an uneaten bag of Smartfood Popcorn was wedged into the driver’s-side pocket. A gold medal
“Quiet Gardens?” I repeated. “Isn’t that a mental hospital?”
“Yeah.” Dominic nodded. “And her doctor really … I mean, he said it might calm her down if you came. You know, since she keeps asking for you.” He hesitated, realizing the weight of his request, and shoved a hand inside the pocket of his cargo pants. “Will you come with me? I mean, can you? You can ride with me if you want. In my car.”
“Right now?”
“Yeah. I told you, that’s why I’m here. That’s why I drove out.”
“But
I
don’t know what she wants.” I squeezed the rubber grips on the handlebars, felt the stiff ribbing twist against my skin. “I mean, I don’t know what I could do.”
“Maybe she just has to tell you something.” His fingers clutched the edge of the windowsill. “I don’t know. But she’s hysterical. She’s been hysterical for hours. They gave her something to calm her down a little while ago, so it’s not quite as bad right now, but I’m telling you, as soon as it wears off, she’s going to start asking for you again.”
I looked down at my Keds, squeezed my eyes tight behind my sunglasses. This could not actually be happening.
“Marin.” He took a step toward me. The movement brought him less than a foot closer to me, but I understood.He was here to make a point, and he wanted to make sure I knew it. “I know you’re probably still a little freaked out after everything that happened between you two at our house, and you have every right to be, but you won’t be alone with her. She’s in a private room. There’s doctors and nurses and stuff, and my parents and I are right there too. Nothing will happen. I promise. I’m pretty sure all she wants to do is talk to you.”
A long, silent moment passed as I stared at the ground. My cheeks burned, remembering. Aside from Cassie and me, Dominic was the only other person who knew about the closet incident. He was the one who had heard my screams that day, the one who had flung open the door, only to stare down at me, horrified, as I cowered inside.
“Maybe she wants to apologize,” he said. “You know, for what she did that day.”
The ribbon of heat moved up my face, flushing out across my forehead. Cassie Jackson was the sort of girl who might apologize … if someone held a gun to her head. I chewed on the inside of my lip, tried not to think about what might happen if I went.
Or if I didn’t.
“Five minutes.” Dominic’s eyes were pleading. “I promise. Just so she can see you. And hopefully calm down a little. Please, Marin. I told my parents I’d drive over and try to get you to come. I’m on a mission here.” He laughed, waiting maybe for me to laugh, too, or at least smile. I didneither. “We don’t know what else to do,” he said. “We’re desperate here. Please.”
I didn’t look up for at least another twenty seconds. And when I did, I could see the sun starting to set just behind Dominic’s shoulder. It hovered like a gold dinner plate in the horizon, watering the clouds beneath it in a milky hue. It was getting late. If I was gone too long, Nan or Dad would call my phone. Or worse, come looking for me.
“Okay,” I heard myself say. “Five minutes. But then I have to go.”
Five
Dominic put my bike in the back of his Jeep and tossed at least fourteen empty Gatorade bottles onto the backseat to make room for me on the passenger side. I crawled in tentatively, trying not to touch anything, and held my helmet on my lap. The smell of deodorant, melting chocolate, and salty traces of sweat drifted up from the seat and then faded again. Crumpled peanut M&M wrappers littered the floor, and half an uneaten bag of Smartfood Popcorn was wedged into the driver’s-side pocket. A gold medal
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