running shoes," she snapped. "Here we go."
May pulled out the heels I wore to the prom. Prom wasn't a big deal for me. I wore a cheap dress and didn't take a date. I'm not sure why I went.
Hawk didn't either. We spent most of the night sitting on the bleachers together.
I was afraid to dance.
Later I would wish I had.
"Okay," May looked over my ensemble. "Now we need to do your hair and makeup and stuff."
"Makeup?"
"Yeah, come to my room."
That's how I ended up sitting on May's bed while she first did my hair, straightening it with an iron before weaving it into a French braid. May then started applying makeup. I expected to have to clean it all off before Hawk arrived, figuring she'd make me look like a clown since she was so young, but as I watched her apply what little I had to work with, I was surprised how much better she made me look. After I put on the dress and leggings I felt… well, girly.
"You look great," she said, handing me my shoes.
I slipped them on and wished I hadn't. It took too much concentration to wear heels. I wobbled my way out to the living room and waited on the couch, feeling like I was a little girl playing dress up. May and I watched Jeopardy, and waited for Hawk.
We waited, and we waited, and we waited. At six thirty I frowned and May muted the television.
I texted him, no answer. I called him, no answer. The clock ticked on. I called him a few more times.
At seven forty-five I changed into sneakers and I went looking for him without changing. By the time I made it to his street, I was sweating like a pig and my outfit was ruined. I jogged up the front steps of his house and pounded on the front door for half a minute before I heard the knob turn and the door swung open. Lance, Hawk's brother, answered the door.
"Where's Hawk?"
He shrugged. "He's not here."
Then he closed the door in my face.
When I pounded on it again, no one answered.
So I did the most Alexis thing possible in that situation: I sat on his front porch and waited, and waited, and waited. It was full dark, almost eleven at night, before I stood up and started walking home, only to stop when Hawk's father, Tom, pulled in behind the house and rolled his car up into their garage, a detached barn that stands in the back yard. He had four other men with him, men I didn't know. I thought about going around back to ask him where the hell Hawk was, but I looked at his companions and changed my mind.
They were big guys, with hard faces and big, ham-sized hands, to a one. They looked dangerous. My instincts told me something was seriously wrong. I left.
By the time I got home, I expected my mother to be ready to tear me a new orifice, but she wasn't home.
Only May.
"Did you find him?"
The door slapped shut behind me and I just stood there. I walked past her, walked into my tiny bedroom, and flopped face down on the bed.
"He's gone," I murmured. "Lance said he wasn't there."
"I've been calling him the whole time," May said, in a soft voice. "He doesn't answer."
I rolled over, sat up, and summoned all my willpower.
Then I called Tom Richardson.
The phone rang twice, and he answered.
"Hello?"
"Mister Richardson," I said, calmly. "Hawk was supposed to pick me up at six, but I haven't seen him. Do you know where-"
"He's gone. Don't call again."
Then he hung up on me.
I looked at May and May looked at me.
"What the fuck?" she said.
"May!"
"Well, where is he?"
May sounded the way I felt. Panic gripped me in an icy fist. I paced my room until I heard our door open and closed. Mom came in wearing a black cocktail dress and dropped her purse on the table. When she saw me she cocked her head and said, "What are you in a twist about?"
I told her, trying not to stumble over my own voice.
She listened and said, "Good. You're better off. Get a boyfriend at college."
Then she went to take a shower and left me sitting in the living room.
I woke up the next day after sleeping on the couch with my phone in my hands,
May pulled out the heels I wore to the prom. Prom wasn't a big deal for me. I wore a cheap dress and didn't take a date. I'm not sure why I went.
Hawk didn't either. We spent most of the night sitting on the bleachers together.
I was afraid to dance.
Later I would wish I had.
"Okay," May looked over my ensemble. "Now we need to do your hair and makeup and stuff."
"Makeup?"
"Yeah, come to my room."
That's how I ended up sitting on May's bed while she first did my hair, straightening it with an iron before weaving it into a French braid. May then started applying makeup. I expected to have to clean it all off before Hawk arrived, figuring she'd make me look like a clown since she was so young, but as I watched her apply what little I had to work with, I was surprised how much better she made me look. After I put on the dress and leggings I felt… well, girly.
"You look great," she said, handing me my shoes.
I slipped them on and wished I hadn't. It took too much concentration to wear heels. I wobbled my way out to the living room and waited on the couch, feeling like I was a little girl playing dress up. May and I watched Jeopardy, and waited for Hawk.
We waited, and we waited, and we waited. At six thirty I frowned and May muted the television.
I texted him, no answer. I called him, no answer. The clock ticked on. I called him a few more times.
At seven forty-five I changed into sneakers and I went looking for him without changing. By the time I made it to his street, I was sweating like a pig and my outfit was ruined. I jogged up the front steps of his house and pounded on the front door for half a minute before I heard the knob turn and the door swung open. Lance, Hawk's brother, answered the door.
"Where's Hawk?"
He shrugged. "He's not here."
Then he closed the door in my face.
When I pounded on it again, no one answered.
So I did the most Alexis thing possible in that situation: I sat on his front porch and waited, and waited, and waited. It was full dark, almost eleven at night, before I stood up and started walking home, only to stop when Hawk's father, Tom, pulled in behind the house and rolled his car up into their garage, a detached barn that stands in the back yard. He had four other men with him, men I didn't know. I thought about going around back to ask him where the hell Hawk was, but I looked at his companions and changed my mind.
They were big guys, with hard faces and big, ham-sized hands, to a one. They looked dangerous. My instincts told me something was seriously wrong. I left.
By the time I got home, I expected my mother to be ready to tear me a new orifice, but she wasn't home.
Only May.
"Did you find him?"
The door slapped shut behind me and I just stood there. I walked past her, walked into my tiny bedroom, and flopped face down on the bed.
"He's gone," I murmured. "Lance said he wasn't there."
"I've been calling him the whole time," May said, in a soft voice. "He doesn't answer."
I rolled over, sat up, and summoned all my willpower.
Then I called Tom Richardson.
The phone rang twice, and he answered.
"Hello?"
"Mister Richardson," I said, calmly. "Hawk was supposed to pick me up at six, but I haven't seen him. Do you know where-"
"He's gone. Don't call again."
Then he hung up on me.
I looked at May and May looked at me.
"What the fuck?" she said.
"May!"
"Well, where is he?"
May sounded the way I felt. Panic gripped me in an icy fist. I paced my room until I heard our door open and closed. Mom came in wearing a black cocktail dress and dropped her purse on the table. When she saw me she cocked her head and said, "What are you in a twist about?"
I told her, trying not to stumble over my own voice.
She listened and said, "Good. You're better off. Get a boyfriend at college."
Then she went to take a shower and left me sitting in the living room.
I woke up the next day after sleeping on the couch with my phone in my hands,
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