prickled at the sensation.
“Um, yeah,” I agreed, suddenly very self-conscious. “I feel like my boots are melting up here. Maybe we should go.”
“You know what,” Riley said, scooping her arm through Micah’s elbow. “We should totally go to D.Q. and get some ice cream.”
“I dunno, Ry,” I said, patting my pockets reflexively. I had only made seven bucks tonight, and it was already earmarked for my plan.
“My treat.” Zander scooped up my backpack and tossed it onto his shoulder as he dragged me playfully towards the door to the stairwell. I laughed in spite of myself and followed willingly behind him. Despite my best efforts, I was having fun.
“Blake, Sara, are you two coming or what?” Riley asked the couple who were still making out.
“Not yet,” snickered one of the twins as they elbowed their way into the stairwell.
“Get a room,” laughed the other.
“In a second,” the guy muttered as he came up for air, ignoring the heckling of the idiot twins. “Just prop the door, Riley. I swear I’ll close it when we come back in.”
“Okay,” she said, hesitating. “But seriously, it’s getting like, heat-stroke hot up here, so make it quick.”
“Wrap it up you two,” Falisha giggled as she and Zack ducked past them through the door.
The rest of us piled into the stairwell, grateful for the slight reprieve from the sweltering heat outside. The soft chattering of conversations bounced around in the corridor as we descended. Zander had his hand dangling back and an awkward angle, intent on holding mine the entire way down. When we reached the bottom, we found the rest of our group clustered together just inside the door to the gym.
“What's going on guys?” Riley asked. “Why are you all just standing there? Open the door so we can get out of here. Ice cream and air conditioning are calling my name.”
“Yeah, about that,” Zack replied, with a nervous laugh. “It’s kinda stuck.”
“What do you mean, it's kinda stuck? Either it’s stuck or it’s not stuck,” Riley snapped at him. “Just turn the stupid knob and open the door.”
“Yeah, thanks genius, like I hadn't tried that,” Zack said, rolling his eyes. “Did you, maybe, lock it accidentally when you came back up earlier?”
“No way,” Riley said, pushing her way toward the door. “It only locks from inside the gym.”
She hovered, nervously, over the keypad next to the door, then slid her card through and grabbed the handle. When it didn’t budge, she tried scanning her card again, jiggling the handle frantically.
“This doesn't make any sense. The door should open. The light is green.” She pointed to the small green dot at the top of the unit. “The green means it's not locked. I don't understand why it won't open. It should open!”
She tugged violently at the handle, muttering, “Open, damn it, open!”
I nudged Micah in her direction, and he ran to her side. He drew her close and slowly led her away from the door. I had never seen Riley like that, and apparently neither had he. It set my nerves on edge.
“It's gonna be okay, Ry. We'll figure this out,” he whispered in her ear. “Just take it easy.”
“Let me take a look at it,” Zander offered, his voice steady and calm.
Mike and Andy stepped to the side, and everyone cleared a path. Zander pulled me gently along behind him as he approached the door.
“Um, yeah,” I agreed, suddenly very self-conscious. “I feel like my boots are melting up here. Maybe we should go.”
“You know what,” Riley said, scooping her arm through Micah’s elbow. “We should totally go to D.Q. and get some ice cream.”
“I dunno, Ry,” I said, patting my pockets reflexively. I had only made seven bucks tonight, and it was already earmarked for my plan.
“My treat.” Zander scooped up my backpack and tossed it onto his shoulder as he dragged me playfully towards the door to the stairwell. I laughed in spite of myself and followed willingly behind him. Despite my best efforts, I was having fun.
“Blake, Sara, are you two coming or what?” Riley asked the couple who were still making out.
“Not yet,” snickered one of the twins as they elbowed their way into the stairwell.
“Get a room,” laughed the other.
“In a second,” the guy muttered as he came up for air, ignoring the heckling of the idiot twins. “Just prop the door, Riley. I swear I’ll close it when we come back in.”
“Okay,” she said, hesitating. “But seriously, it’s getting like, heat-stroke hot up here, so make it quick.”
“Wrap it up you two,” Falisha giggled as she and Zack ducked past them through the door.
The rest of us piled into the stairwell, grateful for the slight reprieve from the sweltering heat outside. The soft chattering of conversations bounced around in the corridor as we descended. Zander had his hand dangling back and an awkward angle, intent on holding mine the entire way down. When we reached the bottom, we found the rest of our group clustered together just inside the door to the gym.
“What's going on guys?” Riley asked. “Why are you all just standing there? Open the door so we can get out of here. Ice cream and air conditioning are calling my name.”
“Yeah, about that,” Zack replied, with a nervous laugh. “It’s kinda stuck.”
“What do you mean, it's kinda stuck? Either it’s stuck or it’s not stuck,” Riley snapped at him. “Just turn the stupid knob and open the door.”
“Yeah, thanks genius, like I hadn't tried that,” Zack said, rolling his eyes. “Did you, maybe, lock it accidentally when you came back up earlier?”
“No way,” Riley said, pushing her way toward the door. “It only locks from inside the gym.”
She hovered, nervously, over the keypad next to the door, then slid her card through and grabbed the handle. When it didn’t budge, she tried scanning her card again, jiggling the handle frantically.
“This doesn't make any sense. The door should open. The light is green.” She pointed to the small green dot at the top of the unit. “The green means it's not locked. I don't understand why it won't open. It should open!”
She tugged violently at the handle, muttering, “Open, damn it, open!”
I nudged Micah in her direction, and he ran to her side. He drew her close and slowly led her away from the door. I had never seen Riley like that, and apparently neither had he. It set my nerves on edge.
“It's gonna be okay, Ry. We'll figure this out,” he whispered in her ear. “Just take it easy.”
“Let me take a look at it,” Zander offered, his voice steady and calm.
Mike and Andy stepped to the side, and everyone cleared a path. Zander pulled me gently along behind him as he approached the door.
Similar Books
