Welcome To Hickville High (Hickville High Series Book 1) by Mary Karlik
Authors: Mary Karlik
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Italy.”
“Turn right at that water tower.”
Kelsey noted the huge hornet painted on the water tower beneath the words Hillside Hornets and turned onto a narrow two-lane road.
The phone dinged again. Austin looked at Kelsey. “Want me to see what it says?”
“Can’t you just hand it to me?” Frustration burned in her. She was going to miss the few minutes she had to text Drew because this guy was afraid she was going to wreck his hoopdie.
Travis leaned forward. “If you want it that bad, pull over and I’ll drive the rest of the way. “
Kelsey gripped the steering wheel. “What’s the big deal?”
Austin dropped her phone in his shirt pocket. “You’re gonna see a white pipe fence on the left. The driveway past the fence is ours.”
Kelsey followed Austin’s direction and turned onto a gravel drive leading to a rectangular trailer house with tires spread across the roof. “This is your house?”
“Yep. Pull next to Travis’s truck.”
She parked next to a maroon truck and Travis opened the door. “Thanks for the ride, Man. I’ll catch ya later.”
Kelsey watched him climb into his truck. It was clean, dent free, and although Kelsey didn’t know a thing about pickups, it was obvious Travis’s was a luxury model. As Travis backed out, she gave a little wave and then extended her hand toward Austin.
He dug the phone out of his pocket but hesitated before giving it to her. “You’re not leaving until you finish texting.”
“Okay, just let me see my messages.”
She snatched the phone and read the screen.
Drew: Sorry I missed you. Facetime later?
Her heart sunk. She’d missed him.
Kelsey: K, I miss you.
She tapped Send, set the phone in the cup holder, and started the engine. The phone dinged a message, but before she could read it, Austin snatched it again. “What is it with you? I’m not even moving yet.”
“I’m not kidding Kelsey, I put my phone on vibrate when I drive.” He held the phone so she could read the message.
Drew: Miss you too.
She slammed the truck in reverse. “Did you get a ticket or something?”
He looked at her and gave a slight nod—like he’d just made a decision. “I wanna show you something.”
She followed his directions to the east side of town, to the cemetery. It wasn’t fenced off like the ones back home. Instead, it abutted the city park. It was beautiful though. Every grave was adorned with fake flowers. Normally she’d hate the idea of plastic flowers, but here it was fitting—everlasting flowers for an eternal resting place.
There were large trees shading the older area of the cemetery, but there was no shade in the area Austin directed her to. The sun seemed to suck the energy from her as soon as she got out of the truck.
They walked to a tombstone with a large bouquet of plastic yellow roses. Next to the flowers a straw cowboy hat dangled from a metal cross someone had stuck in the ground. A white plastic cross stood in front of the metal one. A weathered pair of drumsticks lay on the ledge of the monument next to a University of Texas keychain, a tarnished select soccer trophy, and a battered pink cell phone. Kelsey read the name on the pink granite.
Lindsey Barnes.
“Who was she?” Whoever she was, she was seventeen and her life had ended two years ago.
“Travis’s older sister.” He pointed to a grave a few rows away. “See the one with the red roses? That’s Abigail Yates and that one––the one three to the left—-that’s Chelsea Hays. No alcohol. They were coming home from school. Chelsea was driving and texting…” His voice trailed off. He looked across the stone field and drew a deep breath. “Me.”
It was one word, barely perceptible but it carried the emotion of tragedy, guilt, and despair all rolled up into two letters. Kelsey raised her hand to touch his shoulder to tell him that she understood. But she didn’t understand. She couldn’t imagine losing a friend—much less three.
He
“Turn right at that water tower.”
Kelsey noted the huge hornet painted on the water tower beneath the words Hillside Hornets and turned onto a narrow two-lane road.
The phone dinged again. Austin looked at Kelsey. “Want me to see what it says?”
“Can’t you just hand it to me?” Frustration burned in her. She was going to miss the few minutes she had to text Drew because this guy was afraid she was going to wreck his hoopdie.
Travis leaned forward. “If you want it that bad, pull over and I’ll drive the rest of the way. “
Kelsey gripped the steering wheel. “What’s the big deal?”
Austin dropped her phone in his shirt pocket. “You’re gonna see a white pipe fence on the left. The driveway past the fence is ours.”
Kelsey followed Austin’s direction and turned onto a gravel drive leading to a rectangular trailer house with tires spread across the roof. “This is your house?”
“Yep. Pull next to Travis’s truck.”
She parked next to a maroon truck and Travis opened the door. “Thanks for the ride, Man. I’ll catch ya later.”
Kelsey watched him climb into his truck. It was clean, dent free, and although Kelsey didn’t know a thing about pickups, it was obvious Travis’s was a luxury model. As Travis backed out, she gave a little wave and then extended her hand toward Austin.
He dug the phone out of his pocket but hesitated before giving it to her. “You’re not leaving until you finish texting.”
“Okay, just let me see my messages.”
She snatched the phone and read the screen.
Drew: Sorry I missed you. Facetime later?
Her heart sunk. She’d missed him.
Kelsey: K, I miss you.
She tapped Send, set the phone in the cup holder, and started the engine. The phone dinged a message, but before she could read it, Austin snatched it again. “What is it with you? I’m not even moving yet.”
“I’m not kidding Kelsey, I put my phone on vibrate when I drive.” He held the phone so she could read the message.
Drew: Miss you too.
She slammed the truck in reverse. “Did you get a ticket or something?”
He looked at her and gave a slight nod—like he’d just made a decision. “I wanna show you something.”
She followed his directions to the east side of town, to the cemetery. It wasn’t fenced off like the ones back home. Instead, it abutted the city park. It was beautiful though. Every grave was adorned with fake flowers. Normally she’d hate the idea of plastic flowers, but here it was fitting—everlasting flowers for an eternal resting place.
There were large trees shading the older area of the cemetery, but there was no shade in the area Austin directed her to. The sun seemed to suck the energy from her as soon as she got out of the truck.
They walked to a tombstone with a large bouquet of plastic yellow roses. Next to the flowers a straw cowboy hat dangled from a metal cross someone had stuck in the ground. A white plastic cross stood in front of the metal one. A weathered pair of drumsticks lay on the ledge of the monument next to a University of Texas keychain, a tarnished select soccer trophy, and a battered pink cell phone. Kelsey read the name on the pink granite.
Lindsey Barnes.
“Who was she?” Whoever she was, she was seventeen and her life had ended two years ago.
“Travis’s older sister.” He pointed to a grave a few rows away. “See the one with the red roses? That’s Abigail Yates and that one––the one three to the left—-that’s Chelsea Hays. No alcohol. They were coming home from school. Chelsea was driving and texting…” His voice trailed off. He looked across the stone field and drew a deep breath. “Me.”
It was one word, barely perceptible but it carried the emotion of tragedy, guilt, and despair all rolled up into two letters. Kelsey raised her hand to touch his shoulder to tell him that she understood. But she didn’t understand. She couldn’t imagine losing a friend—much less three.
He
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