The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

I heard gasps from behind me as I walked through the circling doors, feeling the sunlight hit me as I stepped out onto the sidewalk.

As I strolled up the parking ramp’s stairs, I called home and heard Shelley answer.

“Hi, Shelley. It’s Taryn.”

“Taryn!” she gasped. “Where are you? Mandy said a friend of yours is in the hospital.”

“Yeah. One of my friends from Pedlam. He’s got a punctured lung and a few broken ribs.”

“Oh my gosh, Taryn. Well, you stay as long as you need to,” she rushed out.

“Um…thanks, Shelley. I might sleep over at a friend’s tonight.””

“That is totally okay with your father and myself. I think Mandy will be relieved. She was talking about a party with some of her friends anyway. We’ll just have a nice quiet dinner tonight.”

“Okay,” I said, lamely.

“Alright. I’ll tell your father what’s going on and we’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Okay,” I repeated, hearing the dial tone as I sat, dumbly, in my car. The keys still held in my hand.

I put the keys in the ignition and started my car, turning down the ramp.

An hour later, I pulled up to Tray’s house and walked around to his pool-house.

What the hell was I doing here?

But I kept walking.

I heard music and laughter coming from the main house so I steered that way. Opening the back door, I followed the noise, finding myself going down to the basement and—whoa—saw the largest media room in my life.

The screen looked like it belonged in a movie theater.

Grant, Bryce, Carter, and Tray were lounging on the couch, beer bottles opened in front of them, the Spurs game on the screen.

Grant saw me first. “Hey, Taryn.”

Everyone else looked over at me.

“Hi,” I said awkwardly, feeling out of place.

Tray stood up and approached me. “Hey.”

“Sorry,” I said softly. “I…don’t know why I’m here, really.”

He frowned, studying me and then grabbed my hand and pulled me upstairs. Leading me into the kitchen, he opened the fridge. “Want something to drink?”

“I’m sorry. I...I shouldn’t be here.” I moved to leave, but Tray was there, pressing me against the counter.

“Hey,” he said quietly, tipping my head back to meet his eyes, “you want a pop?”

“Uh…” I faltered, feeling my cellphone buzzing, I pulled it out and saw Grayley’s name flash on the screen. When I didn’t answer it, Tray’s eyes shot to my face, seeing the hesitation. I don’t know what else he saw because he steered me to a stool and took my phone out of my hands. Watching me, he pocketed my phone and then grabbed a Diet Coke from the fridge and poured it into a glass.

Grabbing my hand, he led me downstairs. He let go when we reached the media room and wandered over to the couch. I followed uncertainly and curled up on the couch beside him, a little space between the guys and me. Tray put my Diet Coke on the table in front of me and grinned, grabbing his beer as Bryce cursed at the screen.

I watched the game with the guys.

Devon showed up an hour after I did and he paused, only for a few seconds when he saw me, then sat on the other couch after helping himself to some mysterious supply of beer bottles in another room.