Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn 1)

My adrenaline is pumping as I pick up the pace and fight my way through the hallway traffic to get to him. “Reeve!” I shout down the stairs.

But he doesn’t turn around. And I can’t get close. There’re too many people standing in my way. A wall of people.

“Hey, Reeve!” I call out again, pushing my way through. He still doesn’t hear me. “Reeve!” I suck in a huge breath. “REEVE!”

A rush of something bursts forth, a wind, and the force of it makes all of the locker doors slam shut in unison. The sound fills the hallway, one big clap of metallic thunder.

Reeve stops and looks around. Everyone does.

“What the hell was that?” someone says.

“How should I know?”

“A storm?”

“Dude, we just came from running laps in gym. It’s sunny outside.”

The air is quiet for another second, and then the second bell rings. It brings the place back to life. Everyone goes about their business.

I spin and take off in the opposite direction. I have to get out of here. That’s my only thought.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

LILLIA

I’M DRESSED FOR SCHOOL, LYING ON TOP OF MY BED, MY eyes wide open.

I didn’t sleep last night. How could I, when I didn’t know where my own sister was? Even after Alex dropped Nadia off, after I heard her tiptoe up the stairs, her door creak open and then closed, even then I couldn’t sleep.

I doubt Rennie will pick me up. Not after how we left things yesterday. I wait until ten minutes to eight before I tell Nadia to get in my car, that I’m driving us today.

After that neither of us says a word to the other.

The whole ride I keep trying to find a way for this to make any kind of sense. What could they have been doing together in the middle of the night? Maybe he wanted his shirt back, and he drove her over to Janelle’s to pick it up. Maybe I made Nadia feel so guilty, she wanted to go apologize to him for spilling her strawberry daiquiri everywhere, because some might have gotten on his carpet or something. Or maybe they were planning me a surprise birthday party. In the middle of the night. In the woods.

Alex Lind and my little sister. I don’t even want to think about it. Because when I do, I feel so mad, I can barely breathe.

*   *   *

Homeroom bell is about to ring when Rennie appears behind my locker door. She’s wearing a loose scoop neck top that hangs off one shoulder, leggings, and gladiator sandals, and she’s holding out two Blow Pops like they’re a bouquet of flowers. “Peace offering,” she says. “One for you, one for me.”

“No, thanks.” Does she honestly think that a Blow Pop is going to make it all better? If she hadn’t dragged me off to that party, none of this would have happened.

“I tried calling your cell yesterday,” she says. “Guess you were in a dead spot.”

Practically the entire island is a dead spot. “Well, I had no missed calls. Why didn’t you try my house?”

I can tell she’s trying to think up another lie. But I guess nothing comes to mind. She bites her lip. “Okay. Real apology. I’m sorry I left like that yesterday. It wasn’t cool. But come on! This is weird. You and I never fight.” She leans against the locker next to mine and looks at me, concerned. “I know things have been kinda crazy the last few days, but I promise you, senior year is still going to be awesome.”

I take the Blow Pop and slowly unwrap it. I don’t even care about senior year anymore.

“So are we cool?”

When I look up, I notice that Kat’s lingering in the stairwell, watching me.

“Yes,” I say quickly to Rennie. “We’re cool.”

“Sweet. Will you come with me to Mrs. Gismond’s room? I need to drop off my science lab.”

I look over Rennie’s shoulder. Kat mouths, We need to talk, and my stomach turns over.

I say, “Actually, I have to take something over to the office. I’ll meet you in homeroom, okay?”

Rennie nods and gives me a peck on the cheek. “See you in a few.”

I watch her go. As she passes Kat’s locker, she opens it up and tosses her half-licked Blow Pop inside, like it’s a trash can.

As soon as she turns the corner, I walk up to Kat and say, “What do you want?”

“Not here.” Kat looks around. “I know a place where we can talk in private,” she says, like some Mafia don beckoning me into her study.

I let out a sigh. “Seriously, Kat. You need to quit doing drugs. They’re destroying your brain. We’re not friends, remember? We haven’t been for a really long time. So I don’t want you calling me, I don’t want you trying to talk to me at school. I’m sorry Alex played you for sex, but—”

“I didn’t have sex with Alex!”

I shrug. “Okay, but he clearly isn’t interested in you, because he’s with someone else. But that person is not my sister.”

Kat groans. “Look, I don’t know why you’re playing dumb. Alex drove Nadia to hang out with all your friends at the Bow Tie parking lot last night after their little hookup.”

What?

Kat continues, but her words come slower and she’s watching me really closely. Which is not good, because I am barely holding it together right now. “Nadia and Alex drove up in his SUV, and Rennie ran up to the window and kissed her hello.”

I want to say something, I want to tell Kat she’s dead wrong, but I can’t make words.

Something blooms on Kat’s face. A smugness. “Oh. Rennie didn’t tell you they were all hanging out together?” She taps her lips with her pointer finger. “Gee. That’s weird.”

“I’m done talking about this.” I start to walk away, but Kat reaches out and stops me.

She says, “We both know it, Lillia.” There’s something about the way Kat says my name—sad, mad, a bit pleading. “We both know how Rennie is.”

It’s the pleading in her voice that makes me bite my lip and give her the slightest nod. Then she lets me go.

*   *   *

It’s not even five o’clock yet, and the sun is already moving away. Squinting, I tilt my chin up so I can feel the sunlight on my cheeks.

“You want my sunglasses?” Rennie asks from the pool. “They’re on top of my clothes.” Ashlin’s hanging between two pool noodles, and Rennie’s stretched out on a raft, and she’s got one arm holding on to the side of the pool so she doesn’t float away.