Nathan

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Erica peered at Nathan through the rain, wetting her short hair. She put a hand over her eyes to block the droplets. She shook her head in disbelief and then waved him into the car. “Get in! It's freezing out here.”

At least he had an excuse why he was soaked.

His shoes were extremely muddy. No cell phone, waving down a vehicle.

Oh boy.

Rather than running off, though, he got into the sedan. It was the fastest way to get to a phone.

Erica got behind the wheel. She wiped at her face and hair and then looked over at Nathan.

Nathan sat with his hands in his lap, his body feeling tight against wet clothing. He was shaking a bit from the chill, maybe partially from shock.

He could have died out there. If not from drowning in the lake, from the alligators. He should have been more careful around Volto. He was known to be dangerous. Willing to do crazy things.

Erica waited in silence, still leaving the vehicle in the middle of the road. “Well?” she asked. “What happened?”

He spoke very carefully, creating a lie from pieces of truth. “I was out in the lake today,” he said. “I was on a boat. But my...friend...left. I thought he was coming back.”

“Where did he go?” she asked.

“I don't know. He just drove off.”

Erica sputtered and took the car out of park. The car rolled forward as she pressed the gas pedal. “And he left you out here? At this hour? How long have you been waiting?”

“For a bit,” he said.

“Where's your cell phone?”

“It's in the lake. Accident. That's why I was waiting.”

“And you only decided now to wave someone down?”

He shrugged. It was ludicrous. The sun had set hours ago. None of this made any sense, but it was all he had to go on. “It's complicated.”

“You're very complicated this week, Nathan Andrew Griffin.”

He slunk down in the seat but was unable to go far with how tight his pants got. He folded his arms again over his stomach. “I'm sorry about all that. And this.”

She shook her head and made a small sound between her lips. “I don't even know where to start. I'd worried about all of them before with Sang, given how much time they spend with her. But you? I'd never imagine you'd do that to her. Or to Dakota.”

He bit his lower lip. “It was dumb. I've told them both I was sorry.” He paused. “Why were you out here?”

“I was on my way home,” she said, turning the wipers on a higher setting as the rain started coming down. She slowed the car and focused on her driving. “After work.”

“Isn't the hospital off the highway?”

“I was going to grab some groceries,” she said. It still didn't make sense. This was way out of the way for her. But before he could ask more, she turned the heat up a bit and then poked him in the arm. “Look, you did the wrong thing. But I don't want to ostracize you to where you're hanging out with dumb kids who leave you behind for hours in the dark.”

Nathan let out a big breath between his lips and leaned against the door, gazing out at trees. They sped past neighborhoods he'd driven by earlier. Many houses were dark now, as it was closer to midnight. Streetlights dotted the sidewalks.

When they got closer to the school, Nathan's attention turned toward it but he tried to pretend he wasn't looking. He didn't want to seem interested, just in case Dr. Green was still out there.

He pressed his tongue to the top of his mouth, waiting until they passed to say anything.

“What in the world is going on now?”

Nathan turned as she slowed down. Just over the hill, red and blue lights were flashing.

Shit.

Two cop cars were parked close to each other, blocking the exit for more vehicles that were there. He counted the cars, looked for Dr. Green among some of the vehicles and people standing around. There were more people here than when he left.

Was the smoke bomb not just smoke? Or did they panic and call the police?

He was so distracted looking for Dr. Green, he didn't notice the cop Erica was slowing down for. He was waving at her as she was passing and she stopped, rolling down the window.

Nathan's instinct was to sit back, avoid eye contact, but he knew what that would look like. He forced himself to look completely interested in this.

Rain splattered into the car as she spoke to the officer. “What's going on?” Erica asked.

“Kids throwing some kind of fireworks at teachers that were parked here,” he said. He shined his flashlight into Nathan's face briefly and then toward Erica. “Got caught in the rain?”

“Yes,” she said. “Crazy storm, right?”

“The usual South Carolina weather,” he said and lowered his light. “Just be careful.”

“You, too,” Erica said.

He waved her on. Erica rolled past but she sat back in her seat and put both hands on the wheel.

Nathan sat back as well, placing his palms on his knees. Where was Dr. Green? Was Luke still inside?

Was that why Mr. Blackbourne couldn't answer? He was dealing with someone calling the cops on what was happening at the school?

“That wasn't you, was it?” Erica asked. She glanced over at him once before refocusing on the road.

“Me? No. I’ve never shot fireworks at anyone.”

“Do you think your friend did?” she asked. “Is that why he left you and didn't come back? I'm guessing it isn't Luke or one of the others...”

“No,” he said. “Not them.”

She shook her head slowly. They were coming up to the shopping center near the school.

Erica parked. She put her hands on the wheel, staring out the windshield while speaking to him. “Okay. We have to stop this now. I'm not letting you turn into a hooligan, hanging out with kids who leave you out like that alone.” She looked at him and stabbed her finger against the middle console, her fingernail tapping it. “Apologize to Sang again. Apologize to Dakota. He's been depressed since he had the fight with you. I’m willing to believe Sang that it was a misunderstanding between you two. But I know you’ll never do it again.”

“I'll apologize again,” Nathan said, sitting up. He hated to say this to her, to continue the lie when Kota was still trying to work out what exactly to tell her. But he had to keep it going now. “If you think it'll help...”

She reached into the back of the car to grab her purse. “I'm going in for milk and a few other things,” she said. “You should come back with me tonight. Maybe wait up for when Kota gets in with Sang.”

Was he supposed to bring her home tonight?

He slumped in the seat again, stuffing his hands under his biceps as he folded his arms. Erica got out of the car. He rolled his head against the headrest.

Once she was gone, he cursed at himself for getting into this mess. And for also not asking her for her cell phone to give someone a call. He glanced back toward the school, but he couldn't see it through the buildings from where they were.

This whole night was a complete disaster.