Scarlet walked up to the door, the porch creaking beneath her feet, and rang the bell.
She waited, heart pounding, and as she stood there, she heard a lot of activity inside, kids laughing, talking to each other, music – the muted beats of a Britney Spears song in the background. She wondered what was going on – when she heard someone walking toward the door.
Scarlet braced herself as she saw Jasmine opening the door.
Jasmine stood there, looking at her in shock.
“OMG,” Jasmine said slowly. “Scarlet. Like, I thought you were dead. Everyone did.”
They both stood there, not knowing what to say in the awkward silence.
“Well, I’m alive,” Scarlet finally said, “as you can see.”
“OMG, like what happened to you? Like, where have you been?” Jasmine pressed.
Scarlet began to play with her hair unconsciously, nervous.
“It’s a long story,” she said. “I really don’t want to get into right now. I’m just wondering if I can, like, crash.”
Jasmine hesitated, eyes wide with surprise, and her gaze hardened.
“Scarlet, we were all like best friends, but after what you did to Maria, it’s really hard to like still be friends you. Like the four of us were like gold. You can’t steal someone else’s guy. Like I would never do that to you. And it’s really hard to trust you now knowing that you did that to Maria.”
Scarlet frowned, half expecting something like this. Maria had always had such a sway over Jasmine and Becca.
“That’s Maria’s perspective,” Scarlet pointed out. “I didn’t steal anyone. Sage sought me out. He likes me. He never liked Maria. If he liked her, he could have had her and she could have had him. I never would’ve gotten in the way. But he didn’t. I can’t make him like somebody he doesn’t want to like. How is that my fault?”
Jasmine bit her lip, unsure.
“Well,” she said, hesitant, “that’s not the way I heard it. I heard you like stole him away.”
“That’s not true.”
“Look, Scarlet, this is, like, really awkward,” she said. “I don’t want to be put between you and Maria. I’m like really good friends with Maria and – ”
Suddenly the door opened wider, and Scarlet’s throat went dry as she saw Maria standing behind Jasmine, glaring back at her.
Scarlet braced herself for the tirade to follow. She felt mortified that Maria was here, had been here this whole time, listening. As she heard the noise behind them, Scarlet envisioned all kinds of kids in the house, and she felt mortified that they saw her, that they heard all this. She had thought she could take solace here, and she had unintentionally walked into some kind of party.
“Jasmine, it’s okay,” Maria said, putting a hand on her shoulder and motioning Scarlet in. “Let her in.”
“Um, what?” Jasmine said, confused. “I thought you like hated her.”
Scarlet was confused, too. She had been so sure Maria despised her.
“It really doesn’t matter anymore,” Maria said. “I’m over Sage. I’m so over him. She can have him, totally. I’ve got someone new in my life that makes Sage seem like nothing.”
Scarlet noticed Maria was beaming, could see that she was genuinely happy. It was the look Maria had whenever she had a new boyfriend.
Scarlet was happy for her, and relieved, if confused, that Maria was no longer upset with her. Scarlet didn’t understand how she could have found someone so quickly, but she welcomed it. At first she wondered if Maria was joking; but as Maria stepped forward and reached out a hand, she realized she was being genuine.
“Truce?” Maria asked.
Maria smiled wide, and Scarlet reached out and shook her hand, and Maria stepped up and hugged her.
“Who cares about the guys anyway?” Maria said. “Guys come and go. But we’re like forever, you know?”
Scarlet hugged her back, and over her shoulder she saw Jasmine’s expression soften. Becca came over, too, and it was clear that, if Maria had reconciled with her, the others were willing to as well.
Becca and Jasmine stepped forward and hugged Scarlet, and she felt all the tension in the air dissipate.
“Close the door, it’s cold,” Jasmine said.
Scarlet stepped inside, and Jasmine closed the door behind her. Scarlet followed the girls as they walked through the house, a little curious.
“What’s going on here anyway?” Scarlet asked. “What’s with the music? Do I hear voices?”
“The basement,” Jasmine said. “We’re pre-gaming for tonight.”
“What’s tonight?” Scarlet asked, confused.
“Duh, it’s only Bannerman’s,” Becca said. “Every year, the night after the bonfire, don’t you remember?”
Bannerman’s, Scarlet thought, and then she remembered. It was that small, abandoned island in the middle of the Hudson. She remembered last year, all the kids taking motorboats out there, a small abandoned island with the ruins of a castle on it. They had taken it over for the night, lighting bonfires, drinking beers, roasting marshmallows. Last year it had seemed so bold and fun to her.
Now, though, the thought of it just seemed cold and exhausting. It was not what Scarlet wanted. She just wanted to get some peace and quiet, to get away from the world, and to find out anything she could about Sage.
But as Scarlet followed them down the steps, she realized it was not meant to be. The basement was filled with a dozen kids, friends of friends, sitting around laughing, drinking beers from plastic cups. As Scarlet looked at all the faces, her heart suddenly pounded to see that Blake was here. He stood in the corner with a few of his jock friends, laughing too loud, and she immediately turned her head and went off to the far corner, hoping he hadn’t spotted her.
“So you have to tell us,” Becca said, as they all gathered around Scarlet. “Like what happened to you?”
“What do you mean?” Scarlet asked, tensing up inside.
“We heard you kicked Vivian’s butt last night,” Becca said. “That you were stronger than god. And that you took off like so fast no one could find you.”
“And like your mom and dad have been texting the whole school looking for you,” Jasmine added.
“I heard the cops are out looking for you,” Maria added. “Like that you’re missing or something.”
Scarlet felt a pang of guilt as she thought of how upset her parents must be, of how they must be out looking for her. A part of her wanted to go back to them; but another part of her needed more time to understand why her mom wanted her dead.
For now, she just needed to calm her friends down and get them to stop pressing her; Scarlet hated being in the limelight.
She shrugged.
“My parents always freak out when I’m not home right away,” Scarlet said. “They call the cops way too easily. It’s like nothing. Don’t worry.”
The girls nodded in understanding.
“My parents are ridiculous, too,” Jasmine said. “The only reason I’m having people over tonight is because they’re out of town. But when I go anywhere, they’ve got like the whole military out looking for me.”
“You seem okay to me,” Becca said.
“I’m fine,” Scarlet assured her.
“And like, what happened between you and Sage?” Maria asked.
Scarlet looked at her, worried to bring up the topic, but she could see there was no jealousy left in her eyes – only genuine curiosity.
Scarlet sighed.
“He stood me up,” she said. “I don’t know where he is.”
Becca rolled her eyes. “Guys. They’re the worst. I hate being stood up. You should dump him.”
Scarlet furrowed her brow.
“Have any of you seen him or heard anything? I mean about where he is?” Scarlet asked them, looking at each one, hopeful.
They all shook their heads.
Jasmine said, “Why bother if he stood you up?”
“I just need to talk to him,” Scarlet replied.
“Why don’t you like text or call him?” Becca asked.
“He’s not picking up his cell,” Scarlet said. “So, have any of you heard anything?”