Unpredictable

Chapter 14: Golden Boy

"Hey," Ricky announced the next day, a note of anger in his voice. He leaned up against the locker next to mine. "We've got a bone to pick with you, Sophie Smith."

"We?" I wondered briefly, unable to find it within myself to care at this point. Frankly, I felt hollow inside. "Did you team up with Dylan and Ethan, and maybe Tanya too?"

"What? No, Soph, it's just me and Max," frowned Ricky, pouting at me. "We missed you. Are you excited for the senior retreat? They posted the sign-up thingy and we're bus buddies."

I'd already seen that, so I guess that was good. "Won't you miss Maxton?"

"Yeah, but you're awesome too," said Ricky, grinning at me. "So, where've you been, homegirl?"

"Did you seriously just call me homegirl? And let's just say I've been in hell," I decided. "My foster family hates me, I got my heart broken, and..." I met Tanya's eyes across the hall. "It's just pretty bad for me, right now."

"Wanna have a sleepover?" suggested Ricky. "I came out to my mom, and well, she says she's fine with me being gay, but she gets like super awkward whenever Maxton comes over, and he's cool with it, but..."

"But you'd feel better having a girl over, is what you're saying?" I finished for him. "Sure, that sounds fun." I remembered Evie. "But I can't leave Evie alone with Tanya."

"What's Tanya doing at your house if she's not there for Evie?"

"She's dating Ethan," I said in a "duh" tone. 

"What? Dang, you get the guy and you miss all the gossip," cursed Ricky. "Sure, Evie can come too."

"What are you two doing?" Dylan asked, approaching us.

"None of your business," I retorted, as Ricky looked him up and down, inhaling deeply before rolling his eyes.

"Are you drunk?" he said incredulously, but in a quiet voice so the teachers wouldn't hear. I glanced over at Ricky, mouthing Really? at him, and Ricky just shrugged. 

I couldn't believe Dylan had come to school drunk, but we needed to get him out before someone important noticed. He had a kid at home, for God's sake.

"I'll take him home," I muttered. 

"See you tonight?" Ricky asked, glancing between us.

"Why'd he shay shee you tonight, Shophie?" Dylan slurred as I shushed him, ushering him out of the halls.

"Because we're having a girls night, you moron," I told him. "God, do you even think?"

Click. Click. The unmistakable sound of a teacher's heels. I quickly shoved Dylan into a janitor's closet, putting his car keys in his pocket, terrified someone would smell the alcohol on his breath, and tried to think of something to do. 

There was a lighter on the floor of the janitor's closet, and quickly, I picked it up and slammed the janitor's closet door shut.

I texted Ricky, my only ally.

Me: Get him out ASAP. Janitor's closet, English hallway. His car keys are in his pocket, so is his phone. Call Edward or Doug, or just tell Evie or Ethan to. Gonna have 2 cancel on girlz nite.

And then I climbed up onto a chair somebody had left out, stood up by a sprinkler, and held the flame up near it, waiting for somebody to catch me.

I was probably going to go to jail for this.

It wasn't like anybody would care.

My phone was pinging with messages, no doubt from Ricky, but I quickly blocked his number as one of the teachers raced towards me. That's right. Catch me.