The Peregrine Passage

Chapter Fifteen: Adam

At around 3 in the morning, I give up on any plans I had to sleep. I can't stop thinking about what happened at the lighthouse, what Mr. Fuller was saying, and what Hazel did. Did she even do it? Did I jump to conclusions? I know what I heard, but I also know Hazel. She said she would explain, but I just didn't let her. Was that stupid?

I decide that it was.

She's the only real friend I've had this year and I don't want to screw it up by being stubborn. I'll at least give her the chance to explain, the only problem is that it's so late at night.

I get out of bed and lace up my snow boots. Deciding that flannel pajamas would be enough to keep me warm, I pull on a jacket and a beanie before slipping out of my room. I tip-toe down the stairs, being careful not to trip. Remembering the snowstorm, I dart into the living room to grab my gloves off of the coffee table before making my way to the front door. I gently unlock it before creaking it open and slipping out.

In an effort to avoid waking up my parents, I decide to walk instead of drive. I pull the screen door shut and begin to make my way down the front steps. The snow is coming down fast and it's blinding my vision.

I get about three feet away from the house when I run smack into someone. I let out a little yelp before I realize that it's Piper, and breathe a sigh of relief. She looks pissed.

"What the fuck are you doing, Adam?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She turns bright red, but I can't tell if that's just from the cold.

"None of your business."

"Same here." We pause for a moment. She hesitates before she speaks up again.

"Don't tell Mom?" I shrug.

"I won't if you won't." We nod and head in opposite directions. If I hadn't been born and raised in Maple Ridge, I don't know how I would've navigated through the storm, but at this point, I know the routes around town by heart.

An hour passes, and after a mile and a half of trudging through the thick snow, I finally reach the parking lot of Hazel's apartment complex. It's around this time that I realize I have no game plan as to waking her up.

My eyes pan across the apartments, and I also realize I have no idea which is hers. I reach for my phone in my pocket, but it's dead. Fuck. Maybe I should've called first.

My hopes skyrocket when I see a dim light turn on from a second-story window, piercing through a thick layer of snow on the building. She lives on the second floor, right? I wrack my brain for any memories of the actual specific location of her apartment but my mind comes up blank.

If I know Hazel at all, though, she wouldn't be asleep after what happened to us today. If I hadn't gone through such a pain to get here, I probably would've turned around. But, at this point, it is what it is.

I dig through the snow until I reach parking lot gravel, and grab a handful of pebbles. My only choice is to abide by the cliché and throw some rocks. Considering that I was once destined to be a college athlete, it's a little pathetic that I miss the first eight times. But the next three, I manage to hit the window dead center. I see a shadow move toward the glass, and a wave of nerves passes over me as I realize this was a terrible idea. What's the procedure if it's not Hazel?

I see the window slide open, and a head pops out to look around. I can't make out a face, but I recognize a thick mob of messy dark hair almost immediately. I run up to stand under it, and it becomes clear that it's Hazel. She looks incredibly pissed off. I really should've thought about this.

"What the fuck, Adam?" She whisper-yells at me. Upon closer inspection, I can't tell if she's annoyed at me, or grinning. It looks like a mixture of both.

"This isn't me forgiving you, but I want to hear your side. Tell me why Mr. Fuller said what he said." I have to yell over the wind, and I look around for more lights to make sure I didn't wake up any of her neighbors.

She nods.

"Wait there a minute, I'll come down."

I start to wonder if she got held up by her mom because according to my watch, ten minutes have passed. I'm about to throw another pebble when I see her emerge from the main entrance and run up to me. She's wearing three jackets over a couple of sweaters, and I find myself suppressing a laugh.

I'm about to greet her, but she doesn't let me speak.

"The selling drugs part, that's true—" I shake my head and start to walk away but she grabs my arm, turning me back towards her.

"No, don't do that. It's not as bad as you think, and you said that you'd let me explain. You also walked here alone in the dark in the middle of the night, and I'm guessing you did that because you wanted answers. Yes, I sold drugs, but nowhere near as extreme as the Order. I just sold some of my ADHD meds to help out me and my mom, but I was always careful with it. I never sold too much, and I would never let what happened to Rowan happen to anyone. You have to believe me." She has a genuine urgency in her eyes and I know she isn't lying.

"Hazel, you could've told me. I would've understood."

"You literally ran away from me when you found out." She has a point.

"That was because I was presented with extremely suspicious information, you can't blame me for that."

"Yes, I can. You literally witnessed other people smuggling drugs, then proceeded to blame me for a murder because you heard one off-handed comment. You also never bothered to let me explain."

"Fine, I'm sorry. But if you didn't kill Rowan, what were they talking about?"

A worried look flashes over Hazel's face.

"Adam, they're trying to frame me," She pauses before continuing, looking up at her apartment before lowering her voice.

"After you left, they came back into the lighthouse. If it wasn't for the snow, I'm sure they would've seen you. I heard Mr. Fuller say it—he wants to pin Rowan's murder on me. They were trying to lead me to the drugs so they could get fingerprints, and have enough evidence to turn me in." Oh.

I feel like an idiot, which isn't an entirely new feeling, but it's still unpleasant. I can't believe I was such a dick to her.

"Alright, this isn't great, but at least now you know their plan. It seems pretty simple, just don't touch any loose amphetamines you come into contact with."

"I don't think it's that easy, Adam."

"What do you mean?"

"Fuller knows I've been selling drugs, and he could find other ways to trace it back to me, I'm sure of it. We need to prove that they did it before they get me incriminated. I don't feel safe going around town knowing that the Order has it out to use me as a scapegoat. I feel like if we don't get them first, it's only a matter of time before they get us."

She's right, like she always is. At this point, it's only a little annoying. I guess I've gotten used to it.

"What are you suggesting, then?"

"I heard them say that they were planning on moving the drugs to a more obvious location, like the cemetery. I think we should beat them there, and then take pictures of them hiding the drugs to show to the police. They can't argue with photographic evidence." Her tone is urgent, but I'm still hesitant about the plan.

"How exactly are we going beat them there?"

"I'm guessing they aren't planning on waiting forever, and Fuller mentioned that he would give us another clue, probably when school starts on Monday. Tomorrow's Sunday, Adam, so they really only have then. It would also probably be when the Estate closes and after dark. That's not too long, and I think we should have a stakeout."

"Do I really have a choice in this plan? I'd rather not stake out a creepy cemetery waiting for a drug cartel to try and frame you. It does feel a little dangerous." She sighs indignantly.

"I'm going. You can leave me alone to die, or you can come with—it's up to you." I pretend to deliberate for a minute before I begrudgingly agree.

"Fine. I'll pick you up at 5." A bad feeling settles into my bones, but I push it down.