MELANCHOLY [S.T. B. Hargrove]

8

"Right here," I point to the Hargrove house. "Don't pull into the drive. I'll be fast."

Steve parks the car on the other side of the road, not questioning my tactic.

"I'll be right back. If you ditch me, I'm kicking your asses," I inform.

"Got it," Dustin agrees.

I hurry out of the car and run as fast as I can to the door. Neil and Susan were still out. I could hear Billy's music blaring through the house.

I burst into the door, pushing it behind me to close it.

"The hell you running around for?" Billy asks, putting down his weights.

"Running late for work," I lie, going to his room.

I grab my backpack and rummage through it- taking my gun out and into the waistband of my jeans.

I hear Billy pick his weights back up and resume working out. I pause in thought. He was working out again? Already? Why did it seem like he was working out more than usual?

I peer around the door and make sure he's busy. I sneak over to Max's room and push it open gently. 

"Max?" I whisper. "Your brat friend dragged-"

I cut myself off when I see the room is empty. Max's skateboard was still on her bed, though. I've never seen her without it. What happened to make her leave it behind?

I look around the room and spot the open window.

"Shit," I whisper.

Dustin was talking to Lucas. Lucas. Max.

"Dammit!" I hiss, hurrying back out of the room.

"Hey, Neil and Susan are getting off work early today. You want to go find a burger joint so we don't have to be around?" Billy asks.

"Ah, yeah. Sure thing," I hurry to the door. "Meet me at the shop at eight?"

Billy winks and continues lifting his weights. I dash out the door, pulling it shut behind me. I rush to Steve's car where the two boys were arguing about hair care products.

"Lucas picked up Max," I inform, slamming the car door. "Drive."

"Lucas did what?" Dustin asks.

"Max wasn't in her room."

"That doesn't mean she left with Lucas."

"Yeah, I mean.. Billy would never allow that. He tried to run us over on Halloween," Dustin comments.

"Her board was still in her room and the window was open. I think Lucas-" I pause to repeat Dustin's words. "Wait, Billy did what?"

"Yeah.. Mike, Lucas, and I were going down the road on our bikes and Billy tried to run us over. Luckily, Max said she grabbed the steering wheel."

I slump my head against the back of Steve's seat. 

--

"So, you're buddies with Hargrove?" Steve asks, tossing another piece of metal to the side.

"You know him?" I ask.

"We go to the same school. He's.." Steve trails off. "Yeah, I know of him."

I empty out the rest of the gross bucket of meat onto the ground.

The storm cellar was empty. The only thing we found last night was a piece of skin and a tunnel out of the cellar.

I was still convinced it was an alligator.