The Nerd [BXB]

48 𖠇 Do You Have A Conscience?

     After several disagreements about watching a romantic or a comedy movie, Oscar and I settled for a romantic comedy, which could have saved us half an hour of discussion. Now, we lay in his bed with a bowl of popcorn between us and Oscar's hand resting over my shoulders, randomly teasing me by flicking my ear with his fingers. We are only halfway through the movie when my phone starts ringing next to Oscar's bedside table.

     "Who is it?" I ask him.

     "Genesis," he says, passing me the phone.

     I realize I have a text from Harvey I had missed before I answered her. "What is it?" I say, plopping a popcorn into my mouth. "Is the dance going great?"

     "The dance is great," she replies, "but Harvey not so much."

     I straighten myself in the bed. "What do you mean?"

     "Something was off about him. Call me an empath or whatever, but I could literally feel it," she explains. I can hear the faint sound of music behind her, almost as if she is inside a room and the music comes from the other side of the door. "I am not certain about this, but I also think he was drunk. We caught some of his soccer friends with a bottle of vodka in the boy's bathroom a few minutes ago."

     I wouldn't be surprised if he was drinking. He did not want to go to the dance initially, so drinking seemed like the best way to make it tolerable. "Where is he now?"

     "That is why I am calling you," she says. "He left in his car. He said he was going home."

     "I am not home right now, but I can call my mom and ask him if he's there," I tell her, already sending the text to my mom. She replies instantly. "My mom says he is not home."

There must be a knot that ties everyone you care about together. A knot two people strengthen with time and care that tugs you whenever it is most needed. And right now I feel that. I feel something in my chest. A pull that is telling me that Harvey needs me.

It takes less than ten minutes for Genesis to arrive at Oscar's trailer to pick us up. The entire ride is quiet and I can sense her fear, too. "I shouldn't have let him go, Theo," she says as we drive around town, hopping to find his car parked somewhere.

We drive to his house and peek through the gates, but his car is nowhere to be seen. Then we proceed down a road and past a convenience store. Suddenly, Genesis hits the brakes, sending us forward for the seatbelt to tug us back. "His car," she says, pointing at the car parked next to the road in the middle of nowhere. Just trees and trees that extend for miles.

But it's not just his car. There is also a truck.

Between the pine trees that reach high for the sky, a brown-haired boy leans on a trunk. An owl hoots in the distance, and then a twig snaps. "I always wondered if you had a conscience," Harvey says. He had arrived at the woods soon after leaving the school party, heart pounding in his chest as he walked deeper into the woods. He had left his car next to the road, too drunk to risk hitting a tree by driving it inside. It also meant Mr. Cortez could find him easier.

       "Why is that?" Mr. Cortez says, walking closer to Harvey. He is wearing a grey top coat and black pants, making Harvey wonder if he was at an event before coming here.

      Harvey remains quiet, trying to stay calm although he can't seem to catch his breath. "Why did you come?"

      Mr. Cortez has his hands inside his front pockets as he shrugs. "Because you asked me to."

      "I didn't think you would actually come," Harvey says.

      "You left me wanting more last time we saw each other." He tilts his head to the side and licks his bottom lip. "I mean, look at you. How could I say no?"