Life After Dark: Book Two of the Dark Series

Chapter 65

Tommy dropped the stick he had been holding and charged at Maxwell. The thought of someone being close enough to Dawn to steal her cell phone right from her purse enraged Tommy and he unleashed his wrath with swift blows and hard punches. The sight of Dawn's apprehensive eyes as she told him that she saw something in the bushes clouded his vision as he began to pummel his foe.

Lucky was frozen as he watched Tommy's venomous attack. Only when Tommy began to shout, did Lucky regain his ability to move. Lucky tried to pull Tommy away as he cried over and over,

"WHAT WERE YOU PLANNING TO DO TO HER? WHAT?"

"Come on, man. Stop! STOP IT, TOMMY!!" Lucky screamed as tried to pry Tommy away from the cowering thief.

"ANSWER ME! WHY WERE YOU FOLLOWING HER? WHAT DID YOU PLAN TO DO TO HER? DID YOU PLAN TO HURT HER?" Tommy yelled, grabbing Maxwell by the collar of his jacket. Tommy slammed him against the dumpster and glared at him through rage-filled eyes.

"Nothing! I wasn't going to do anything to her! I saw her drop her cell phone and I was taking it to her-"

"LIAR!!" Tommy shouted as he banged Maxwell's back against the dumpster again. "NOW, TELL ME THE TRUTH!!"

Lucky grabbed Tommy's arm in an iron grip and again tried to pull him away from Maxwell. "We got him, man. He won't do us any good if he's dead, you know? Just let him go. He's not going anywhere."

"And, neither are you," came a voice near the entrance to the alley.

~*~

"You missed a spot," Sly said, his blue eyes determined as he stared at Dawn.

"Thanks," she replied sarcastically. "But, I'm done."

"No, you're not. Eat it. Eat all of it."

"Nope," she said, pushing the bowl of chicken noodle soup away from her. "I'm full."

"You only ate half of it," he said with a frown.

"So? I'm full and I don't want anymore."

"You told us that soup is the only thing that you can really keep down. You need to eat something, so finish your soup!"

"Sly, leave me alone," she said, the strain and worry evident in her voice.

"But he's right," Lizzie said, moving to take the chair that was left vacant by Tommy. "You've got to eat. You can worry about them on a full stomach just as easily as you can on an empty one."

Dawn sighed and picked up her spoon again. "I suppose you're right."

The friends sat quietly as they watched Dawn make another attempt with the soup. They breathed a sigh of relief as she finished the bowl. Concerning themselves with her food intake was the one way they could keep their minds off their missing friends.

"So...um, Emily," Jordan began, pausing to clear his throat, "have you registered, yet? Do you know what classes you're taking?"

"I registered yesterday. I didn't get a great schedule. I may ask the guidance counselor if I can change it," Emily replied as she reached into her drawstring purse to pull out the folded sheet of paper.

"Oh, yeah? What's wrong with it? Who did you get?" Jordan asked. He gave her a small smile when she handed him her schedule. He placed hers next to his and began to compare the two. "You have Davis for Geometry. He's not so bad. I had him last year."

"That's the one I'm dreading the most," she said with a sigh. "I'm awful in math, especially when it comes to angles and triangles."

"It's not as hard as it seems. If you need help, let me know. I wouldn't mind helping you out sometimes," Jordan said. His eyes were serious as he looked at her.