Dweller of the Cave

Eleven

The bus was packed with shouting and pop music. People threw their bookbags in the aisle and threw food on the other seats. The person in front of me opened their window, letting in so much air, it suffocated me. I slouched in the corner of my seat, watching the barren roads and wheat fields passed by. I wished Griffin didn't leave school early, but it wasn't like this was new.

I noticed my wrist, shimmering with residual purple light. I hid it under my sleeve.

The bus screeched to a stop.

Someone poked my arm with a pencil.

"Is this your house?" they giggled.

I groaned and grabbed my bag off the floor. The aisle looked like a warzone. People laughed and ducked in the seats for some reason as I stepped over their duffle bags and shoes.

"Shut up," I muttered under my breath.

I wiped the memory of the bus as soon as I stepped off. Nothing has changed since middle school. Then I cringed at the thought of Solana hitting her head on the gym floor... Her being safe was more important than my mild embarrassment. But who's to say that anything would've even happened?

Something more unsettling was the silence of the house—just a whirring fan in the living room. Andy must've forgotten to turn it off. Was he sleeping? I didn't think it was possible.

As I started upstairs, something squished under my foot. I looked down.

Chucky, with a torn ketchup packet spurting from his chest.

"Andy!" I shouted.

I removed the ketchup packet and kicked him down the stairs. As I marched down the hall where my bedroom was, I noticed the door was wide open on Andy's. He never kept his door open, even when we were all home.

I peeked inside. Amidst the usual mess of toys, he was nowhere to be seen. Not in the bathroom either. I shuddered at his whereabouts, and ran into my room.

"Griffin, hello?" I hurried through the phone.

After endless dialing, he finally picked up.

"Hey, Blaine!" I heard his smile.

"Have you seen Andy by any chance?"

"He's right in front of me actually. Your mom brought him over earlier to play with Ollie."

We're not playing!! Andy and Ollie both yelled.

"Can I talk to you outside?" I asked, sighing in relief.

"Only for a few minutes," he said. "I'm on babysitting duty."

♈♈♈

We sat on the woven bench on Griffin's porch, listening to the breeze around us. He shared his french fries with me. I took off my jacket and noticed the Aries pin was still attached. The curled lines gave me shivers. Griffin said I had an Aries symbol on my forehead earlier. Glowing. I thought about glow-in-the-dark face paint, but with Griffin's horrified look, it was probably way worse and way weirder.

"No one's gonna remember what happened, right?" I asked.

"No one cares, trust me," Griffin said. "Most of the gym wasn't even in our grade."

"Yeah. You're right. And everyone seemed to be talking about Mitchell McGrey. I didn't know he came back this year."

"Yep! Well, I moved here in the 8th grade, so I didn't know him that well."

We sat in silence.

"Is that why I never saw you in middle school?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I still barely went," he sighed. "I tried, but I just couldn't stand it. I still can't, though. But my mom's been pushing me a little harder, recently. For college."

    "I'll push you harder."

His smile was bright. "Thanks."