PULSE

Chapter Six

[ AUGUST 6 ]

The pounding at the door started early in the morning, and continued for a solid 15 minutes before I finally dragged myself out of bed. I could hear the angry shouts accompanying the fist against the front door of the apartment, but couldn't make out any specifics through the muffling effect of my bedroom door. Unfortunately, though, I knew with total certainty who the person on the other side was; even the police would bust down the door after pounding for 15 minutes.

Even so, though, I forced myself to leave my room and approach the front of the apartment, just to be sure. I looked through the peep-hole for only the slightest moment before confirming what I'd already known.

Melanie.

"Aidan Toe, I swear to God if you do not open this door now, I'm going to make you wish you were on that motorcycle again!"

"No one's home. Leave a message," I called, turning and heading toward the kitchen.

"Oh, it's a good thing you're alive, because now I can make you wish you were dead."

"Candace will be in again later. Come back then," I yelled over my shoulder as I began shuffling through the kitchen cabinets.

"Aidan, do you honestly think I want to spend my Saturday morning here? Open the damn door, now."

A breakfast was already set out neatly on the table, but I nonetheless pulled a box of cereal out of the cabinet, studying the expiration date. Candace had a habit of always making an elaborate breakfast for me on mornings that she had to work early, as if this would win over my heart.

I began to pour the cheap cereal into a paper bowl.

"Aidan!" Melanie was screaming now, and whatever workout she was on these days was apparently working, because her fists were beating our front door to a pulp.

I finished pouring my cereal and turned on the faucet as I left, only stopping once before reaching my room to do the same to that faucet, leaving the water running at both. At the end of the hall, I turned the air conditioner on full blast and started an empty load at the washing machine.

Together, they made a wonderful cacophony of noise that nearly drowned out the racket Melanie was making.

"Aidan Eugene Toe, don't you dare ignore me! I swear, when I get in there, I'm gonna—"

By bedroom door closed with a slam, cutting Melanie off in the middle of whatever she'd planned to say. After knowing her for so many years, I could fairly easily connect the dots.

Inside my room, I quickly finished my cereal at my desk and pulled open the window, peering out at the lawn. Once I'd confirmed that no one was around, I began the carefully plotted steps from my bedroom window to the ground, two floors below. Hold onto the window sill, slide down the storm drain to the ground level of the second floor, then jump the rest of the way (and don't lock your knees when you land).

Today, the practiced maneuver went almost exactly how I'd hoped they would; except, this time, the danger came after I'd already landed on the lawn.

Candace rounded the corner of the building and appeared on the path next to the lawn almost immediately after I hit the ground, before I had even risen to my feet. I silently cursed myself for not recognizing her Prius parked on the side of the road, in front of our apartment; if I hadn't been distracted, I would never have missed it.

She approached me with worried eyes, looking me up and down. "Melanie called and said that you weren't answering the door or your phone, and I was on my lunch break, so I just thought I'd check on you..."