Nixon

••• Eight •••

"How about this weekend?" Terrance asks as we take our sets for AP lit, taking out our homework in the process. "I know a great place."
Nixon flashes through my head. Those eyes, those words. I offer Terrance a soft smile, hesitant to respond. He wouldn't hurt Terrance though, he wouldn't do anything like that, he'd simply warn me off.

"Sure, why not."

For the rest of the day Terrance is on cloud nine as we pass by the hours. Taylor is back at school today, and Adam is still missing. The police have begun their searching for the boy, looking through every place they can think of. Detectives are on the case and papers are out already to find him.

Tomorrow they begin the search in the woods, they begin going in. It's weird how the town has a thick line of trees around it, almost like a wall. Many people live by the forest, their backyards basically are the cluster of trees.

Grabbing a handful of chips, I follow Oliver down the hall to our lockers. "Study session tonight at my place," he offers and I shake my head.

"The Adams have invited my family over for another dinner."

Oliver grabs my arm gently, pulling me aside into an empty classroom seeing as school was out thirty minutes ago and we just had music. "What is it?" I ask, watching Oliver as he shuts the door.

"We need to talk," Emily says from behind. Looking back, I see her sitting on the teacher's desk, her new hair color is lilac with a hint of silver. "About that night when-

"When you guys were doing something weird?" I ask, gaining a nod from the two of them. "Well then, carry away. What's the topic of this?"

"Lily, Maxwell isn't the kind of guy someone like you would want to get familiar with."

"And why not?" I ask, crossing my arms as Nixon runs through my mind. "For all I've seen, you guys almost worship the group he's on. Hell, Oliver, your mom even covered for me that night. Why do you respect him so much?!"

They stare blankly at me. "Are you part of some cult and he's like some elder?" My last comment is a joke, only, the two don't take it like a joke as Emily lets out a deep breath.

"Lily, what has he talked to you about? Has he told you anything...drastic?"
Drastic?

Well, besides the fact that he's told me he basically want to have sex with me and keep me- God, when I put it like that he sounds like a creep. But I'll admit, even though we barely do anything, his personality intrigues me and I want to know more.

"No, nothing."

Emily looks defeated as she lowers her head. "I saw you play piano a night ago."

"I always play pi-

"In his house late at night."

My skin runs pale. "I'm not having sex with him, Oliver. I'm simply giving him company. Why the hell are you guys up in my face about this?!"

I throw my hands up in the air, frustrated with my two friends. "That piano hasn't been touched in years since-

"And that's that," Emily interrupts.

"Since when, Oliver?" I ask, knowing there's something the two of them are keeping from me. "What do I-

"Since he moved that instrument there," Emily snaps.

I leave. I don't spend another minute with my friends as I rush out of the room. It's unreal how they just treated me, how they try and warn me about someone I've become to know as a good person, under a mysterious mask and isolated personality.