Sandcastles

Chapter Eleven

Alexander and I only have one duet the entire play. The duet, followed by the big kissing scene, has yet to be rehearsed. For some reason, Troy has been avoiding that scene. The play is just around the corner and that is the only scene we haven't practiced. Mrs. Samuels keeps reminding him that we need to do the scene, but he always says he is forgetting. I don't believe him for a second. This scene by far is the most important to the storyline. It's where Alexander's character is telling me that he has to move, which means the main character who is his sister, is also moving. I can't help feel that Troy is avoiding this scene due to my past feuds with Alexander. But after going to the beach with him a learning more about the Ludwig boy, I actually have no problem with the scene. Although I hate to admit it, I'm anticipating this scene.

Again today, Troy had me rehearse the one solo that I have along with the rest of the scene and that was it. He can't avoid this scene forever. When the bell rings for us to leave, I approach the youngest Ludwig boy. He's sitting in a chair, flipping through papers. He looks up at me when he sees me and smiles.

"Hi. What's up?" he asks me. He sets the stack of papers down and stands to where he is eye level with me.

"You don't have to keep avoiding the scene. Alexander and I are cool now." I tell him. He sighs and nods.

"I know. That's why I'm avoiding it." He says, his cheeks turning red. "It's just that every time I start to like a girl they always go for Alexander, and he ends up with them. I didn't want it to happen this time."

I blush a little and look at the ground. Troy just admitted that he liked me. I'm not exactly sure if I feel the same, but it's still cute.

"Well, it won't. Why don't we hang out sometime?" I ask him. He grins, his blue eyes lighting up. He nods his head.

"I'd love that." He says.

"Awesome. Bye Troy." I say. He tells me bye, and I lean up and kiss his cheek for no reason at all. But his face turns so red that I almost laugh. I smile before walking out of the auditorium.

I get all of my stuff out of my locker before turning to walk outside. When I get to the parking lot, I slide into the passenger's seat of Madeline's car. Ben has to go to a doctor's appointment with Helen today so he isn't riding with us. Madeline pulls out of the parking lot.

When we pass over the bridge, I'm not surprised to see John Tyler. Apparently he only broke one leg and tore a muscle in the other, but the torn muscle is almost healed completely so he is just on crutches for the broken one. The weird thing when I see him this time is that he isn't behind the safety rail. He's over it, standing on the edge of the bridge. There only has to be three inches of bridge over the bar to stand, so it's dangerous especially with the currents of the river. And with his injured legs, only one small twitch could send him over. He grips onto the rail and looks down at the rushing waters of the river. I make Madeline stop and I immediately get out.

"John Tyler?" I call out whenever I step out of the car. He doesn't turn to look at me. Probably because making any movement would be risky. I approach him and see that his knuckles are turning white from holding onto the bar so tight.

"You shouldn't be here." He grumbles. He knows that we pass over this bridge every afternoon.

"Yeah, sure, come back over the bar. It's dangerous. Please?" I beg him. He shakes his head, the blond curls moving loosely when he does.

"It's always been dangerous. Why the hell would they put a railing up here after my parents drove over the side? It's sick. You know what they do? They let something terrible and tragic like that happen and then they install this railing to make themselves look like good people. It's sickening." He spits out. "And they never even made an effort to recover the bodies. They recovered the car, but the current was so strong I guess it took my parents out with it."