The Summer of Crossing Lines {Excerpt}

{Excerpt of a completed novel}

Chapter 1

Skydivers cross safety lines when they jump at 13,000 feet.

Runners cross the finish line at the end of a race.

I crossed moral lines to save a life.

It was a day of opposites, when crickets chirped in the sunlight and my words flowed like a swollen river. A day when I should've felt at ease. But I didn't.

My brother was late.

He should've been here seventeen minutes ago. Wyatt used to be on time for everything, but these days? Not even close. Five minutes late had become the norm, then ten, now fifteen. I checked the time on my phone again. Where was he?

It should've been easy to step through the door, paste a smile on my face, and speak. The drama teacher was expecting me. But my shaky hand gripped the knob. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Someone snapped their fingers, startling me. "Hellooo? Melody?" My brother's ex, Madison, tapped her foot. Her boyfriend-of-the-month's class ring hung from a long chain. "Can you move?" I rushed to step aside. She grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, wiping my sweat off her hand as she entered the dark auditorium.

Auditions were in full swing. The drama teacher shouted, "Next!" The door swung closed.

I paced outdoors in the afternoon heat, practicing my lines. I'd rehearsed in front of a mirror and in front of Wyatt. When I stepped into another character's skin, my stutter disappeared. Wyatt's excitement over this revelation was the final push I needed to audition for the summer drama program.

Thirty minutes later, Madison breezed through the door—minus the necklace and class ring. She glanced both ways. "Are you waiting for Wyatt?" I nodded. She cocked her head and smirked. "You aren't seriously trying out, are you?"

The answer formed in my brain. The word was spring-loaded on my tongue, waiting to break free. My pulse quickened. Muscles in my neck tightened. "Y-y-y..." For most people, the word yes was so simple. One syllable, three letters, over in a second. For me, it was on a long list of trouble words. I closed my eyes and tried again. "Y-y-y..."

Madison sighed. The scent of her vanilla body spray faded. When I opened my eyes, she'd already sauntered away. My cheeks burned. Why did I try to answer her question?

A light breeze rustled the heavy air and cooled my neck. Napkins blew against the chain link fence, catching between the squares.

I checked the clock. In five minutes, auditions would be over. One thing I knew for sure—I couldn't step into that room without my brother. He'd taken drama last year and convinced me I could pull off an audition. He'd assured me that the drama club was full of quirky artists who didn't care what your faults were. To them, faults were gold to be mined when stepping into character.

Four more minutes.

Three more minutes.

Two.

Footsteps thudded. Wyatt rounded the corner, his hair windblown and in need of a trim. Black and blue marks bloomed on his left cheekbone. His eyes were bloodshot, puffy, and round with worry. He dropped his expression, like a curtain closing between scenes, and replaced it with calm and confidence. "I'm so sorry I'm late."

My heart rate slowed. Tension in my neck loosened. Being around Wyatt was like pulling on yoga pants after a day in tight jeans.

I opened my mouth to ask about the bruise, but his words came faster than mine. "I know you've been freaking out." His cheeks were rosy from exertion. His chest heaved with each breath. "I promise it won't happen again."