very long, but my fa mily is full of secrets, so trust me — I know when someone is hiding something from me.”
Nathan stared at the ground and then star ted to make his way toward Roy’s truck. “I–I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sam,” he mustered.
Samantha followed behind him and they both stopped a bruptly after getting closer to the truck. “I spoke to Hugo,” she said confidently. “He got a good look at them too.” Reluctantly, Nathan turned to look at her. “And last time I checked, fraternities didn’t dress up in long black cloaks with long silver swords at their sides.”
Nathan looked at her shoulder before dropping his eyes again. “Sam, I…” he stumbled.
“They didn’t have normal faces, Nathan!” she continued. “Just a shadowy outline — but empty and black.” Samantha p laced a hand on her shoulder. “And their swords were just as real as the gash marks they left on the walls — and on my arm!” She paused. She could see the guilt building on Nathan’s face. “I tried talking to Andy and Eva Marie, but they’re not saying anything about that night.” Her eyes pleaded with Nathan’s and then fervently she took him by the hand. “What are you hiding from me?”
There was a brief silence and Nathan’s thoughts were loud, even with the blaring music. His eyes seemed to quiver in their sockets just at the sight of the scar on her shoulder. I would want to know , he thought.
Samantha squeezed his hand, breaking his gaze, and that’s when he caught a glimpse of her eyes, waiting eagerly for him to speak. I would want to know , he repeated to himself. I would want to know what happened to me .
Nathan swallowed hard and then s lowly opened his mouth. “Sam….”
Suddenly, above the music, a loud jarring sound echoed at them and Nathan and S amantha shielded their eyes as a pair of bright lights blinded them both. Soon, the jarring sound ceased and with it, so did the blaring lights. Slowly, Nathan’s vision returned and he frowned. Much to his dismay, a metallic silver Camaro with tinted windows now sat in front of him. “Malick,” he groaned.
“Well — hello!” yelled Malick as he closed the driver’s door to the Camaro behind him. He adjusted his black leat her jacket and smiled at them. Almost instantly, a mischievous grin appeared on his face. “Am I … interrupting something?”
Samantha and Nathan, both confused, turned to look at each other. Samantha’s face immediately turned red as she dropped Nathan’s hand. Quickly, Malick’s grin b ecame a full-fledged smile. “Don’t let me interrupt,” he said, while pointing toward the crowd. “I can just head over there.”
“Hello to you too, Stephen,” said Samantha, through gri tted teeth. She turned to look at Nathan. “I — was just leaving.”
“Sam,” called Natha n, as she turned to walk away.
She paused to look at him, and even though her eyes said otherwise, she smiled . “I’m sure we’ll talk later.”
Sadly, Nathan watched Samantha disappear into the crowd of people who danced and watched the concert. “I can’t keep doing this!” he groaned.
“Doing what?” asked Malick, who also watched the co ncert.
Nathan turned to look at him and huffed. “Keep lying to people!” he yelled. “The bad guys are still coming after us — so how is keeping secrets helping anyone? All it’s d oing is helping push people away from me!”
There was a brief silence as Malick continued to peruse the crowd and then Nathan loudly cleared his throat. “E xcuse me,” he said, “don’t let me interrupt anything with my despair!”
“Ah, they’ll get over it,” replied Malick quickly and with a grin.
“Get over it?” blurted Nathan. “Are you even listening to me?”
A moment passed and Malick sighed, ru nning his fingers backward through his hair. “What you need to do is have some fun,” he said. “Live in the moment and stop worrying about everyone liking you. Trust
Nathan stared at the ground and then star ted to make his way toward Roy’s truck. “I–I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sam,” he mustered.
Samantha followed behind him and they both stopped a bruptly after getting closer to the truck. “I spoke to Hugo,” she said confidently. “He got a good look at them too.” Reluctantly, Nathan turned to look at her. “And last time I checked, fraternities didn’t dress up in long black cloaks with long silver swords at their sides.”
Nathan looked at her shoulder before dropping his eyes again. “Sam, I…” he stumbled.
“They didn’t have normal faces, Nathan!” she continued. “Just a shadowy outline — but empty and black.” Samantha p laced a hand on her shoulder. “And their swords were just as real as the gash marks they left on the walls — and on my arm!” She paused. She could see the guilt building on Nathan’s face. “I tried talking to Andy and Eva Marie, but they’re not saying anything about that night.” Her eyes pleaded with Nathan’s and then fervently she took him by the hand. “What are you hiding from me?”
There was a brief silence and Nathan’s thoughts were loud, even with the blaring music. His eyes seemed to quiver in their sockets just at the sight of the scar on her shoulder. I would want to know , he thought.
Samantha squeezed his hand, breaking his gaze, and that’s when he caught a glimpse of her eyes, waiting eagerly for him to speak. I would want to know , he repeated to himself. I would want to know what happened to me .
Nathan swallowed hard and then s lowly opened his mouth. “Sam….”
Suddenly, above the music, a loud jarring sound echoed at them and Nathan and S amantha shielded their eyes as a pair of bright lights blinded them both. Soon, the jarring sound ceased and with it, so did the blaring lights. Slowly, Nathan’s vision returned and he frowned. Much to his dismay, a metallic silver Camaro with tinted windows now sat in front of him. “Malick,” he groaned.
“Well — hello!” yelled Malick as he closed the driver’s door to the Camaro behind him. He adjusted his black leat her jacket and smiled at them. Almost instantly, a mischievous grin appeared on his face. “Am I … interrupting something?”
Samantha and Nathan, both confused, turned to look at each other. Samantha’s face immediately turned red as she dropped Nathan’s hand. Quickly, Malick’s grin b ecame a full-fledged smile. “Don’t let me interrupt,” he said, while pointing toward the crowd. “I can just head over there.”
“Hello to you too, Stephen,” said Samantha, through gri tted teeth. She turned to look at Nathan. “I — was just leaving.”
“Sam,” called Natha n, as she turned to walk away.
She paused to look at him, and even though her eyes said otherwise, she smiled . “I’m sure we’ll talk later.”
Sadly, Nathan watched Samantha disappear into the crowd of people who danced and watched the concert. “I can’t keep doing this!” he groaned.
“Doing what?” asked Malick, who also watched the co ncert.
Nathan turned to look at him and huffed. “Keep lying to people!” he yelled. “The bad guys are still coming after us — so how is keeping secrets helping anyone? All it’s d oing is helping push people away from me!”
There was a brief silence as Malick continued to peruse the crowd and then Nathan loudly cleared his throat. “E xcuse me,” he said, “don’t let me interrupt anything with my despair!”
“Ah, they’ll get over it,” replied Malick quickly and with a grin.
“Get over it?” blurted Nathan. “Are you even listening to me?”
A moment passed and Malick sighed, ru nning his fingers backward through his hair. “What you need to do is have some fun,” he said. “Live in the moment and stop worrying about everyone liking you. Trust
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