Tori Has a Secret

 

 

The ride into town took nearly half an hour. The air seemed to grow cooler and as I rode, goosebumps jumped out on my arms and legs. High in the night sky, a half moon rose up, giving a little needed light along the deserted road. Never in my life had I seen so many stars.

 

In the city, the stars were hard to see unless it was a super clear night. But out there in the middle of nowhere, the universe opened up to me. I felt small and insignificant as I rode those few miles watching the star-scattered night. And at the same time, I felt free, confident that once I made it to the stadium, I would find my mother's necklace.

 

The parking lot of the school was deserted. I rode up as close to the fence as I could get and looked for a way in, but all of the gates were locked up. The chain links were small enough for me to fit the tip of my shoe into and hoist myself over. I climbed up the fence, threw my leg over the top, then jumped down onto the dirt below.

 

From the looks of it, the janitor had already done a sweep of the stadium. Most of the popcorn boxes, drink cups, and trash was taken away, leaving only the plain dirt and sparse grass. I prayed the necklace was still there somewhere, or at the very least, picked up by someone and turned into lost and found where I could get it on Monday. I retraced every one of my steps from the second I had entered the gate until the time I left.

 

I walked from one side of the stadium to the other, looked through the metal bleachers, and searched around in the dirt. The pendant and chain were nowhere to be found. The longer I searched, the more frustrated I became.

 

My last ditch effort was to crawl beneath the bleachers and search for it there in the dirt and filth below where Agnes and I sat to watch the game. I walked down to the approximate place, then got on my hands and knees in the dirt to crawl beneath the seats. It was dark out there, but the stadium's emergency lights were still on. I ran my palm against the dirt and grass, pulling up every piece of trash or debris to inspect, just in case.

 

That's when I heard someone giggling. I recognized her right away. After all, Tori Fairchild was one of the first people I'd met at Peachville High, and I'd heard enough of her to last me a lifetime. Geez, it was like she was following me around like a little black raincloud. I froze in place, hoping she wouldn't see me there covered in dirt.

 

I could see her skipping across the field, still in her blue and black Demons cheerleading uniform. There was a guy with her. In the semi-darkness, I couldn't quite make him out, but there was no doubt in my mind who it was. Who else would she be out here with after the game? He was wearing a Demons letterman jacket with a blue Demon on the back and a Demons baseball cap.

 

Foster Adams. Star receiver. They were the perfect couple.

 

I'd seen them together at school all week. Foster was one of the rich kids in town. He drove a freaking Porsche, if you get my drift. He was part of that elite crowd. You know, the one that hated me?

 

Tori rushed into his arms and he spun her around. Her high pitched giggles echoed off the bleachers and into the empty stadium. They both seemed so normal. So all-American high school kids. Would I ever have a normal life like that?

 

My legs were starting to cramp, but I didn't want them to see me crawling out from under the bleachers. I'd never hear the end of it. Plus, if anyone at Shadowford found out I was here, I'd be kicked out on my ass. I couldn't let that happen, so I crouched through the pain.

 

Tori and Foster stopped and embraced in a long, passionate kiss. I rolled my eyes and looked away. As I turned my head, I lost my balance. I let out a whoop as I fell backwards, hitting my head on one of the metal steps.

 

I drew in a nervous breath, my heart pounding like a jackhammer. My head snapped around to see if the others had heard me, and I was mortified to see them looking my way.

 

Oh God, I'll never hear the end of this.

 

The guy took a couple of steps in my direction.

 

“Who's there?” It didn't sound like Foster's voice, but then again, I hadn't heard him speak that many times. Tonight, though, his voice sounded deeper. Older.

 

I bit my lip, not daring to move an inch.

 

Tori leaned over to the guy and said something, but I couldn't quite make it out. She was pulling furiously on his arm, as if she were scared. Not that I could blame her. For all she knew, some maniac with a gun was out here to spy on them or rob them blind.

 

“Let's get out of here,” Tori said.

 

“I wanna know who's there,” the guy said. His face was still cloaked in shadow, but as he moved closer, I was certain it wasn't Foster. He was a bit too tall and not quite as muscular.

 

Tori has a secret, I thought. Powerful information to have if I ever need it.

 

I strained my eyes to make out the guy's face, but with the cap pulled firmly over his forehead, I simply couldn't tell who it was.

 

“There,” Tori said, pointing toward the bleachers where I was hiding. “Under the bleachers.”

 

The man came running toward me and out of fear, I bolted, slipping on the loose dirt a few times before I found my footing. I ran as fast as I could to the fence, scrambled over the top, and rode away. Just as I reached the edge of the parking lot, I could see the guy come around the side of the bleachers, too late to see my face.