I folded my arms to keep warm. “Faith and Caitlin were both at the dance . . . she wouldn’t be with them. She could have gone to Mischa’s. She lives on High street. Or maybe Becky’s. She’s on Garfield. They both live on College Hill.”
“What are their addresses?”
“I don’t know. They both live in white houses.”
“Could you be more specific?” Josh’s voice had an edge to it. “I can’t knock on the door of every white house on the street.”
“What are you so upset about?” I asked. “So Elise said my name and she meant someone else’s. She’ll call for a ride eventually, won’t she?”
He shook his head. “It wasn’t a mistake. She’s out getting wasted somewhere, and the sooner I find her, the less upset my parents will be. Can you come up with addresses or not?”
“I’ll come with you.”
I thought about telling my parents I was leaving. I really did. I pictured my mother’s face as I woke her up to tell her I was going to drive around alone with Josh in the middle of the night. Then I decided it was better not to disturb her.
I climbed into the passenger side of Josh’s car. He sat down at the wheel, but hesitated as he put the key in the ignition. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. It’s Elise I’m mad at, not you.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
When I’d finished putting on my seatbelt, Josh pulled away from my house. His lips were drawn in a tight line. “Elise didn’t even bother coming up with a good cover. I guess she wanted you to be the first to know she’s gone back to lying and partying.”
He was right, I realized. If one of Elise’s parents had come to get her from my house, they would have woken up my parents, and it would have been a huge deal. Had Elise even considered that my parents might not want me to be friends with her after that?
Maybe that’s why she’d done it. Maybe she thought I was too boring and was looking for an excuse to ditch me.
“Where should I try first?” Josh asked. “Which of her friends is more likely to have a fake ID or parents with a liquor cabinet?”
Good question. Where would Elise go to find someone with alcohol? I’d barely posed the question to myself when I thought of the answer. Kaylee McGee, resident sophomore drunkard. Her boyfriend had broken up with her a couple weeks ago, and she’d decided to boycott the dance by throwing a party of her own. It was something she did without much provocation anyway. Her parents were frequently out of town, and her college-age brother could get the liquor for her. This made her a celebrity among the sophomores, and her parties were widely advertised. Even some of the more alcoholic juniors and seniors went to them.
“Kaylee McGee is having a party tonight,” I said, “but I don’t know where she lives. Look it up on your cell phone.”
Josh pulled over to the side of the street. “I don’t have internet on my phone. Can you look it up on yours?”
“I didn’t bring my phone with me.” I hadn’t known when I left my bedroom that I was going anywhere.
Josh took out his phone and called someone. While he waited to get the address from whoever he was talking to, he looked over at me. After studying me for a moment, he slipped off his suit coat and gave it to me. “Here, you must be freezing. Your nose is all red.”
I didn’t want to explain why my nose was red, so I put on the coat without saying anything. Josh went back to his phone conversation. He got the address and a few minutes later we pulled onto Kaylee’s street. It was easy to spot her house. The lights were on and cars lined both sides of the street.
Josh double-parked in front of Kaylee’s house and left his keys in the ignition. “If anyone needs to get by, move the car for them.” He opened his door, then turned back to me and added, “Carefully.”
I rolled my eyes at him, but he was already heading toward the house and probably didn’t see my facial commentary. I sat in the car, waiting, and wondered what Elise would do when she saw me. Would she be mad I’d helped Josh track her down? I was glad I had Josh’s coat. It was comforting to be wrapped up in something that smelled like his aftershave.
A few minutes later, Josh came out of the house. Elise followed after him. She wobbled into the back seat of the car, reeking of beer. “Well,” she mumbled, “if it isn’t the three Musketeers come to save me from myself. At least I think there are three of you. If you stopped waving up and down I could count.”
She laughed, but I didn’t. This time she was laughing at me.
Without saying anything, Josh put the car in drive and went down the street.
I twisted in my seat to face her. “Why did you tell your parents you were with me?”
She lay down across the seat. “Because Josh has told them about you. They think you’re a good influence.” She pushed some hair away from her face. “Although obviously not a good enough influence tonight. I think I’m going to throw up.” She waved a hand in Josh’s direction. “Can’t you drive without making the car sway around?”
Josh unrolled the back windows, letting in a blast of cold air. “Don’t you dare throw up inside my car.”
Elise moaned for a few moments. Then, moving faster than I’d thought her capable of, she jerked upright and leaned out the window. Her body shuddered and her hair whipped around in the wind. After a minute she pulled herself back inside. Even in the dark, her skin looked blotchy. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her sleeve, making faces at the taste in her mouth.
“So,” I said, “this is how you have fun?”
“It beats sitting at home babysitting while I wait for the Bobs of the world to ask me out—which reminds me, how was your date?”
“Fine.”
“Just fine?”
“Yes. Fine.”
“Think you have a future together? Maybe settle down and raise some little Bobbets?”
Josh let out a disapproving grunt. “Elise, stop being a jerk.”
“Oh, so now you tell me how to talk to my friends. I shouldn’t be surprised. You know how to do everything better than me, don’t you?”
Josh gripped the steering wheel hard. “Shut up, Elise.”
She flipped him off. He turned the radio on, and they ignored each other and me for the rest of the ride. I didn’t say anything either. Even with the heater blasting, it felt cold in the car.
Finally Josh pulled up in front of my house. “See you guys later,” I said, and got out of the car.
I hurried toward my house, only stopping at the porch when Josh called, “Cassidy, wait up.”
He had gotten out of the car and was striding toward me. Everything about him was tense: his walk, his expression, the set of his jaw. I had the sudden desire to give him a hug and tell him he was a good brother, even if Elise didn’t appreciate it at the moment.
I didn’t. It seemed too forward.
It wasn’t until Josh reached me that I remembered I still had his coat. “Oh,” I said, slipping it off my shoulders. “I forgot I was wearing this. Sorry.”
I handed it to him, but he didn’t turn to leave. “I didn’t come for the coat.” His words were soft. The tenseness that had been there moments before had drained away. “I just wanted to say thanks for helping me. I’m sorry I got you up and dragged you around town.”
“It’s okay.” I glanced back at the car to see if Elise was watching us. She was lying down with her feet propped up on the window. “That’s what friends are for.”
I had meant I was Elise’s friend, but Josh reached out and gave my hand a squeeze. “I’m glad you’re my friend.” He smiled, then turned and walked back to his car.
I put my hand on the doorknob, watching him for another moment.
Josh considered me his friend. The phrase glowed inside me. It made me think of standing next to him in the photo line when he’d said, “You’re great the way you are, Cassidy. I wouldn’t change anything about you.” Funny how that was the highlight of my first date.