“Jake.” Arnold said over and over again. Henri closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing, trying to control his heart. Trying to will it to just relax and not go haywire. He licked his lips, bringing a hand to his forehead, blood staining his fingertips.
He didn’t understand why he deserved this. Why Jake wouldn’t just leave him alone. His heart crashed harder and harder, he clutched his chest, staring up at the stars, praying for a miracle.
Arnold’s frantic screams crashed into Henri’s conscious. Henri turned, shocked to see the concrete brick coming for him, guided by Jake, a sudden heat nipped at his scalp. His body crumpled on the asphalt. His heart pounded erratically in his chest, the last thought in his mind was making it home—if he could just make it home.
And then all fell quiet. He couldn’t hear Jake furiously screaming at him any longer. Or hear Arnold pleading and crying for Jake to stop what he was doing. He couldn’t hear that owl anymore either, his eyes fluttered, going fuzzy. He concentrated on the fist slack above his head in small blurs of color.
And then everything went black.
***
“Tell us one more time.” Flynn’s father asked on the porch steps. There the three men in the house stood, waiting on Henri.
Flynn squeezed the bridge of his nose. He had been relaying the same story for almost an hour. He didn’t like to be the one to rat Henri out, but his entire family was freaking out. “I set up a spot down by the lake for Henri and Maven. You know, it was a special night. He was dead set on making tonight amazing before tomorrow morning when everything went back to normal. That’s where I left him.”
Doug Levitt—Henri’s father scrubbed his chin. He sighed. “He’s probably having a good time. Making up for lost times.”
“Then why no answer on his cell?” Flynn’s dad said with an even bigger and more concerned sigh than Henri’s own father. “He knows how much we worry about him.”
“We all were young once. Some things outrank even your own well being. Sex would be one of them.” Doug chuckled, taking a seat. “Hell, if I was dying I would be getting it on with as many girls as I could get my hands on. Just give him a little while longer.”
Flynn shot his dad a look. Henri’s parents were so simple. Henri was just as important to his parents as their own kids. His mother opened the screen door for the millionth time, poking her head out. “Have you seen him? I’ve called his phone damn near fifty times now.”
“He’s probably with Maven still. Let it alone for another hour then we’ll go look.” His dad’s body squared up, he dropped down on the porch steps wringing his hands together restlessly.
Flynn felt awful. His stomach was sour. He had orchestrated the entire thing and now his family was miserable wondering and waiting on Henri to return. Henri hadn’t even answered the phone for him.
His mom popped out the door again. “I can call the Wilders.” She let the door thud softly behind her.
***
The phone sounded through the house, echoing the hallway. Maven listened suspiciously to the heavy footsteps bounding across the floor. She looked at her clock, it was past midnight.
Holding her breath she listened warily.
“Maven is home in her bed…she has been for some time…I did not know that…well I will see if she knows anything.” Her mother’s words stopped and her doorknob rattled. Maven jumped out of bed, her heart beating hard in her chest.
“Henri was with you at the Hop tonight?” She eyed Maven. It wasn’t like her daughter to lie. Maven’s head dropped in embarrassment. “No time to feel bad now. Did he say he was going home after he dropped you off?”
Maven’s heart sank. She felt unsteady and ill. “He didn’t walk me home. I told him to hurry home because of tomorrow. I swear I didn’t know anything about his procedure until after the Hop. Is everything alright, mom?” Her mother waved a hand and swiftly shut the door.
Maven pressed herself against the door, clutching her chest. Tears spilling down her cheeks as she listened to her mother. “Maven said she went home alone. Henri was on his way as far as she knew. She said she knew nothing about tomorrow. Yes, I believe her.” There was a soft click, which told her the call ended.
Maven dropped to the ground sobbing. Suddenly she remembered something. “Mom!”
Her mother opened her door seconds later.
“He texted me back. I texted him after I showered and got ready for bed and he replied.” She jumped up, grabbing her phone. “It wasn’t more than thirty minutes ago. I’m sure he’s okay.”
Her mother’s eyes were apprehensive. She pushed her hair from her eyes giving her an understanding smile. “I’m sure. Get some rest. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
“Isn’t there something I can do?” She felt helpless.
“Stay by your phone. Or try calling him.”
ESCAPE
JAKE COULDN’T HEAR over Arnold’s hysterical crying. Arnold was crying like a child, sobbing, on his knees staring at the mess Jake had made. Completely unable to function enough to even wipe the snot from his nose, he just cried.
Jake tossed the concrete brick. It clunked against the asphalt and rolled into the brush. Jake blinked, wiggled his aching fingers and wiped his face with the back of his hand. He was in his own world, detached from reality as he stared at Henri.
“You killed him,” Arnold sobbed, shaking Henri. “Man…we’re so dead, Jake.”
Jake kicked the block in aggravation. “He’s not dead. I barely hit him.”
Arnold shook his head incredulously. “You hit him over the head with a concrete brick!”
“Just let me think. Shut your mouth, Arnold.” Jake pulled at his hair, his hands trembling with the awareness of what he had done. His drunken stupor was wearing off. He looked over his shoulder paranoid. “Help me lift him.”
Arnold scoffed. “For what?”
“Do you want to go to prison, Arnold?” He slipped his arms under Henri’s armpits. Arnold reluctantly took Henri by the ankles. They hurried across the asphalt of the yogurt hut, carrying Henri into the brush. Jake dropped him like a piece of garbage. Arnold carefully sat the rest of him down, he was still a person.
“He’s still breathing,” Jake mumbled. He pushed into Henri’s unresponsive body with his foot sending him down the hill. Henri’s body rolled three times before it ended up wedged between some stones and an old log covered in moss.
Arnold scratched his head, nervously watching his old friend treat Henri Levitt as if he wasn’t important enough to require help. Jake elbowed him. “Help me clean up the beer cans so we can get out of here.”
Arnold’s jaw dropped. “What about Henri, Jake? You just going to leave him here? What if he dies?”
Jake rolled his eyes. “We’ll phone it in to the fire station or something. Now move it.” Jake gathered the cans and the cooler, his feet crunching over the shards of glass as the two of them quickly cleaned up.
Arnold remained unmoving.
“Arnold! Pull it together. I won’t be the only one in deep shit if they catch us here. Now come on!” Jake burst into a sprint leaving Arnold saddled with the cooler filled with garbage, Arnold quickly followed.
***
Flynn clutched the steering wheel of his truck backing out of the driveway with his mother and his uncle. As soon as the neighbor called them about the broken windows at the yogurt hut his mother demanded they go right then and there. There was still no word from Henri, his phone was only going to voicemail now.