The headmaster announces that the Halloween Ball will go ahead the following Friday night. Ash and I meet outside our houses to go to the police station after school on Monday, but from the moment I open my mouth, I can tell they aren't listening. They either really don't believe me, or they're choosing not to because they want to believe they have the right guy locked up. It seems like the latter to me. After some arguing to no avail, we leave, and I can do nothing but pray it doesn't take another attack for them to see the truth.
I hate to admit it, but I like texting Ash. He actually responds, and I catch myself thinking of an excuse to start up a conversation more than a few times over the next week. The texting stays innocent, and so if Drew finds out, there'll be nothing incriminating. I don't like Ash that way, anyway. I'm almost sure something is going on between him and Dawn. I know they've hung out a couple more times over the next week. I don't ask either of them about it, but not because I'm jealous. At least that's what I tell myself.
Dawn drives us into the city at the weekend to go costume shopping. Despite telling myself I won't be something basic, I can't resist when Dawn picks out a witch costume, if you can even call it that. It's really just a super short black dress with layers and layers of lace under the short skirt. The sleeves are sheer and puffed at the shoulder, and it comes with matching black gloves and a witch's hat. It's a little funny, I'll admit, that I'm dressing as a witch when I could probably be called one now. Dawn picks out a sexy pirate costume that she looks amazing in.
I'm walking back into my house holding the costume in one hand and waving back at Dawn with the other when I step on a piece of folded paper that had been pushed through my letterbox. I pause for just a second before bending down and opening it up. My blood goes cold as I read the singular word sprawled across it in red writing that looks eerily like blood.
Witch.
I drop the costume on the floor and grip the paper in both hands, staring down at it, wondering if I'm seeing clearly. This can only have been written by one person, and that means he knows my address, whoever he is. I quickly step the rest of the way inside, scrambling for the costume and slamming the door shut like he might jump out at me at any second. The rest of my family is out. I toss the costume onto the stairs and storm into the kitchen, ripping the paper into shreds and tossing them in the trash. Suddenly the thought of wearing that costume turns my stomach. I feel like my life is spiralling out of control, and all I can do is sit back and watch.
Afterwards, trying to focus on anything is impossible. I can't help but wonder and stress about what people would do if they found out about me. Would I be killed? Used? There's no chance I'd just be left alone, especially now I know I can use it to harm people, and easily too. Laying on my bed two hours later, I get up quickly and pad downstairs. Max, who I've barely spoken to since school started again, runs past me so fast he almost knocks me down, and I curse loudly at him. They must have returned earlier, and I'd been so out of it I hadn't even noticed.
"May!" Mom scolds me from the kitchen. I sigh.
"Sorry. Erm, Mom, would you take me to Dawn's house?"
I round the corner into the kitchen. She's wearing an apron, and from the smell, I guess she's been baking cookies. She turns and places a tray on the kitchen counter, then pulls off her oven gloves.
"Well, I suppose, while these are cooling down," she says, grabbing her car keys from one of the counters, and not bothering to take the apron off. I sit silently in the passenger seat, aside from giving short answers to the questions I can't avoid, like the ones about Drew or school. Once she pulls up on Dawn's drive I begin to climb out before the car has even fully stopped and call out goodbye before she can tell me off.
I come to a stop in front of her house. Parked up right there is a motorcycle. Who owns a motorcycle? I turn, debating going back to my mom's car in case I'm interrupting something, but she's already driving off. I curse under my breath. I should have called before coming. Well, now it's knock or walk home, and there's no way I'm walking on my own.
I climb up the steps and knock loudly a few times, holding my breath. I wait for what seems like forever until I see her shadow appear through the frosted window, and hear the door unlocking on the other side. Then she pulls it open, and blinks down at me.
"May," she says, surprised. "I didn't know you were coming."
"I know, I'm sorry." I grimace. "Am I… Interrupting something?" I ask, nodding back at the motorcycle. For a second, she seems confused, but then she laughs so loud I actually jump.
"No, it's okay, come in," she says, still giggling. I step past her cautiously, and it happens again. A shiver runs up my arms, and I sense him. I know it's Ash before I see him. I freeze in the doorway. Why is it only Ash that I can sense like this? It has to be something to do with my magic, but I just want to know why it has to be him. I turn, looking into her living room, and see him looking right back at me from the sofa, that intensity in his eyes again. I want to turn and run.
"Hey," he says casually. I smile back, hoping it doesn't look too fake. I regret my decision to come. She and Ash had been alone, and now I'm crashing.
I turn back to Dawn as she closes the door and whisper to her. "Hey, I didn't realise he was here. I should just go. If Drew heard-"
"May, Drew has no right to tell you not to hang out with your own friends," she whispers back, furrowing her eyebrows. "Besides, I'm here." I twist my face a little, but she's already walking past me back into the living room. "We were just about to watch a movie. I'm gonna get some snacks."
She walks right through into the kitchen, leaving me alone with Ash. I hurry over to the sofa and sit on the other end of it, figuring Dawn will want to sit beside him. Before I can think better of it, I lean over a little.
"He knows where I live," I whisper, my voice coming out shaky. Ash narrows his eyes at me, suddenly seeming a mixture of concerned and angry. "There was a note put through my door, and… Well, I just know it was him." I'm still not sure I can trust Ash or even want to, but he's the only one that knows, and I have to tell somebody before I go insane.
Before he can respond Dawn is coming back through the archway carrying an assortment of different foods. I sit back, swallowing hard. I bite down on my lip to stop it from trembling. Dawn doesn't seem to notice as she sits between us and turns on the giant TV on the wall.
"May and I's favourite movie is probably a little corny for you," she's saying to Ash. He says something back to her, but I don't pay attention. I'm trying to ignore the fact that my brain is swamped down by unwanted jealousy. Dawn puts on an action movie instead of our usual rom-com movie. I watch along, make conversation whenever Dawn includes me, and try hard not to feel like a third wheel but fail. I barely pay attention to the movie, my head spinning, thoughts out of control. When it finally finishes, Dawn is yawning and looks like she might fall asleep on the spot. It's dark outside. I didn't realised it had gotten so late.
"I'll take you home, if you like," Ash offers, standing.
"I- On the motorbike?" I ask incredulously. He shrugs.
"I have a spare helmet, I brought it in case Dawn wanted to go out on it."
"No thanks," Dawn says quickly, looking terrified. The truth is, I don't want to leave. I'm scared of being at home, knowing someone that wants me dead knows my address. I would ask to stay with Dawn, but she looks so tired, and I don't want to intrude any more than I already have.
"Alright," I say reluctantly. I'm not scared of the bike anyway. Then, my heart stumbles. I'll have to sit behind him on it. I open my mouth to change my mind, but he's already gone into the hallway and is coming back with the helmet. He holds it out for me, and I grab it.
"See ya, Dawn," he's saying casually, waving as he leaves, forcing me to rush out after him to keep up.
"Bye!" She calls, and I smile and wave too as I follow him out. It's surprisingly warm outside, a cool breeze ruffling my hair as the gravel crunches underneath us. Ash walks right over to the bike and gets on. I gently put the helmet over my head, adjusting it a little, and follow, but hesitate.
Ash laughs a little. "You have to get on before we can go, you know."
I scoff. "Shut up." When he laughs again, I take a deep breath and start to get on the seat behind him, my heart hammering in my chest. We're so close, my hips against his, my legs around him. My whole body feels like it's on fire as parts of me press into parts of him. There's nothing intimate about it, and yet a heat pulses in the pit of my stomach, and I close my eyes and will it away. I rest my feet up and wait, awkwardly, for him to start moving.
"Put your arms around me," he says in a low voice. "Or you'll fall off."
I think I might die from embarrassment as I sit forward, pressing my chest into his back and wrapping my arms around his front. He's warm and solid beneath me, and I pray he can't feel my heart hammering against my ribs. Another moment passes, and then he starts up the bike, and we begin to move. I'd thought I wouldn't be afraid, but as he turns slightly I grip him harder.
Ash flicks up the front of his helmet and calls over the noise. "You're not going to throw up on me, are you?" He laughs.
I flick up my own. "Shut up or I will."
He laughs again and speeds up, making my breath catch in my throat. I watch the trees and houses fly past us, and the feeling is almost surreal, like flying. He eases the bike in and out of traffic, swerving between it, stealing my breath away every time. After a while I forget about the fact that we're completely pressed together, and just let myself enjoy the feeling of the ride. Only when we reach the other side of town did I realise we're not heading for our street.
"Where are we going?" I call out. Ash turns a little to look at me.
"I could see you didn't want to go home yet," he shouts back. My heart lurches a little in my chest. He could tell I was uncomfortable with going home, and he's going out of his way to spend longer with me. I can't even begin to explore what that means, or I'll turn it into something it's not in my head. He's just being nice, I remind myself. We ride right down the road where Drew had abandoned me after the crash. We ride right onto the motorway, where the traffic is even scarier, but the adrenaline makes the thrill even greater. I see a giant, illuminated bridge come into view, and I know we're headed into the city.
The city is beautiful at night. Every building is lit up brightly, reaching up tall into the sky. The tail lights of cars, the billboards, the neon signs of stores all contribute to the electric glow. Ash continues to weave us through the traffic, and I catch myself smiling under the helmet. I haven't felt this free in a long time. I want to throw my head and arms back and scream. This feels like one of those nights that will be burned into my memory forever. A warm summer night, riding together on Ash's motorbike for the first time, flying past the city traffic. My heart takes flight.
He takes a left turn suddenly and I cling to his shirt as we turn into the central park. I've been here a few times in the past, but never this late at night. It's less lit up than the rest of the city, with just a gentle warm glow from the street lights instead. Ash rides right up onto the path and into the trees a little before stopping and killing the engine. The end of the noise from the bike is startling, and the only thing I can hear is my rapid heartbeat now.
He climbs off, and I follow suit, pulling the helmet off my head and shaking my hair out. Ash is grinning at me when I look over.
"Not so bad, was it?" He asks, and I shake my head, the smile genuine. I want to get back on. I could sit there all night. Ash sits down and leans against a tree, and I follow his lead, hoping this isn't too intimate a setting. The closeness of our bodies is making my throat dry up. But I suppose we are friends, after all. We've been texting one another a lot, and I'm starting to feel much more comfortable in person with him, despite his intensity sometimes, and the weird way I can sense his presence.
"What did the note say?" He asks.
"That's not important," I answer quickly, probably a little suspiciously, and start pulling at the grass beside me nervously, the warmth replaced by a cold dread. I can't be mad at him for bringing it up, but it's snapped me painfully out of my illusion of peace. "But I think I need to try to figure out who it is."
Ash grins. "Do I get to play detective with you?"
"I guess, but this is serious," I say, smacking his arm playfully.
"I know." His face is suddenly serious. "Where do we start?"
"I don't even know." I sigh. "The only thing I can think of is luring them out by using myself as bait. If they really want me gone that bad."
Ash shakes his head. "You're not using yourself as bait. That's crazy."
"Got any better ideas?" I ask, and he goes quiet. "Exactly."
We sit in comfortable silence for a moment. I keep twirling the grass I'd pulled between two fingers. There's no one else in the park, just us.
"Dawn told me a story about when the two of you were kids," he says suddenly. My heart drops. That could be any kind of story. Truthfully, some of my childhood was a little… strange. Some of it I barely remember.
"Well, that could be a number of stories," I say with a laugh, trying not to sound nervous.
"She said you fell into a river and they lost you."
A shiver runs down my spine. I barely remember the river incident. We'd been young, probably around eight, when I'd slipped down a bank in the forest behind my house and into the river. The current had been strong and had dragged me down instantly. Dawn, Misty and Gary screamed from the side, but I was already gone, washed down with the water, barely able to keep my face above. The next thing I remembered after that was waking up in a hospital bed. Only months later did Dawn whisper the truth to me, a truth that we didn't understand at all, being kids. They'd found my body floating face down in the water three days after I'd been swept away. They'd assumed I was dead, and as they pulled my body out of the water, they were fully prepared to announce it. Then I opened my eyes. I had forgotten about the story altogether, never thought about it since, assuming it was just weird. But now… Why are there chunks of my memory missing like that?
"I don't remember much of that. It was pretty traumatic."
"I bet," he murmurs. "You must be really strong."
I feel my face heat up. "Not really."
We sit there a while longer. Ash asks more about our childhood stories, and I give him stories about the others that make him laugh loudly. I feel relaxed, and eventually tell him I feel better, and I'll be okay to go home. I do feel better, but really I'm just itching to get back on the bike.
We speed back the way we came, and I cling to Ash the way I had before, but dipping my head back, letting the wind run through my hair, trying not to think about the killer, or my memories, or-
A bright light surrounds us for a second, but from behind. Another follows it a second later. The flashing of a cars headlights, I realise I turn, though it makes me feel a bit nauseous, to see what it is. My stomach sinks into the ground as I realised it's Drew's car, and he's recognised me.
I whip back around again and pull the front of the helmet up. "Pull over!" I shout over the wind at Ash. He doesn't respond, just starts to slow and swerve over to the side. We haven't even reached the bridge yet. As he kills the engine I turn to see that Drew has already pulled over behind us, and is getting out of the car. The words die in my throat as he approaches, his face stony, jaw clenched and eyes dark. He looks like he might kill me.
As he comes up in front of me, Ash steps off the bike and comes up beside me. I take a step away from him and hope he doesn't notice.
"What's going on here?" Drew asks me, but glares right at Ash, and then I realise he doesn't even know it's Ash yet because of the helmet. Before I can answer he starts pulling the helmet off his head. He shakes out his raven hair and looks right back at Drew defiantly. I feel like I might pass away.
"Of course," Drew says, throwing his hands up. "Of course this is who you're sneaking around with."
"It's not like that," I argue, but the words go right over his head as he takes a step towards Ash, his eyes burning.
"She's right, man, if you'd just listen to her," Ash says, holding his free hand up. Drew lifts his fist and swings before I even realise what's happening. I let out a little scream, but Ash's reflexes must be insane, because he ducks, completely avoiding the blow. Suddenly, I'm angry, and I step in front of Ash, blocking Drew from taking another shot. I shove a hand against his chest.
"Get in the car. Now."
My sudden dominance seems to stun him, and he blinks down at me, all the anger gone from his face. Then he listens, but gives Ash an obscene gesture before he does. I pull the helmet off my head and hand it back to Ash, who seems completely unfazed.
"I'm sorry," I say a little awkwardly. I don't really know what to say.
"Don't be. I'll catch you soon, yeah?"
"Yeah," I say with a nod, but he's already turned away to climb back on the bike. He's pulling the helmet back on as I turn and stomp for the car, throwing myself in the passenger seat. When I turn, Drew's already glaring at me, waiting for an explanation, and for a moment all I can think is how did we end up here? Drew loves me, I'm sure he does, and I think I love him too, and yet we end up here far too often.
I huff a sigh. "They haven't caught the right guy. For the janitor murder. I know because… Because I went for a jog the other night and he chased me. It was him, Drew."
Drew's face goes a little bit white. "Why didn't you tell me?"
I shake my head. "I didn't want to worry anyone. I went to the police but they didn't believe me. The only one that knows is Ash, and that's only because I ran into him. He's the only reason the guy gave up chasing me."
Drew sits quietly, digesting the news that I have a good reason for everything, and I am not cheating on him. I would never. "I went to Dawn's tonight because I was scared. A note was pushed through my letterbox and it was him. He knows where I live. Ash was already there, and so I told him. Dawn was going to bed as we left. It was get on his bike, or walk. I can't walk home alone. I won't."
"It's okay," Drew says, nodding. The tension in the air is gone. "I understand. You should have told me though, May. You can tell me anything."
He's gone soft again, and this is the Drew I think I love. This is the Drew that attracted me in the first place. Every now and again he likes to remind me that he can be sweet. I just wish it was more often. He doesn't mention Ash again as he drives me home.