AUGUST 16

I paused the game. None of us were really into it, anyway. It was weird, having only four of us playing. It just wasn't quite the same. "Have any of you guys heard from Willow?" I asked. She hadn't joined in our daily game-playing for three weeks now, which was really unusual for her. She loved playing and proving how much better she was than us guys. Because truthfully, she was better. Not that we would ever admit that to her. I mean, come on. No self-respecting man admitted out loud that a girl played better than him.

"No," Ty said. "I haven't talked to her in three weeks. Not really. Just vague text responses if I ask her how she's doing. You know, with her grandmother's death. But she never instigates the conversation. I have to text her, and then I only get vague replies."

"Same here," Tommy said.

"I talked to her just the other night. I called her on the phone, because I was getting nowhere with the texts," Adrian admitted. "I got the same thing. Just vague responses. She's not okay, guys. I don't care what she says. It's been two months, and she doesn't seem to be doing any better."

"I know," I replied. "I'm really worried. I even called her mom yesterday. She said Willow didn't want to talk. I'm really worried. I'm wondering if there's something else going on, more than just her grandma dying."

"Maybe we should go to her house," Ty suggested. "Talk to her. She can't blow us off as easily if we're at her house."

"Not all of us," Adrian disagreed. "I think it might be better if just one of us goes."

"Who?" Tommy wanted to know.

"Stryker."

I arched my eyebrows in surprise. "Why me?" I asked. Not that I was unwilling to go. I was just surprised to have been nominated.

I could practically hear Adrian roll his eyes. "Dude, she's closer to you than the rest of us. You were kind of friends with her before any of us were. Maybe she'll listen to you."

I snorted. "She hasn't so far."

"Maybe she will if it's just you who shows up at her house unannounced."

Adrian was probably right. Hopefully. I sighed. "All right. I'll go. I'll let you guys know if I'm successful." I saved the game and grabbed my keys.

"Mom!" I hollered, as I pulled on my shoes. "I'm going to stop by Willow's place to check on her! Be back in a bit!"

"All right. But can you come grab Kenny real quick?" Mom said from the kitchen. "I've got my hands full of groceries, and she's right under my feet."

I entered the kitchen and scooped Kensley into my arms. I blew a raspberry on her belly button, which got a little giggle out of her.

Mom smiled at me. "Thanks, little man. The play pen is in the living room. Can you pull it in here and put her in it so I can finish getting these put away? She's being extremely clingy today, and it's not very helpful to me at the moment."

"Sure."

I did that, kissing Kenny's cheek before putting her in the play pen. Then I left, driving to Willow's house.

I didn't see her mom's car out front, but that didn't surprise me. Willow's mom was a doctor, and worked weird hours. It was probably one of the reasons that Willow had never been freaked out by the idea of needles and stuff. She'd volunteered at the hospital before. She hadn't really decided what she wanted to do after high school, as far as I knew, but I wouldn't be too surprised if she went into the medical field. She'd be good with kids, especially the older kids. Teens and stuff. She doesn't sugarcoat things, which is usually about the last thing that a teen wants to hear.

I got out of my car and walked to the front door. I knocked.

Nothing.

I knocked again, a little louder. If I had to, I would just stand there and keep knocking until she answered. I knew she was home. Her blue Focus was out front.

After my third round of knocking, the door finally opened. Willow stood there, a slightly surprised look on her face. "Stryker. What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you. I'm worried about you. We all are."

She scowled. "We?"

"Um, your friends? I know that you're upset about your grandmother, but –"

"I'm not," she cut in. "I mean, I am, but that's not what's going on right now. I'm getting used to Grams being gone. I knew it was coming."

I frowned. "Then what is going on?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

"Yeah, it does. Willow –"

"Stryker," she interrupted again, but this time she looked concerned. She studied me closely. "Are you all right? You're pale. And shaking. How's your bloodsugar?"

I thought for a minute, getting a sense of what my body was trying to tell me. Of all the times... "Crap. I'm low." I should have realized it sooner. I knew what the symptoms were.

"Do you have something to eat or drink?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "No. I rushed out the door without even thinking about it." I usually tried to make sure that I had something with me, in case this happened. But I had forgotten all about it.

"Come on. I think I've got some orange juice." She pulled me inside and got me a glass of orange juice. After I drank it, I tried again to get her to tell me what was going on, if it wasn't about her grandmother.

Nothing. All she did was plaster on a fake smile and insist that nothing was wrong and that she'd be getting back to her normal self in no time. She apologized for being so out of it lately, and told me that we had nothing to worry about. She was fine.

She was lying.