Page 97 of The Bright Lands

She made a motion for Dashandre and April to go on to the gym without her, followed Benny through the scraps of paper that still hung from the cafeteria’s doorway. Information—like money—was irresistible to her.

“Has your d-d-dad s-said anything about it this w-week?” Benny said.

“About quail hunting?”

“N-n-no. Ab-b-bout the B-B-Bright Lands.” When B-B-Benny tried to whisper, spittle flew from his lips, clung to the bars of his helmet’s grill. “G-Garrett said if I t-told the c-cops Jamal wanted a c-c-condom at the game then they’d t-t-take me there tonight.”

Kimbra struggled to see what this had to do with her father. Nothing, she insisted. Nothing. “So?”

“They’re t-t-taking Luke! Luke!” Benny pointed down the empty hallway. “B-But I h-heard it was your d-d-dad runs that p-party. He m-must have t-told you wh-where t-to find it, right?”

Down the hall the pep rally’s warm-up number repeated: they were waiting for her.

Kimbra hardly heard it. She didn’t care. Suddenly she didn’t care about much of anything.

Benny took an anxious step away from her, another. “F-forget I said it,” he said, and jogged down the hall.

Go. Go now.

Don’t think. Don’t ask.

“Don’t let those guys fuck you up.”

Something bad is going on

Heading 2 uncle jarvis’s house early

Go.

She didn’t bother to change out of her cheer uniform. She took off down the hall, pulled loose her phone, texted KT:

Let’s do it.

u mean now?

now.

u ok?

you want to do this or not?

A pause. He wrote:

Gimme 30 min. i gotta say bye 2 mommers.

I’ll get the money.

She reached her locker, pulled out her backpack and gym bag, looked for anything she might need. She grabbed an extra lip balm. A pack of gum. She would ask KT everything when they were safely across the county line, she told herself. Maybe when they hit New Mexico. Maybe never.

She shut her locker and saw Bethany Tanner standing a few feet away, watching her with an ugly mix of anger and concern. Sweet fuck, the girl looked so exhausted even the sequins of her singlet seemed to have dulled. Bethany had spent every minute since her loud confession in the parking lot yesterday morning doing her best to preserve her reputation. Considering the fact she was walking the halls alone, without Jasmine, her trusty sidekick, Kimbra suspected Bethany’s efforts hadn’t been successful. Things at the top of the pyramid didn’t look good.

“We’re waiting for you,” Bethany said.

Kimbra tossed her lock into her bag. “I’m leaving.”

“Leaving?” Bethany took a step forward. “You can’tleave. This is the biggest day of the fucking season.”

“Watch me.”