Page 22

CHAPTER 22

ZAIDEN

S tanding in the darkness, I stared at Ariella sitting at a park table with her feet propped on the bench under a pavilion. A storm of emotions churned inside me. Anger at what she'd done to my sister mixed with the instinctive need to protect her, to make sure she was okay. I hated how easily old feelings resurfaced, and that kiss didn't help the situation.

By the time we made it to my house after leaving campus, we had decided to send out a group invite to meet at a local park so we could accommodate everyone. Apparently, everyone had the same idea because before we knew it, the park was full of ballers, dancers, and cheerleaders.

We'd been here for almost an hour, and most of Westbrook's athletes had been accounted for, but we were still missing Mila and Journey.

Sterling appeared through the crowd, his usually carefree demeanor replaced with a grim determination. He'd volunteered to help account for our team. "Everyone is accounted for on our end," he reported, voice steady despite the worry lines creasing his forehead. "But the other teams—" He trailed off, glancing towards the clusters of anxious athletes still waiting for news. "We're still missing a couple of people from the football team, dance team, soccer team, and a few cheerleaders."

It was possible that others had lost their phones like Ariella and didn't know we were waiting for them, but knowing that didn't make the wait any easier for those waiting to see if their friends were alive or dead.

"Mila and Journey still haven't shown up," Sterling stated. "I saw them heading toward the exit before everything went down. They were probably heading home."

"Yeah," I muttered without taking my eyes off Ariella. "Their practice was over."

"Maybe they both lost their phone," he said. "A lot of people dropped their things in the chaos."

I nodded. "It's a possibility, but it's also a possibility they were hurt or worse. They went out the way the shooter came in."

It wasn't just Ariella who was worried about Journey and Mila. We all grew up together. Ariella, Mila, Journey, and Kacie were best friends. Growing up, I couldn't remember a memory they weren't part of.

"Maybe it's time to send out team captains to see if they can account for everyone else."

"I'm going to take Ariella to Mila and Journey's house to see if we can find them."

"We can split up," Sterling suggested. "You and Ari go to Mila's, and I'll go to Journey's."

I nodded again. "Let EJ know what we're doing, and I'll grab Ariella."

"I'll call you if I find anything," Sterling said as he twisted and disappeared into the crowd.

I strolled to Ariella and climbed up on the table beside her. "Where are they?" Ariella murmured, staring through the crowd like she was waiting for them to appear, her fingers nervously tracing patterns on her black leggings.

My chest tightened with sympathy. "They could have lost their phones like you in the chaos." She nodded softly. "Sterling is headed to Journey's house now. Why don't we go check Mila's?"

"We were supposed to meet at Mila's after—" She trailed off, biting her bottom lip.

"Come on," I urged, already moving to slide off the table. "We'll take my bike. It's faster."

She nodded and slipped my hand into hers as I slid off the table, gently tugging her to follow me. I stopped waiting for her to hop off the bench, and when her feet hit the ground, and I didn't release her, her gaze lingered for a long moment on our tangled hands before lifting to meet mine. A moment passed between us, drawing memories from our past—the past when she was secretly mine, and I was hers.

Clearing my throat, I tugged at her hand. "Let's go."

When we got to my bike, I tossed a leg over and adjusted before jerking my head, silently telling her to load up. I leaned forward to grab my helmet when my phone rang. I shoved my hand in my pocket and jerked out my phone, and a wave of relief washed over me when I saw Mila's name on the screen. I held the phone out, showing Ariella her leg midair to get onto the bike.

"Answer it," Ariella demanded, her voice tight with anxiety as she abandoned her attempt to mount the bike and pivoted to face me.

I slid right. "Where are you?" I blurted out, my heart racing as I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Journey and I are at my house," Mila rushed out, her words tumbling over each other in barely contained panic. "We saw what happened, and we haven't been able to get a hold of Ari."

"Did you not get the text that everyone was meeting at Barnet Park for a head count?"

"We were getting ready to head that way. I accidentally left my phone in my car, and Journey changed her number last week, so she hadn't updated anyone yet." She sounded winded and rushed. "Have you seen Ari? She was supposed to meet us here and never showed."

"She's fine.” I flashed a look at Ariella, still standing at my side, anxiously waiting for me to tell her what was going on. "She's with me. We were actually about to go look for you and Journey."

"Oh, thank God," Mila breathed, relief palpable in her voice even through the phone's tiny speaker. "The news said over twenty people were injured, and one person was dead."

"Do they know who yet?"

"Yes, but they aren't releasing the name until they've informed the family. They did say it was a staff member."

I narrowed my eyes. The only staff members in the sports hall would have been coaches. "A coach," I muttered.

"Yeah," she whispered, the single word heavy with unspoken dread.

"Did they identify the shooter?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "His name was Bradley Fletcher." Bradley Fletcher. I remembered him - a first-year with a chip on his shoulder. There had been rumors about his grades and behavior. I'd heard he was kicked off the football team and lost his scholarship. I felt sick. "He's also dead."

"Let me know if you hear what coach?—"

"Oh, wait," Mila interrupted, her voice suddenly sharp. In the background, I could hear the urgent tones of a news broadcast, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. "Oh shit—" she gasped, the words escaping in a horrified exhale.

"What?" I snapped. "What is it?"

"It was Coach Palmer. My coach."

"Oh." My gaze shifted to Ariella, and I held up two fingers. "Two deaths."

"Who?" she demanded, my patience fraying as I gripped the phone tighter.

"The shooter and Coach Palmer," I reported grimly, watching Ariella's face for her reaction.

Her chin jerked back, but she didn't say anything. I could see the mixture of emotions flashing across her face.

The loss of life was always sad, but I wasn't one bit upset about losing a man who took advantage of the team he was supposed to protect, and I imagined Ariella and Mila felt the same.

"Are they sure that's it?" I asked. "We still have several unaccounted for."

"They're probably at home sleeping or something and don't know what's going on. Has everyone from the dance team been accounted for now?"

"Yes," I said. "The football and soccer teams are still missing people."

"They could send someone to their house to check on them, but the news said it was only one plus the shooter."

"I'll let EJ and Curtis know," I said into the phone. "And then I'm going to take Ariella home."

"Stay safe," Mila said and disconnected.

"Mila and Journey are safe." I slid off my bike as Ariella visibly relaxed. "We should let everyone know the info we got, and then we'll head home."

Ariella and I took a minute to update EJ, Sterling, and the soccer team captain, Curtis, before we headed home.