A WHOLE NEW CROWD

CHAPTER THREE-1

CHAPTER THREE

Mandy came in my room Saturday evening to inform me who hooked up with whom, who broke up with whom, who fought, and who barfed. It was an amazing party. She invited me out with them that night. I declined and continued folding my clothes. When she kept quiet, I knew—the rumors had already circulated—someone must’ve seen Tray and me outside the diner.

She didn’t push it. Thank you for small favors. Instead I had to listen to her theory that Devon was cheating on her for the next thirty minutes.

“Are you serious? Devon? We’re talking about Devon?”

“Yeah.” She swung her legs around and sat up, still on my bed. “He was weird last night. I don’t know. Maybe he really did hook up with Stephanie.”

I paused, frowned, and then finished folding my shirt. “Are you going to talk to him tonight? About your hunch?”

“About Stephanie? No, but I am going to ask him if he’s cheating on me.”

“The sooner you talk to him, the sooner you’ll know what’s really going on and be back to being lovebirds again.” The idea of Mandy and Devon not together was funny to me. It wasn’t real. Those two were so lovey-dovey they made me gag the first time I saw it. The idea of Devon cheating was ridiculous. Then I glanced at her and saw the determined set of her shoulders. “Whoa. You’re serious.”

She stood and started to pace. “He’s really off and it’s getting to me, you know? He’s been like this for a while, but last night it creeped me out.”

“What’d he do?”

“He didn’t do anything, just would put his phone away as soon as I came back.” She hesitated. “Other stuff’s happened too. I don’t like it. I can’t not say anything. No way. He’s been like this for seven months. I can’t ignore it anymore.”

“Yeah.” I knew how she felt. Brian had cheated once. I almost killed him afterwards.

She nodded, her jaw hardening. “Yeah.”

“So where are you guys going tonight? Who’s all going?”

“The gang and some others.” That meant the top circle and the crowd beneath them. Stephanie. Ugh. “We’re going to a party at Rickets’ House.”

Another ugh. Rickets’ House was a big white mansion near Pedlam. Parties were thrown there because the house was abandoned, situated deep in the woods. Kids could scatter easily if the cops showed up, and it was notorious for being a mating ground. Brian wouldn’t be there; he hated that place, but there’d definitely be others there from Pedlam.

“I’m in.” I wasn’t doing the job, but I wanted to know why Pedlam had so much security. It was nagging at me, and I knew I could get some answers there.

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