Mezzanine

| 34 |

Lola and I were silent as I drove her home. She stared out the window, watching the trees whip by as I took the turns. In the background, a haunting minor chord progressions hummed through the radio. The song played too quietly to identify, but I felt like I'd heard it before. The sensation that I could almost grasp the answer but not quite reach it echoed my feelings about the entire night.

We needed to figure out a way to stop the ritual, but the answer to how remained just beyond my field of vision, like it was cast behind some veil.

Finally, Lola's baby blue house emerged at the end of the road. It was impossible to miss the frosted-white trim lit up by the warm, glowing porch lights.

Twigs and leaves crunched beneath the tires as I pulled into the driveway. I shut off the car, and we sat there for what felt like ages, just listening to the silence. It felt...nice.

It suddenly occurred to me Lola was the only person—maybe in the world—I could do this with: sit in complete silence. No thoughts...nothing. Just the sound of our breath and our hearts beating.

I watched her out of the corners of my eyes. Her hair cascaded over her face and the exposed skin on her shoulders. Her glossy red lips were slightly parted, her breath becoming a frosty ghost in front of her.

She looked beautiful...but also distant.

I got the same strange sensation I had when she'd been singing. If I blinked for too long, she'd disappear, fading like a dream between nightmares.

The dome lights in the car's overhead dimmed, and the night turned a shade darker. Everything felt colder as the heat from the engine dissipated. With a heavy sigh, Lola got out. I followed her lead, meeting her around the front.

"Here," I said as I handed her the keys.

"Thank you," she took them from me and placed them in the front pocket of her jeans. Her gaze drifted to the side as a cool night breeze tugged at her hair, sending a few strands flying across her face. She brushed them back behind her ear.

"Are you going to be okay tonight?" I asked. I leaned in an inch closer, letting one hand rest on the hood of her car.

"I think so," she said. "You?"

I nodded. "I'll be fine."

"We need to figure out what to do...about this."

"I know." I bit my tongue. The problem was, I had no idea what to do next. I needed to think about it more. Time was what I needed, but that was the one thing we were running out of.

"What about tomorrow afternoon?" Lola suggested. "I have cheerleading practice until five and I should probably go to keep anyone from getting suspicious, but right after that?"

"That works," I said, remembering how I'd skipped detention today. If I tried that twice in a row things might get tricky. "I'm supposed to be in detention until then anyway."

"I'll talk to Carter at school," I continued, "then we can meet at the park near your place." The location was halfway between their houses and on the way home from school for me so it was convenient, but most importantly, it was usually empty.

"Good idea," she said.

"I should head home before it gets too late." I tilted my head to the side, gesturing towards the street. It was already dark out, and I had a two-mile walk before I reached my house.

"Okay," she said.

I hesitated for a second. For some reason, I didn't want to let her out of my sight. I wanted to be closer—hold her and pull her in to me and not let her go. But instead, with a quick nod goodbye, I turned and began heading down her driveway.