Point of Retreat

out the window and hasn't said much since we left Detroit. I can't tell if he's lost in thought or passed out.
     
    He grumbles a response, informing me that he's still awake.
     
    "Have you and Eddie talked since you left my house the other night?"
     
    He stretches in his seat and yawns, then puts his hands behind his head and leans back. "Not yet. I worked a double shift yesterday. We were both in school all day today and didn't even see each other until tonight, but we were with Layken. I pulled her aside earlier and told her I wanted to talk to her later. I have a feeling she thinks it's bad. She hasn't said much to me since then."
     
    "Well, she'll be-"
     
    "Will!" Gavin yells. My first instinct is to slam on the breaks, but I'm not sure why I'm slamming on the breaks. I glance at Gavin and his eyes are glued to the oncoming traffic in the lanes to the left of us. I turn my head and see it just as the truck crosses the median and hits the car in front of us.
     
    Lake's car.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Part Two
     
     
     
     
     
    Thursday, January 26 th , 2012
     

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Twelve
     
    I open my eyes, but don't hear anything right away. It's cold, though. I feel wind. And glass. Glass is on my shirt. Then I hear Caulder.
     
    "Will!" he screams.
     
    I turn around. Caulder and Kel both look fine, but they're panicking and trying to get out of their seat belts. Kel looks terrified. He's crying and yanking on the car door.
     
    "Kel, don't get out of the car. Stay in the backseat." My hand goes up to my eye and I pull my fingers back and there's blood on them.
     
    I'm not sure what just happened. We must have been hit. Or we ran off the road. The back windshield is busted out and there's glass all over the car. The boys don't look cut anywhere. I look at Gavin and he's swinging his door open. He tries to jump out of the car but he's stuck in his seatbelt. He's frantic, trying to unlatch. I reach over and push the button, releasing his seatbelt for him. He trips as he lunges out of the car, but catches himself with his hands and pushes himself back up and runs. What is he running from? My eyes follow him as he runs around the car next to us. He's gone. I can't see him. I lean my head back into the headrest and close my eyes. What the hell just happened?
     
    "Lake!" I yell as soon as it hits me. I swing open the car door and get hung up in the seatbelt just like Gavin did. When I free myself, I run. I don't know where I'm running to. It's dark, it's snowing and there are cars everywhere. Headlights everywhere.
     
    "Sir, are you okay? You need to sit down, you're hurt." A man grabs my arm and tries to pull me aside but I yank my arm away from him and keep running. There are pieces of glass and metal all over the highway. My eyes dart from one side of the road to the other, but I can't make anything out. I glance back to my car and to the space in front of us where Lake's car should be. My eyes follow the broken glass to the median on the right of the highway. I see it. Her car.
     
    I break out in a run until I reach the car. Gavin is on the passenger side. He's pulling Eddie out of the car so I run around to help him. Her eyes are closed but she winces when I pull on her arm. She's okay. I glance inside the car but Lake's not there. Her driver's side door is wide open. A sense of relief washes over me when I realize she must be okay if she's able to walk away. My eyes dart to the backseat and I see Kiersten. As soon as Eddie is lying on the ground, I climb into the backseat and shake Kiersten.
     
    "Kiersten," I say. She doesn't respond. She's got blood on her, but I'm not sure where it's coming from. "Kiersten!" I yell. She still doesn't respond. I take her wrist and hold it between my fingers. Gavin climbs into the backseat with me and sees me checking her pulse. He looks at me with terror in his eyes.
     
    "She's got a pulse," I say. "Help me get her out." He unbuckles her seatbelt as I put my hands underneath her arms and pull her over the front seat. Gavin climbs out first and grabs her legs and helps me pull her out of the car. We lay her next to Eddie. Next to an ever-growing crowd of concerned bystanders. I glance at all of them, but none of them are Lake.
     
    "Where the hell did she go?" I stand up and look around. "Stay with them," I tell Gavin. "I need to find Lake. She's probably looking for Kel."
     
    Gavin nods.
     
    I walk around several vehicles and pass the