Pulse

starting to cry, her voice shaking with frustration and panic. “I can’t keep going without you. Not out here.”
    She’d tried to be quiet, but in the end Liz had laid her soul bare in front of two boys. Faith had let it come to this. It was her fault.
    “Go on home,” Faith said. “And take Hawk with you. Let’s just talk later tonight. It’s going to be okay.”
    Liz let go of Faith’s hand, felt the soft fingers sliding away. She backed up until she was standing alone, staring coldly at Wade.
    “If you break her heart, I’ll find a way to ruin your life.”
    “Look, I’m sorry, okay? My mistake.”
    “Do you believe this guy?” Liz asked, looking to Hawk for support. “Now he’s all nice like he wasn’t a total monster five minutes ago.”
    Wade didn’t say anything, but he did look at Hawk, trying to size up where he stood.
    “I’m just here to see the monkeys,” Hawk said. “And eat the candy. But I’m thinking, Third wheel here, not ideal.” He moved toward Liz ever so slightly. “You two go on ahead; we’ll catch you next time.”
    Hawk was too smart to put himself on the wrong side of a complicated situation, but it made him very nervous sending Faith into a locked section of the school with no backup. He felt helpless as Liz began pulling him down the sidewalk.
    “And, news flash,” Liz said bitterly. “Calling our parents crazy just makes you a bigger asshole.”
    “Whatever you say,” Wade answered back. Liz had pretty much leveled him, and he wanted out of the situation as fast as possible. He put an arm around Faith, pulled her tightly to his side, and started walking.
    “You okay?” he asked.
    “Yeah, I’m good. She’s been going through a rough time. It’s been a little exhausting.”
    Faith felt the sting of grief as she threw her best friend under a bus, but the truth was, she really did feel like she was suffocating. She loved Liz more than anyone else she knew, but she also needed some space. She just wanted to cut loose for one night, then everything would be fine. She and Liz would work things out; they always did.
     
    Old Park Hill had four quadrants connected by long corridors. Only one of them, which also housed the gym, was in use, and even that one had a lot of locked doors. The other three buildings were loosely connected by a series of covered walkways that zigzagged through the grounds outside. It was fall, the days getting shorter; and though it was only four thirty when they entered one of the locked buildings, there was a chill in the air and the sun had moved behind the trees.
    “Are you sure no one will find us out here?” Faith asked. She was thinking of the custodian, an old guy who never talked to anyone as he walked around, stooped over his rolling cart of cleaning supplies. He had struck Faith as slightly unhinged, like he might be hiding a shotgun inside the garbage can he pushed around.
    “Nothing to mop up out here. No one cares about these old buildings. They’re like coffins.”
    Faith didn’t like the sound of that. Wade flashed a key so Faith could see it, and after a final look behind him to make sure no one was watching, he unlocked the door and held it open. Faith had a moment of regret and thought seriously about going in search of Liz and Hawk. It surprised her how much she was growing to like the three of them together. It didn’t seem right, being here with Wade and the two of them without her.
    “Come on, you’re going to like it. Promise.”
    Wade’s eyes told her that whatever lay hidden inside, it would be at least slightly and possibly very dangerous. He tugged on her hand as he stepped through the doorway, and her resolve melted away. When the door clicked shut behind her she jumped, startled and afraid; and Wade pulled her even closer than before, his strong arm wrapped around her shoulder.
    Like the grade school, there was no power in this building. Soft, golden light came in through the dusty windows and bounced off glossy linoleum floors. There were shadows everywhere. Faith leaned harder into Wade and tucked in under his arm, where it felt warm and safe.
    “I like it here. Cozy.”
    Wade flashed his confident smile, then pulled away until they were holding hands and he was turning sharply down a long, narrow corridor. It was one of those school passageways that seemed to go on forever, running the entire length of the building. Faith imagined it humming with hundreds of students talking about the latest