Arrows (21 page)

“You’ll really be gone three months?” she asked.

“Yes.” I eased her in front of me, where she took five steps and seemed really content. She always looked like that when she was dancing. “I’ll call you,” I added.

“This whole idea is weird. No hearts around the Lakefield tat, whatever you do.”

“Just a few?”

She laughed, which was how I always wanted her to be. Happy, in my arms, feeling important. All the places we touched felt amazing. “I’ll give you a letter,” I said. “When I get back, I want you to give it to me. I don’t want to forget anything about our time together.”

“Here I thought it wasn’t possible for this idea to get any weirder. I was wrong.”

“You’ll be leaving me, too, you know.” I rubbed my thumb across her lower back. “Going to school. Following your dreams.”

She swayed with me and didn’t speak, but when she fit her hands behind my neck and rested her cheek against my shoulder, I swear she whispered, “Shhh.”

With a teensy bit of nagging, we’d set a date for his going-away party: Saturday night, two weeks after our dinner, complete with a bonfire and strands of twinkly lights. Peyton helped me decorate.

“Wow, Karma, you’re really going all out.” She stood on a ladder, holding a roll of red streamers that matched her hair.

I finished twirling the strand into a perfect coil, cut the end, and taped it to the corner of the ceiling. The middle hung in a glorious arc. “I just wanted to do something nice for him after everything he’s done for me.”

“When is he leaving?”

“Sixteen days.”

“Wow, you even know the number of days.”

“He’s pretty precise with his timing.” I climbed down and positioned my stepladder a few feet forward. The tape dispenser clattered to the floor. “Do you think it’s weird that Danny refuses to come to the party?” I grabbed the tape and tore four pieces along the serrated edge.

“Not really.” Peyton skipped forward, the ladder scraping the floor. “He hates Aaryn, right? I’d be more surprised if he
came.
”

“I don’t think he
hates
him. The fight was a long time ago. They’re over it, I’m sure.”

“Karma.” Peyton tugged the streamer. It stretched to the point of tearing, then relaxed. “They both like you. That’s why Danny doesn’t want to come. Too much testosterone in one room.”

“Aaryn doesn’t like me in that way. He’s just a friend. A really nice guy—you said so yourself.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Don’t act like that.” I tore the streamer until it floated from her grasp. She pretended to be appalled. “Don’t make things awkward between me and Aaryn. Please?”

“You’re the one interpreting it that way.”

“You’re impossible.”

“So are you.”

“Let’s blow up the balloons.” At least with a balloon in her mouth she couldn’t make her observational comments. For a few seconds, the only sound in the studio was rubber expanding with our breaths.

“What’s with all the gray?” Peyton asked, bumping my head with a balloon.

“Aaryn claims it’s his favorite color.” I made a face. “I told him that’s boring and that I was adding red to the room to liven things up.”

“Huh. Weirdo.”

“Right?” My half-blown balloon deflated as Danny’s truck skidded into the driveway. Not again. Not now.

“Speak of the devil,” Peyton mumbled.

Danny stood at the screen door wearing a cut-off tee and jeans with holes in the knees. His hat was cocked off one side of his head. Messy but cute.

“I thought you weren’t coming.” I held my hand to the screen, smiling a little when his touched from the other side.

“Can I come in?”

The hinges creaked as I opened the door. He shuffled inside and crossed his arms as he surveyed the room. “Heh. Guess he’s pretty special.”

“It’s just a few streamers. All the girls are helping.”

He kicked the balloon Peyton had just finished. It made a loud thunk as it skidded across the floor. “At least now I know why you’ve been so busy.”

Peyton eyed me, a balloon in her mouth. I turned and gave Danny a serious look.

“Let’s talk outside.”

I led the way, and to be honest, a little bit of guilt stabbed me. I
had
been busy, and yeah, I’d been messaging Aaryn about the party, but we hadn’t seen each other since dinner.

Dinner.

I climbed into the truck with a heavy heart. Danny slammed the door and leaned back with a shrug, snorting a little to clear his nose.

“Can you say something?” I sat cross-legged on the seat. The truck smelled like cigarettes and dirty shoes, a bunch of dried mud pieces covering the floor mats. “Come to the party. I want you to be there. I definitely don’t want any of this to be weird.” I slid my hand over his arm. “I love you.”

He fixed his hat, brushing away my touch. “You know how I feel about that guy, yet you insist on doing shit like this for him.”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but he’s really been there for me with the scholarship and stuff.” I glanced out the window. Noon already. There was still a lot to do. It was a sunny fall day, gusty winds, but it was really quiet inside the truck. “I don’t want to feel like I’m hiding things. So.”

“Hiding things?”

I turned, sliding my hands over my knees. “I saw Aaryn two weeks ago. He made dinner, and Nell and I stopped by his apartment for a while. Also, I’ve been talking to him about the party, but that’s it. I swear. This doesn’t have to come between us. He’s paying for the party, and everyone at Shining Waters is helping put it together, not just me.”

Danny’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “When did you become such a slut?”

And the air just left me, left me empty, a girl in a lotus pose in a stuffy truck. “I’m not cheating on you.”

“Yeah, like I can believe anything you say.”

“Please come. The party will be fun. We’re having a bonfire, making s’mores, everything. Mom and Leah will be there, Nick, too. I want you there with me.”

Danny chuckled sarcastically. “You don’t need me.” He turned the key. “Get out.”

“Don’t leave mad. We have to trust each other. I love you.”

“Get. Out.”

My foot barely touched gravel before he sped off. I gulped back tears, cutting tears, suffocating tears. He was a jerk, but I couldn’t help feeling that maybe I deserved his anger, a little at least. Maybe if I’d told the truth up front, instead of hiding my plans, he wouldn’t be so upset.

I wiped my face hard and sniffed as I dried my hands on my shirt.

Day 74

The pen left a tiny blue dot on each date as I counted.

Monday. I circled it. Day 90 would fall on a Monday, a regular, stupid Monday to either fail my mission or cheat, depending on if Tek ever got back to me. I’d decided something.

And I wrote the letter.

To Aaryn.

I drew a line through my name because it might change in Blackout, who knows, and because it wasn’t a part of the letter that mattered. Slowly I started over:

To the guy with Lakefield, Wisconsin, tattooed on his arm.

You’re probably wondering why Karma seems to know you.

Look up. Your whole world is here.

Yes. It’s right there with her, the girl who gave you the letter. This letter is all you need to know for now. Don’t skim.

I could try to explain how you lost your memory, but that’s really weird, and probably too confusing to understand right now. I’ll just get to the important part. Wait, are you paying attention? Because if there’s one thing you must not do, not now, not ever, it’s lose her.

You should let her know right now how beautiful she is.

Stop overthinking things. Stop thinking this letter is crazy, and tell her, right now, that you can’t wait to spend time with her.

Look up.

Don’t lose her. Do not lose her.

Ask her to dance with you. Write a new bucket list and cross something off today. Ask her to tell you everything she remembers. She seems like a stranger, but if you wait a week—hell, it might only take a day—I swear you will know how special she is. You cannot lose her now. You will know that she’s worth all the confusion you’re feeling.

You fell for her once, and you will again.

Take a chance.

The paper felt smooth as I folded it into three even sections. I placed it in my closet next to the golden arrow, my other option for fixing Karma’s life. Because if Day 90 came without Tek, no matter how much it hurt, I’d do it. That’s what I’d decided.

I’d shoot Danny with the golden arrow; yes, it would kill me, really kill me—but I’d wait in the school parking lot with the golden arrow until Danny walked out. I’d fix things for her one way or the other.

A horn beeped twice. Karma was waiting downstairs.

The studio had this amazing vibe when we walked in, like I’d really pulled off a night to remember with all the balloons and music and just the right amount of red.

Aaryn. “This looks great.” His eyes were lit by just the right amount of twinkle. “Thanks.”

“Sure.” I felt like bursting.

Peyton made her way over with Nell on her hip, Nick trailing behind. “You have to try your mom’s dip.” She had a smear of something cheesy on the side of her mouth.

“Honey, look at me,” Nick said. He used a napkin to wipe her face, crumpled it, and stuck his hand out to Aaryn. “Happy going away, man. Lakefield won’t be the same without you.”

Aaryn shook his hand, but he didn’t seem to like being reminded of the reason we were all here. I stole my baby from Peyton’s arms and kissed her cheek. “I’m starving. Come on, Aaryn, I’ll show you everything.”

The sun was setting, though it was unseasonably warm for mid-November. Still no snow, but we’d all need jackets for the bonfire.

“I didn’t know I had so many friends,” Aaryn confided.

I smiled. The girls of Shining Waters had invited people from town, so it really seemed like we had a good turnout. Svetlana had her arm around a boy. I held Nell on my hip and felt a little rush of pride at how delicious everything looked. “Let’s eat.”

We filled our plates with the pulled pork Mom had made, the dip, Juliette’s fruit salad, chips, appetizers, and pickles galore.

“What are those yellow things?” Aaryn pointed to a small glass plate.

“Fresh cheese curds. The fresher they are, the more they squeak.”

He tried one, the squeaking sound audible with every bite. “I feel weird.” He chewed. “And I’m eating cheese that squeaks.”

I laughed. Leah waved at us and patted the table next to the windows. She, Mom, and Juliette were poised to pounce. Aaryn and I sat down.

“Aaryn, so nice to finally meet you,” Mom said. “I’ve heard so much about you already, all good. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done to help my girl.”

“It was my pleasure,” Aaryn said.

“Did she tell you about the cake for her announcement?”

He nudged my side. “Announcement?”