But Jake wasn’t satisfied with that answer. Henri flinched. Jake yanked the phone from his pocket shoving him with his free arm. The ringing quickly ended.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Henri asked, dusting himself off. He had to give it to the guy he had a good amount of muscle on his side. He had almost made him eat the concrete.

“Jake give him his phone back. He hasn’t done anything to you.” Jake ignored them both reading over the texts between him and Maven. His blood rocketing through his veins and making him angrier and angrier with every heartbeat, the thought of Maven having a nice time with anyone else made him furious. He squeezed the phone in his fist and then threw it at the window of the yogurt hut, letting out a guttural scream of anger. It crashed, a new symphony of glass showering the ground. Leaving both windows of the yogurt hut smashed.

Henri backed up, but Jake was gaining on him. He couldn’t even understand what he was saying, he was in shock. His body inundated with adrenaline, telling him to run instead of fight like normal guys his age would do.

Arnold jumped in trying to pry Henri loose from Jake’s grip. He hadn’t admitted to anyone, but he knew Henri was sick. And even though he had been sworn to secrecy he wasn’t about to sit there and let Henri get pummeled by Jake. Arnold pushed and shoved Jake trying his best to release Henri.

Henri shoved against Jake, the foul smell of beer on his breath. The moment turning into nothing but a nightmare that he didn’t want to be a part of. He could hear his phone echoing from inside the yogurt hut.

Jake swung, his fist coming into contact with the side of Henri’s face all while Arnold was shouting at him to just lay off and leave poor Henri alone. Jake didn’t have empathy for Henri, he was beyond that. He was angry and drunk and irrational. He swung again landing another fist, only this time it was the side of his body because Henri was doing his best to duck and dodge each fist that crashed in a fury against him, burning his flesh, making his body ache.

“Why do you think you’re better than I am? Did Maven tell you about our kiss?” He swung again, both of them stumbling into the picnic table out of breath. Henri tried to stand up.

“What are you doing? What kind of guy doesn’t even throw a punch? Fight for her.” Jake growled, shoving Henri with everything he had left, knocking him against the wall of the yogurt hut and finally he dropped of his own free will into the glass beneath him.

Henri lifted his head, resting his arms on his knees. Jake was panting, out of breath at this point. He told himself to just get up and start walking. This kid was drunk and the quicker he got away the better. He wasn’t far from home.

“Jake.” Arnold said over and over again. Henri closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing, trying to control his heart.  Trying to will it to just relax and not go haywire. He licked his lips, bringing a hand to his forehead, blood staining his fingertips.

He didn’t understand why he deserved this. Why Jake wouldn’t just leave him alone. His heart crashed harder and harder, he clutched his chest, staring up at the stars, praying for a miracle.

Arnold’s frantic screams crashed into Henri’s conscious. Henri turned, shocked to see the concrete brick coming for him, guided by Jake, a sudden heat nipped at his scalp. His body crumpled on the asphalt. His heart pounded erratically in his chest, the last thought in his mind was making it home—if he could just make it home.

And then all fell quiet. He couldn’t hear Jake furiously screaming at him any longer. Or hear Arnold pleading and crying for Jake to stop what he was doing. He couldn’t hear that owl anymore either, his eyes fluttered, going fuzzy. He concentrated on the fist slack above his head in small blurs of color.

And then everything went black.

***

“Tell us one more time.” Flynn’s father asked on the porch steps. There the three men in the house stood, waiting on Henri.

Flynn squeezed the bridge of his nose. He had been relaying the same story for almost an hour. He didn’t like to be the one to rat Henri out, but his entire family was freaking out. “I set up a spot down by the lake for Henri and Maven. You know, it was a special night. He was dead set on making tonight amazing before tomorrow morning when everything went back to normal. That’s where I left him.”

Doug Levitt—Henri’s father scrubbed his chin. He sighed. “He’s probably having a good time. Making up for lost times.”

“Then why no answer on his cell?” Flynn’s dad said with an even bigger and more concerned sigh than Henri’s own father. “He knows how much we worry about him.”

“We all were young once. Some things outrank even your own well being. Sex would be one of them.” Doug chuckled, taking a seat. “Hell, if I was dying I would be getting it on with as many girls as I could get my hands on. Just give him a little while longer.”

Flynn shot his dad a look. Henri’s parents were so simple. Henri was just as important to his parents as their own kids. His mother opened the screen door for the millionth time, poking her head out. “Have you seen him? I’ve called his phone damn near fifty times now.”

“He’s probably with Maven still. Let it alone for another hour then we’ll go look.” His dad’s body squared up, he dropped down on the porch steps wringing his hands together restlessly.

Flynn felt awful. His stomach was sour. He had orchestrated the entire thing and now his family was miserable wondering and waiting on Henri to return. Henri hadn’t even answered the phone for him.

His mom popped out the door again. “I can call the Wilders.” She let the door thud softly behind her.

***

The phone sounded through the house, echoing the hallway. Maven listened suspiciously to the heavy footsteps bounding across the floor. She looked at her clock, it was past midnight.

Holding her breath she listened warily.

“Maven is home in her bed…she has been for some time…I did not know that…well I will see if she knows anything.” Her mother’s words stopped and her doorknob rattled. Maven jumped out of bed, her heart beating hard in her chest.

“Henri was with you at the Hop tonight?” She eyed Maven. It wasn’t like her daughter to lie. Maven’s head dropped in embarrassment. “No time to feel bad now. Did he say he was going home after he dropped you off?”

Maven’s heart sank. She felt unsteady and ill. “He didn’t walk me home. I told him to hurry home because of tomorrow. I swear I didn’t know anything about his procedure until after the Hop. Is everything alright, mom?” Her mother waved a hand and swiftly shut the door.

Maven pressed herself against the door, clutching her chest. Tears spilling down her cheeks as she listened to her mother. “Maven said she went home alone. Henri was on his way as far as she knew. She said she knew nothing about tomorrow. Yes, I believe her.” There was a soft click, which told her the call ended.

Maven dropped to the ground sobbing. Suddenly she remembered something. “Mom!”

Her mother opened her door seconds later.

“He texted me back. I texted him after I showered and got ready for bed and he replied.” She jumped up, grabbing her phone. “It wasn’t more than thirty minutes ago. I’m sure he’s okay.”

Her mother’s eyes were apprehensive. She pushed her hair from her eyes giving her an understanding smile. “I’m sure. Get some rest. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

“Isn’t there something I can do?” She felt helpless.

“Stay by your phone. Or try calling him.”

 

ESCAPE

JAKE COULDN’T HEAR over Arnold’s hysterical crying. Arnold was crying like a child, sobbing, on his knees staring at the mess Jake had made. Completely unable to function enough to even wipe the snot from his nose, he just cried.