“Whoa,” Gabriel said as Derrick disappeared into the side garage door. “Does Derrick have a crush on your sister or what?”
I, and six other guys around us, turned to Gabriel, gawking in confusion.
Gabriel laughed. “Didn’t you see him? What the fuck? Tell me you saw that. He’s into her. Who would have thought.”
Nathan’s intense gaze soften. “I thought he liked Sang.”
Gabriel shook his head. “He doesn't want her. She hangs out with us. He’s only hangs out with her if Marie isn’t around.”
Derrick returned, reporting that Marie didn’t care one way or the other what happened to the stuff in the shed. I relaxed my resolve a little at hearing this. Marie giving permission made it seem like a better idea now.
Kota started directing the others into working. Broken and couldn’t be repaired furniture got moved to the side of the road to be hauled away. Repairable furniture got put into a pile. When it came to the boxes, Kota started sorting them by size because there wasn’t a way to tell what was inside of them. He didn’t want to open them all at once.
I tried to help, mostly because I felt obligated to answer questions about what things were, but with seven others around, it became crowded as they started splitting up boxes.
After an hour, Gabriel wiped his brow. “Sang, let’s go jump on the trampoline for a minute. It’s too hot in this shed.”
Derrick grunted, dropping a box on the concrete. “I agree. I need a break.”
“It’s a good idea,” Kota said. “There’s a lot more stuff in here than I thought. We need to organize better.” He started pointing at the others. “Luke, Nathan, and Victor, come over to my house with me and help me get some things situated. I’ve got extra boxes and materials we can use in here. The rest of you hang out here until we get back.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, half grinning through my panting.
He smirked at me and beeped my nose. “Don’t worry. We’ll be back.”
That wasn’t really what I was concerned about. I, again, had taken a perfectly good day and ruined it and I hadn’t meant to. How could I be mad about it though? To them, compared to strategizing security at the school or other Academy work, this was probably something simple and fun.
Kota and Nathan started a half jog toward Kota's house. Luke and Victor followed, but at a slow walk and talking to each other.
Silas reclaimed the basketball. North shoved a few boxes out of the way and they started a round of trading the ball to make baskets.
Gabriel tugged me around the shed toward the trampoline. He climbed up first and hauled me up next to him.
His face hovered close to mine. At first I thought he was going to whisper something like most of the guys did when they were that close. His lips parted by my cheek, and his tongue dragged against my skin.
"Ack!" I squealed.
He laughed and dropped down onto the black mat to yank his shoes off. I was already barefoot so started bouncing around him.
“God damn,” he said, tossing his shoes to the grass. “I haven’t had a day off in forever.”
“This is a day off?” I asked. “Cleaning out my shed?”
“Trouble, your shed is easier to deal with.” He got up on his feet, pulling the top hem of his jeans higher on his lean hips. “I’ll clean the shed. I’ll organize your room. Later we’ll go through your clothes. I’m gonna take full advantage of this.”
Derrick came around from the shed, he stood on the grass by the edge of the trampoline. “Show him how you can do the front flip.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened. “Holy fuck. You flip?”
“I can’t do it that well,” I said, trying to tuck the locks of hair falling into my face behind my ear. I couldn't get them to stay. “I end up on my knees.”
“Show me.”
I held up a hand to get him to back up. He sat down on the metal bar. I blushed, more nervous now that I was doing this in front of him and not just Derrick.
I started bouncing around to pick up momentum and when I felt comfortable, I pushed forward and flipped. I tilted a little but twisted enough to land on my knees like before.
Gabriel shoved a hand against his chest, laughing. “Aw, little Trouble’s a fucking ninja.” He jumped up again. “Let me try this.”
Derrick got up on the bar, and launched himself up onto the black mat. “Let’s do one at the same time.”
“Aw shit, yeah,” Gabriel said. He bounced hard. “Get back, Sang. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
I stepped back, sitting on the bar like Gabriel had done.
In a flash, they were bouncing hard. It was enough to make me clutch the trampoline ridge, thinking I’d get thrown off by how much they shook it. Gabriel’s blond and russet hair flew around his face.
With a couple of heavy jumps, they counted off. They bounced, flipped, and both landed feet first, but the momentum they had going on the black mat had them both bouncing backwards. They ended up on their backs.
Gabriel and Derrick were laughing, loud and heavy. I was giggling to myself, trying to catch my breath when I heard the first call of a hooting, sounding something like a squealing pig with a crow in the distance.
When I heard the sound, I stopped short, unsure of what I was really hearing. I swallowed, holding my breath and listened.
The second time, I heard it clearer. “Suuuweeee.”
The boys were still laughing and started up, bouncing around again.
“Derrick,” I said, unsure of what to do. I wasn’t supposed to let the guys know about the signal, but it was an emergency call. I was sure of it.
Derrick was still giggling, but focused on me. I motioned to where the hooting had come from and then held my hand against my ear to signal the need to listen.
Gabriel was still bouncing around, facing the other way.
The next signal came, a little clearer this time, and with a heightened sense of priority. Someone was in trouble.
Derrick’s face set firm. He got up, set off across the mat and leapt from the metal bar to the grass.
I wasn’t going to let him do it alone. I raced after him, leapt up from the trampoline, landing hard on the grass where he had landed. I tumbled forward, my ankle radiating with a wave of pain. I’d forgotten to be careful with my ankle. I wobbled forward, stumbling.
“Where are you going, Trouble?” Gabriel asked, still jumping and laughing, but slowing.
“Be right back,” I said, scrambling after Derrick toward the shed. I bit back the pain, I didn’t have time for it.
When we got to the driveway, the signal sounded again. North was under the basket, looking after Silas, who had run off after the basketball that had ended up rolling underneath Victor’s car.
Derrick motioned to the two bikes and took one look at me. It was all I needed. Follow him.
I picked up the bike before North, turned on us. “What are you two doing?” he asked, a half curious almost smile on his face.
“We’re going to go get Micah and Tom,” Derrick said. He ran with the bike to give it a push start before jumping on, standing on the pedals.
I did the same, jumping up, trying to avoid North’s eyes. I was excited to be able to help although I didn’t like lying to North about what was going on. Technically it was true of course, we were going to get whoever was calling for us, but since it was the emergency call, it meant one of the boys were lost or hurt. I made a promise though. I wasn’t going to betray that trust.
Only as another hooting sounded, I reacted to it, looking out into the distance at where i
t was coming from. This time, the tone was sharper, the ending squeal sounding desperate to me.
North turned toward it, too, looking confused. I started pedaling.
“No, wait,” North said, turning back quickly. His hands splayed out as if he wanted to stop the bike but I was far out of reach before he got close.
I pedaled past him, zooming down the drive after Derrick. There wasn’t time to waste.
“Silas! Stop her!”
Silas stood up, looking confused. He spotted me coming down the drive, held out his hands looking unsure. “Where are you going?”
“Have to go,” I said, with my heart in my throat. I knew I couldn’t stop. Something was wrong, and I didn’t have time to explain this. They would make me if I hesitated now.
“Don’t let her go,” North bellowed at him.
I swerved the bike, trying to avoid hitting Silas. Derrick was already at the road, lingering slightly to wait for me.
Silas side stepped, following my move to get in the way.
My heart thundered. If he didn’t move, I was going to crash into him. “Silas, we have to go,” I yelled at him, afraid he wouldn’t understand. “Trust me.”
His eyes flashed. He grunted. At the last moment, when I was about to pull up short and stop, possibly falling over, he dodged out of the way.
“God damn it, Silas! I said stop her.”
“She was going to crash into me. I was going to hurt her.”
I zoomed out of the drive. Derrick took the lead. The calls were coming from the woods behind Kota’s house, although I wasn’t sure exactly where. Derrick seemed to have an idea though.
We raced down the road together. I felt rather than saw North, Silas and Gabriel all running after us. They were still no match for the bikes.
We drove through Kota’s driveway. I was going to stop short and walk through the woods, but Derrick didn’t, so I didn’t. We cut through his lawn, with Max barking after us from the house. Crap. Kota was going to see me.
Derrick zoomed through his back yard. He ducked when we got close to the twin palm trees that made a sort of archway toward the wood path. I followed.
The grass on the other side of the tree line behind Kota’s house was thicker than I remembered, but it was also laying over on top of itself. Derrick blazed the trail, and I followed right behind him. I was standing on the pedals now, pushing hard to get through the rough. What kept us moving was the ground was relatively even, and the grass bent easily.