‘Nah,’ he choked out, ‘I’m OK.’ He leaned in and wrapped his arms around his much shorter mother. He kissed the top of her head before breaking the hug. He headed for his bedroom, knowing that she would be watching him go, worrying about him. He couldn’t deal with that right now. He loved her, she loved him, but he had bigger things to worry about.

That night he couldn’t sleep. Worry shot through him every time he closed his eyes. It woke him up, heart pounding like a freight train was running through his body. Finally, around two in the morning, he fell into a shallow sleep dreaming of what happened if she told.

The next day Wren caught the early bus to school, avoiding Justin and Wade completely. It was recess before he saw them both striding toward him. ‘Fuck,’ he whispered. He pushed past people, people who said hello to him, people he ignored. He just wanted to get away. Three days and he was feeling… different about, well, everything. Something like this forced a person to re-evaluate things.

He needed to speak to Olivia, but he knew he couldn’t. Not now, maybe not ever. He just needed some fucking space. He heard them calling for him, but he ignored them. He needed to decide what to do.

He caught the bus home during the middle of the school day, not even feeling guilty about it. Then he rode his bike down to his special spot at the river.

It was a hot day, the sweat glistening on his brow and upper lip, the birds cawing and wheeling overhead. He glanced up at them, the sun, high in the sky, blinding him. He dropped his bag onto the bank and lay down, using it as a pillow. He stared at the sky through the dappled light that filtered through the tree branches. It was beautiful, but he couldn’t enjoy the tranquility today. He realized almost as soon as he lay down that he shouldn’t have come here. He’d brought Olivia here not that long ago. They’d swum, traded secrets and kissed until the night cooled.

Wren closed his eyes. He hadn’t been sleeping well since the party. He was weary and carrying a burden; a secret like this was exhausting.

He had no idea how long he slept for, but he was jolted awake, aware that something wasn’t right. He wasn’t alone. He looked around him, the sun beginning its descent over the horizon. He’d be riding home in the dark. Wren hefted his bag onto his back, picked up his bike and wheeled it to the parking lot. Then he saw it. A midnight black car waiting for him, engine off. How long had they been there? Was Justin’s engine the thing that woke him?