BooksBarbecue
Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

There was a tapping sound, and for one second, Will thought that maybe it was his mom, checking on him. He sat up in bed just as his window screen slid up. A face appeared at the window, and to his surprise, Will saw Maddie’s pale hair lit up by the moonlight. She’d never shown up like this before, but in the next second she pushed herself up and over the windowsill. She slipped her shoes off and sat on the edge of the bed, not looking at him. She whispered something that he couldn’t quite hear.

“Maddie?” he said, his voice hoarse.

“I can’t sleep,” she said, more clearly.

“Me neither,” Will said. He moved over to make room for her to sit on his narrow single bed.

“Are you scared?” Maddie asked.

“Yeah,” Will admitted. “We never should have been there. It was so stupid. I thought it was just going to be another beer bash by the river. I didn’t actually think we were going to break into the house. And then—I don’t know—for a while it seemed just like any other house party. But it got so out of control.” He paused for a moment. He’d wanted to talk to her, but he hadn’t been able to find the words. “I’m sorry about what happened.”

Maddie leaned over and kissed him, and her face was wet against his. She drew back with a shuddering sigh. “Can I stay here with you?”

He put his arm around her and they lay down.

With her back to him, it was easier to talk. “I thought that you’d drowned in the river,” he said, giving voice to the fear that he’d felt the night of the party. “When I couldn’t find you.”

Maddie was quiet for a moment, then said, “I wish I had.”

“Don’t say that,” Will said and pulled her closer.

She was still crying, but quietly, and soon her breathing slowed, and he thought that she must be asleep. He knew that it would be trouble if his father caught them together in here in the morning, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to be alone, and neither did she. Worrying about her felt easier than thinking about himself. He breathed in the clean scent of her hair, let his mind go blank, and finally fell into a deep sleep.