The Space Between Heartbeats (14 page)

FRIDAY, 10:21 AM

I gape at him. “Are you out of your mind?”

“What else are we supposed to do?” He moves along the sidewalk, peering into windows of cars, looking for unlocked doors. “We don’t have time for a five-mile run.”

I chew on my thumbnail as I trail reluctantly behind him. “And if you get caught?”

Dale stops dead, his gaze boring into mine. “Nicky, the sheriff could get to you before I do. We can’t let that happen.”

A shudder runs down my spine. “Joyride it is, then.” I spot a four-door sedan parked across the road. “What about that red one?”

Dale squints at it, then shakes his head. “No, let’s take the gray one on this side.”

I grimace at the pale, beat-up exterior, the dent in the passenger door, and the tired sag of the wheels. It looks as if it’s made of tin. “What is it with you and crappy cars? That’s a piece of junk.”

“Yeah, a piece of junk that probably won’t have an alarm.”

Dale tests the driver’s side, but it’s locked. Bending down, he peers in the window. A small smile flitters over his lips.

“They forgot to lock the back door.” Running around the car, he opens it up and climbs through to the driver’s seat. “Keep an eye out for me.”

He reaches below the steering wheel and pulls out some wires.

“Of course he knows how to hotwire a car,” I mutter while scanning the street to make sure no one is watching.

The car revs to life and I jump in. There are piles of trash on the floor—takeout wrappers, empty Coca-Cola cans, and a scrunched up T-shirt that’s growing something on the sleeve. I move away from it, trying not to gag.

Dale reaches over me and slams the back door closed.

He drives slowly and carefully in order not to draw any unnecessary attention. With any luck, the sheriff is still pacing in his office and the deputy is still stacking hundreds of sheets of paper. But it’s only a matter of time before someone checks on Dale and the alarm is raised.

Taking a side road, Dale parks on the opposite side of the school. We sneak in through the back and jog across the fields. We duck behind the bleachers and edge our way closer to the school buildings. If a school monitor spots him, Dale will get sent to his class, and then we’re screwed. He checks for a clear path, then sprints to an alcove. We pause and lean against the wall.

“Where would Adam be now?”

Dale glances at his watch. “Let me think. We’re not in many of the same classes, but it’s . . . Friday. Friday, okay . . . We have Advanced English first, then . . .” He thinks for another moment and nods. “Okay, after break, I think he has a free period and he usually goes to the library.”

Dale goes to make a move and I grab his arm. “You’ll be spotted out of class. Wait here and I’ll come back and get you.”

“Okay, fine, but I’m not waiting here, it’s too far away. I’ll hide in the resource room.”

We carefully make our way to the hub of the school. I pass through the library doors and quickly scan the tables. There’s no sign of Adam in the normal group study areas so I start systematically searching each of the aisles.

Nothing.

I arrive in the resource room and Dale looks up at me, then grimaces.

“What?” I smooth down my hair.

“Nothing.” He tries for a shaky smile. “It’s just . . . I can see you really clearly now.”

My stomach sinks and I cross my arms tightly against my body. “And Adam’s not in the library.”

“Shit.” Dale thumps his hand on the filing box in front of him. His eyes are bright with fear. “You have to hang on, Nicky. Please.”

“I’m trying,” I whisper, then scan the overcrowded resource room, forcing my brain into action. “If you were Adam right now, where would you go?”

Dale rubs his temples. “I’m not sure.”

“But let’s think about this. He’s hit me with his car. He’s obviously feeling guilty, which is why he bailed on his dad this morning and now he’s hiding out while he waits to be forced into doing something horrible.”

Dale stares at the ceiling, his eyes darting from side to side as he thinks. “I know this one room that’s never really used. Mr. Attley shoves all his old computers and broken tech stuff in there. The students he likes are allowed to use it during their free periods. I’m pretty sure Adam’s on his list.”

“It’s worth a shot.” We check that the hallway is clear and then run down a flight of stairs and down a corridor toward the room.

Dale opens the door and we creep inside. The room is crowded and dusty. Computer monitors and keyboards are piled in disarray along the counters. Various cables hang from nails along the wall, and scattered along the center table is a plethora of gadgets. It looks like students have been taking parts from different devices and trying to turn them into something new.

Dale flips the light on. A soft
tink
comes from the back of the room.

“Hello?” Dale calls.

There’s a silent pause as we inch farther into the cluttered space.

Finally, someone peers around the corner. “Oh, hey, man. How’s it going?”

Adam’s long face is weary, the black bags under his eyes give him a haggard look. He’s sitting on a rickety metal stool, his broad shoulders hunched over the long, wooden table. There’s a deconstructed laptop in front of him, the keyboard removed and chips exposed.

“Hey, Adam,” Dale says cautiously, inching toward his buddy.

Adam looks back down at the laptop and continues to work on it. “What are you doing down here?”

“We need to talk, man.” Dale lightly kicks one of the stool legs.

Adam’s shoulders tense. “What’s up?”

“Where’s Nicole?”

Adam picks up a miniature screwdriver and digs it aggressively into the laptop. “How should I know?”

“Adam, don’t lie to me.” Dale’s voice is still calm, but there’s a steely edge to it.

Adam scowls at Dale. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, man.” He huffs. “The girl’s an unpredictable basket case. Who the hell knows where she is.”

Out of nowhere, Dale lets out a loud cry and pushes Adam off the stool, who tumbles back and lands on the hard, shiny floor with a thud. The tendons in Dale’s neck strain as he digs his knee into Adam’s chest.

“
Where
is she?” Dale bellows. His voice is near feral, matching the wild look on his face.

“I don’t know, man. She ran away.”

Dale pulls his fist back and punches Adam square in the face. Adam hisses, but doesn’t fight back, probably just as shocked as I am by Dale’s sudden show of violence.

“I know it was you.” Dale growls. “I saw the car. Now tell me where she is!”

Adam’s eyes turn a vibrant blue as they fill with tears. “I didn’t mean to do it. I was tired of all the pressure. I needed a night off.” He sniffs. “Mom said I could borrow the car as long as I was home before Dad. But I’d had a few drinks and lost track of time. I was rushing to get back and she just . . . she came out of nowhere, man. I didn’t mean to hit her, but by the time I saw her, it was too late . . .” He pulls in a ragged breath, clutching the front of Dale’s shirt. “And now she’s dead. I killed her.”

Dale shoves Adam off him and stands. Adam sits up and cradles his head in his hands, pitiful sobs rack his body.

Dale crosses his arms and glares down at him. “She’s not dead.”

“You don’t know that.” Adam digs his long fingers into his hair and yanks it.

“Yeah, I do.” Dale sighs. “We need to find her. I need you to take me to her.”

Adam struggles to stand, his head hanging low. He seems small and pathetic next to his shorter friend. “I can’t. I can’t do it.”

A muscle in Dale’s jaw jerks as he grits out, “Look, I know what your dad’s expecting of you, but you don’t have to do what he says.”

Adam’s face is ashen. “How do you know that?”

“It doesn’t matter right now, okay? We’re running out of time.” He grabs Adam’s collar. “You can still make this right. Let’s go. Or do I have to drag your ass to the car?”

Dale lets him go with a quick shove, and gives him a glare that leaves no room for argument.

Adam hesitates for a few more painful moments before finally giving an imperceptible nod.

He grabs his backpack off the floor, and grips the strap as a lifeline. Dale ushers him out of the room and I follow behind, filled with both apprehension and impossible hope.

FRIDAY, 11:01 AM

We race back through the school and jump into the gray hunk of junk.

“Whose car is this?” Adam asks, looking around in confusion.

Dale ignores his question and I slump down in the backseat. My excitement at finding Adam wanes a little . . . I’d almost forgotten everything we did to get here. Dale broke out of jail. We stole a car. We might find my body, but what will the consequences be for Dale?

If he can find me, hopefully it will prove his innocence.

In the rearview mirror, Dale’s eyes are dark with concentration. When we make eye contact, worry flashes across his face. I smile, but it comes off uncertain. I’m feeling woozy, like I might go back to my body. Dale silently begs me to hold on, and I’m trying.

We make a turn off Big Bear Boulevard and Adam points at the road. “Where are you going? I said Mill Creek.”

“I just need to get something from my house,” Dale says.

I lean forward. “Are you crazy? You might get caught.”

“I need Jester, my dog,” he tells Adam, though he’s really telling me. It’s a brilliant idea; since Jester has been able to sense me in my ghostly form, maybe he can help them find my exact location. “He might be able to help.”

Dale screeches to a stop outside his place. Taking a minute to assess the house, he lets out a breath. “Well, Mom’s car isn’t here. Let’s hope she’s not home.”

Dale jumps out of the car and runs around the back of the property. Adam and I wait in agitated silence. His hand hovers near the door handle.

“Don’t even think about it.”

I watch in agony as he seems to debate what to do. He fidgets and keeps reaching for the door handle, but eventually he leans back in his seat and lets out a loud sigh. After a few minutes, Dale returns to the car with an excited Jester running in tow.

I scoot to the far side of the seat as Jester clambers in next to me. He starts barking and trying to lick my face.

“Stop it.” I push him away. He lets out a little whine, then notices the takeout wrappers on the floor. He dives toward them, his tail wagging frantically as he sniffs out the trash.

Adam glances over his shoulder with a frown. “Your dog is crazy, man.”

Dale smiles tightly as he pulls back onto the road and races toward San Bernardino National Forest.

I spend most of the trip staring out the back window, expecting to see cops on our tail at any moment.

Meanwhile, my limbs start to shake with a cold that is seeping into my very core.
Hurry,
I want to shout—but Dale’s already going as fast as he can without attracting attention. Every time he glances in the rearview mirror, his eyes get more scared. I must be looking clearer than ever before.

It takes fifteen very tense minutes to reach Mill Creek Road.

“Here.” Adam indicates for Dale to pull over.

The car putters to a stop along the winding road, which looks so innocent and quiet in the bright sunlight. Dale gets out and opens the door to the backseat, unleashing Jester, who bounds out of the vehicle with a happy bark. I stand next to Dale. My knees feel weak and I want to lean against his chest, close my eyes, and drift to sleep.

Adam hesitates by the passenger door. He reaches back for his bag, but after a sharp look from Dale, decides to leave it in the car.

The dense forest is thick with the smell of pine. I edge toward the embankment and peer down the sharp slope, picturing my body tumbling down the rough ground. I lurch back from the image.

“This doesn’t even look familiar,” I whisper.

“It’s daytime, everything looks different in the light,” Dale murmurs.

Adam glances over his shoulder and throws Dale a weird look. Dale clears his throat and points down the road to the guardrail. The dull metal railing is dented and buckled with blue smears of paint running across it. “You must have hit her here.”

Adam blanches and steps away, looking skittish.

“Jes, c’mere.” Dale snaps his fingers and Jester bounds back up the road, his tongue hanging out as he comes to sit at Dale’s feet. Dale waves me over.

Adam looks totally freaked out by his friend’s strange behavior.

Dale ignores him, keeping his eyes on me. As soon as I’m within reach, Jester starts sniffing me. I hold out my hand and let him go for it.

Dale scratches Jester’s floppy black ears and bends down to hold his face. “I need you to find her for me. You just follow that smell, okay, boy?”

Jester barks.

“Go hunting. Go on.”

He points to the embankment and Jester does a flying leap over the guardrail. He has got to be the only one enjoying this right now.

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to stave off the cold as Dale cautiously climbs over the guardrail. He stops and looks back at Adam. “Let’s go.”

The giant blond suddenly seems small as he runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to, man.”

“Get your ass over here, Adam.”

I wouldn’t want to argue with that tone. After what seems like an age of stony silence, Adam joins Dale on the other side of the guardrail.

The embankment is covered in loose rocks that slide beneath their feet as they half walk, half skid down. Dale catches his balance against a tall tree and I stop behind him.

He glances over at Adam, and then at me. “Any of this look familiar?”

Adam shrugs. “It was dark.”

“It all looks the same,” I interject. “I’m not sure how far down I am.”

Dale nods and continues edging his way down the slope.

A vibration tingles through my body. It feels like cold, icy claws are tickling my skin. I shudder. While my mind wants to keep fighting, I’m starting to feel my body fade. It’s harder and harder to stay upright or focus on anything.

“We’re too late,” I whisper.

Dale spins around to face me, his brown gaze wide with horror. “What did you just say?”

I stare at him, tears welling in my eyes. I’m about to tell him that I can’t hold on anymore.

But then Jester barks loudly.

Dale spins around with a hopeful laugh. Without a backward glance, he runs down the hill, tumbling and sliding, calling for his dog.

We follow the sound and find Adam standing shell-shocked above my broken body. Jester sits by my ashen face, his tail thumping on the ground as he licks my nose and sniffs around my ears. My skin is so pale you can see the blue veins running below the surface.

Dale falls to his knees and slides the rest of the way toward me. He gives Jester’s head a quick congratulatory rub, then gently pushes the dog away.

My lips are tinted blue and when Dale picks up my hand, I’m like a limp rag doll.

Brushing the dark hair back from my face, Dale checks for my pulse. At first he looks scared, but after a few frantic moments, he lets out a relieved sigh.

Of all that I’ve experienced, seeing myself—my prone body—like this might be the hardest.

“Nicole, wake up.” He gently runs his hand over my face, then bends low to check for breathing. His brow creases. “She’s like an ice cube. This is not good.”

Dale whips off his sweater and wraps it around me, then pulls out his phone. With one hand resting on my forehead, he lifts his other to check for reception. Glancing up at the phone in his hand, he swears and shoves it back in his pocket. “There’s no reception down here. You have to go up to the road and call for an ambulance.”

Shaking his head, Adam retreats. His fearful eyes are locked on my body as if by magnetic force. “Dad will find out . . . and then we’re all dead.”

“Adam,” Dale hollers, a vein in his forehead bulging. “You want to live with this for the rest of your life? She’s dying! Now
do it
.”

Once again surprised by Dale’s uncharacteristic outburst, Adam blinks slowly, then looks at my dying body one last time before making his way up the hill.

“Do you think he’ll do it?” I stand back, not wanting to get any closer. It’s so surreal looking down at myself this way.

“I don’t know, but I’m not leaving you.” Dale glances at me with desperation. “Go back into your body. Please. You’ve got to wake up.”

I nod. “I’ll try.”

I glance back at my lifeless form and close my eyes, willing the blackness to surround me so I can return. Cold blood runs through my veins and shudders rack me again. An inky fog rolls over me, pressing into my brain and coating everything with a dark haze. “I think it’s working.”

“Come on, Nicky,” Dale whispers. I keep my eyes closed but wish I could see him. “Come back. I’m here, waiting for you.”

The blackness closes in. It’s not the same this time. Nothing hurts. If anything, I feel like my body is filled with helium.

I’m not coming back.

“Dale, I’m sorry,” I whisper.

I float away, the darkness consuming me as I’m lifted into the air. I can still hear Dale’s desperate pleas, but I can no longer reach him.

I was hoping for some sort of peace, some sort of end to my misery, but instead, fear builds in my system until I’m drowning in it. The black fog chokes me, killing my senses until nothing remains.

Nothing but death.