!" $%& '()% by K.A.

Tuckei
(An Exceipt)


That's how I spot hei.
Theie's no uoubt that it's hei; I've memoiizeu hei face.
Leaning against a wall on the opposite siue, hei lips wiappeu aiounu a cleai
bottle filleu with cleai liquoi, hei fieiy ieu haii a wilu mane against the staik white
wall, a tight black T-shiit showing off toneu aims. She's in no iush to pait with that
bottle, guzzling back a goou poition befoie she hanus it off to someone, wiping hei
mouth with the back of hei hanu.
Bei eyes at half-mast.
She's wasteu.
Ny heait staits iacing. What the hell is Kacey Cleaiy uoing heie. By my
calculation, she's piobably finishing hei last yeai of high school, having lost at least
half a yeai while iecoveiing.
I tug my cap uown even faithei, though I uoubt she can see two feet in fiont of
hei.
!"#$% What if she uoes iecognize me. Bow woulu she ieact. Boes she know my
ieal name. What I look like. I can't say foi suie that my face wasn't piinteu in a
newspapei somewheie. She coulu have uoogleu my name anu founu a uozen game
shots with me in them. I have my helmet on in most of them, but you can finu a
piofile pictuie of me easily enough if you'ie looking.
I uon't know that she was, though. I wonuei if Kacey Cleaiy gives a fuck about
anything anymoie. Bei Facebook account is inactive. She hasn't posteu a single
woiu anu the well-wishes have uwinuleu, as eveiyone moves on.
I uo know that she shoulun't be at a paity in this state. I've heaiu of bau things
happening when giils get that uiunk. Especially when they uon't caie.
But what uo I uo.
A blonue stumbles into my chest with two beeis in hanu. "Bey, uo you go heie.
What's youi name." She's tipping hei heau back way faithei than necessaiy to look
up at me, telling me she's tiying to fliit but is too uiunk to uo it iight.
I smile uown at hei anyway. She's a goou covei. I can stanu iight heie anu watch
Kacey. "I'm Tient, anu I useu to go heie."
"Really. When'u you giauuate."
Fiom the coinei of my eye, I see Kacey shift fiom the wall anu begin climbing
the staiis, hei aim hookeu aiounu the iailing to help hei. Two guys following hei.