Page 26 of A Million To Fall

I’ve never used this special connection to my advantage before, but Boston not showing up—and going completely radio silent—kind of calls for drastic measures.

“Hi Miss Carry,” I chirp, approaching with the friendliest smile I can muster.

She beams. “Hi Skye, how are you, sweetheart? Friday treating you well?”

“Very well, thank you.” I lean in, lowering my voice. “Miss Carry, I wanted to ask you something. I know you probably can’t say much, but… I’m really worried about a friend. Boston Rawlings. He hasn’t been at school all week, and nobody’s heard from him. It’s just… not like him.”

She tilts her head, thoughtful. “Oh, Skye, I’m not really supposed to—” She glances over her shoulder. Then lowers her voice. “Okay. What’s the last name again?”

“Rawlings. Boston. He’s a senior.”

She types something, then squints at the screen. “I have Boston’s home address as 7000 Willard Road, Apartment 207.”

I nod. “That’s his old address. I think he may have moved?”

She scrolls again. “All his absences this week are unexcused. A truancy notice just went out today.”

I frown. “Well, that’s not going to help if the school doesn’t even have his new address.”

She gives me a sympathetic smile. “It’s not uncommon. If a family moves quickly, they don’t always notify us. I’m sure your friend will reach out soon.”

I thank her and leave the office. My friends and Archer are huddled just outside it.

Jake accosts me immediately. “Well?”

I fill them in.

Jake clearly doesn’t buy it. “No fucking way. Boss wouldn’t just leave without telling me.” He drags a hand over his face. “This is all so… Kafkaesque.”

Archer blinks. “It’s what now?”

“Kafkaesque,” I repeat.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Archer grunts.

“It’s like… when something’s super confusing and feels wrong, but you can’t fix it,” I say softly.

Jake groans. “Boss wouldn’t ghost us. Not like this. Not unless something’s seriously fucked.”

“Jesus, you guys need to calm down,” Pacey says gently. “Remember after his dad died? He moved and didn’t say anything for weeks. Maybe his mom’s going through something again.”

“Yeah,” Jonathan adds. “You know how private Boss is. Let him come back on his own time.”

Jake sighs, defeated. “I guess.”

I want to hug him.

But I don’t.

Archer’s standing right next to me, our hands already entangled again, and he made it clear: no hugging other guys. I want to respect that. I’m his girlfriend, after all.

thirteen

Skye

“Thank you for this lovely dinner, Mrs. Longfellow,” my mom chirps, dressing her greens with vinaigrette she pours from a silver sauceboat.

“Oh, it’s our pleasure.” Mrs. Longfellow smiles. “Archer’s been head over heels for Skye since well before he found the courage to ask her out.”