The Thrashers(16)
A few hours later, Paige and Lucy came in, made popcorn, and watched the end of season four with them.
It was a perfect day.
* * *
During the weekdays, Zack was in summer school, meaning that the group didn’t have the glue that kept their social calendar together. That was fine by Jodi. The longer she could go without seeing Julian Hollister, the better.
She went with Lucy and Paige to the opening of some Real Housewives boutique store downtown, but could do nothing but browse when she saw the price tags.
“So, for my birthday,” Paige started, as they walked with frozen yogurt down J Street, “I’m thinking 1920s. Flapper girls and mob bosses. It’s on a Friday this year which is perfect.”
Jodi felt her heart sink. “But … the vigil is that day.”
Paige turned to her, spoon in mid-air. “The ninth? Are you freaking kidding me?” she sighed exasperatedly. “Maybe we’ll do the Saturday?”
“I don’t think we should do anything big,” Lucy said suddenly. “I’m sorry, I know it’s your eighteenth, but any kind of party you throw around that date is going to look ugly.”
Paige simmered. Jodi watched her consider her options, then said, “Maybe we could do something privately, just the five of us?”
“No pictures though.” Lucy stopped at the crosswalk and turned to Paige. “No one can see us celebrating on the night Emily’s family is holding a vigil.”
“Well, duh.” Paige tossed the rest of her fro-yo in the trash can. “I just … This sucks.”
“Why don’t we plan something small on the day, and then we can have a party once school starts?” Jodi offered. “What about a small dinner after the vigil?”
“After?” Lucy turned to her. “You’re going to the vigil?”
“Yeah,” said Jodi, frowning. “You aren’t?”
Lucy pursed her lips. Paige’s gaze was distant.
“You don’t think we should be there?” Jodi tried again.
“I just don’t think … we’d be wanted.” Lucy shrugged. “You should go. The Millses love you. But the rest of us…” The walk signal flashed, and she stepped into the street. “I don’t think the Thrashers should attend.”
“I disagree.” Jodi pumped her legs to keep up with the two tall girls. “I think it will send a message if we aren’t there.”
The truth was, the Thrashers had a reputation for not caring. Zack was nice to everyone. But too nice. It meant that people like Emily Mills, like Zack’s homecoming date last year, like his biology partner from sophomore year—they all thought they meant something to him when his attention was turned on them. After a few movie outings or study sessions, Zack moved on. It was usually Julian or Paige’s job to deal with the aftermath if the person didn’t get the memo. Paige took care of things kindly, and Julian took care of things directly.
There was a word for it. The rest of the school had decided on it freshman year when one of Zack’s “new friends” got ghosted and went emo all over TikTok.
It was called being Thrashed. That’s what the Thrashers did. Get too close, and you’ll get Thrashed. Jodi had heard that word a lot during finals week, as Emily Mills’s suicide hung over the school like a thick fog.
* * *
On the day of Emily’s vigil, Jodi pulled on her one black dress and grabbed her bike from the garage. Her dad was out of town, and no one else was planning to go, so her bike it was. She’d texted Zack outside of the group chat earlier that day and told him she planned to leave for the vigil at 6:45, if he wanted to join her.
She hadn’t heard back. It was his last day of summer school, but still. She knew better than to ask Paige to join on her birthday. They all had tentative plans to watch movies at her house later.
Clicking the button to close the garage door, Jodi wheeled her bike out to find a humid Sacramento evening. She tossed her hair up and reached for her helmet, just as the front door of the Burnses’ house slammed shut.
Oliver slunk down the driveway to his beat-up car parked in front of the Dillon home. He’d dyed his hair black this week, but the blue seemed to shimmer through in the sun. He lifted his eyes to her when her helmet buckle clicked into place.
“Hi,” she tried.
He said nothing back. As he rounded the car to the driver’s side, she noticed he was in all black, too. No logos. No ripped jeans. He started his car, rolling down all the windows and adjusting his music.
She kicked her leg over her bike, preparing for a sweaty bike ride, when the passenger door of Oliver’s car was pushed open from the inside. She blinked at it, wondering if he could possibly be offering her a ride after all these years of silence, and then met his eyes in his rearview mirror.
Jodi dismounted, pulled her bike around to the side of the house, and turned back to the street just as a black Mustang pulled up in front. Zack rolled down the window with a grin.
“Sorry. I failed chemistry. Again. So my phone got taken away. Again.”
She rolled her eyes, about to tease him for failing chemistry three times in one year, when the sound of a car door closing jarred her. She looked over to see Oliver Burns squealing away, his car puttering out of sight.
“You gonna walk?” Zack said, drawing her focus back.