Chapter 1 The One Left Behind

Alice hurried over after me. "The fireworks aren't over yet. Where are you going? Don't wander off again."

I kept my hands in my pockets and smiled casually, but the moment my eyes fell on her hand locked with Troy's, the smile disappeared. "I want to head back first."

"Alice, let's get closer to the front. The best view is up ahead." Troy's voice drowned mine out.

Alice immediately turned around and let him pull her through the crowd.

The people around us gradually closed the gap between them and me.

So even if I stayed right where I was, they would still walk off together without waiting for me.

Fireworks exploded behind me as I walked through the gates and looked at the roads, packed bumper to bumper.

Before we left, Alice had planned everything out. She had said she was never comfortable leaving the arrangements to me.

I followed the crowd toward the subway.

Someone suddenly grabbed me.

Alice was covered in sweat, but there was a faint chill in her voice. "Hunter, you've been off on your own all day. It's exhausting having to enjoy ourselves while looking for you at the same time."

"I'm sorry for ruining your fun."

I tried to hide my embarrassment and anger behind the familiar teasing tone we always used with each other.

But once the words were out, the frustration weighing on me felt worse than ever.

The previous 30 times, I had always been the one left behind. And I had always been the one trying desperately to smooth things over.

Troy stepped forward as though he had every right to speak on Alice's behalf. "Alice has been tired all day. If you've got a problem, take it up with me. Don't take it out on her."

I glanced at the bottle of water Alice had bought for him and plushies she had bought as a pair.

I yanked my arm free from Troy's grip and asked him outright, "Who exactly are you to stand up for her?"

Troy whistled and raised an eyebrow at Alice. "See? Say a few words to him, and now he's jealous."

Alice furrowed her brows, clearly irritated.

"Hunter, you've been making snide comments all day. Who has the time to guess what's going on in that head of yours? Troy has gone out of his way to take care of me. He's done a better job than you, my supposed boyfriend."

Troy rubbed his nose, trying to hide the smug smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Then his eyes flashed. He grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her forward.

"Alice, those two up ahead are looking for someone to share a ride with. Come on. Let's see if they'll share a ride back to the hotel."

After they had gone a little way, Alice suddenly realized something and turned around to call out to me. "Hunter, it's best to share a ride at this hour. Troy and I will take one car. Find three other people to share one with."

Troy tightened his grip around Alice's wrist and smiled. "See you at the hotel, Hunter."

I stood there stunned for several seconds, watching them climb into a van as it drove past me.

Whatever hurt I had been holding back finally spilled over.

I turned around in anger and threw every birthday pin I had collected for Alice into the trash.

I remembered how, after the SAT, Alice had suggested that we take a trip to Crestwater.

She was the one who had said, "Hunter, let's be together."

But when we were getting ready to leave, I found out she had also bought Troy a high-speed rail ticket.

"Alice, let's break up." I sent her the message.

She replied almost immediately, "Hunter, are you seriously being this childish? Are you really mad just because I spent the whole day with Troy? Your leg is still recovering. I was only looking out for you."

Whenever I complained, Alice always said she was "looking out for me."

But the only reason I had five metal pins in my leg was because of them.

The summer before senior year, we took Troy's family's minivan to the beach.

He insisted on switching seats with me. I moved to the passenger seat while he stayed in the back playing Pictionary with Alice.

They were fooling around so loudly that they crashed into the steering wheel of the front seat. The van slammed into a cliff, and the door crushed my leg.

I spent the entire six months of SAT prep with half my leg in a cast. Alice took care of me for half a semester, and I thought she liked me.

Looking back now, maybe she was only trying to ease a little of her guilt.