The quiet is stifling when we storm into the lobby of Holy Oaks Training Facility.
Finn looked it up on the way here. It describes itself as boot camp lite—somewhere between a military training camp and a psychology center for troubled teens.
I’ve been sick to my stomach since I learned this was where Sol’s family stuck him after he got kicked out of Redwood Prep. Far away from his family and friends, he’s probably been suffocating back here.
“Can I help you?” A man with a buzz cut, dull eyes, and thin lips stares us down from behind a receptionist desk.
“We’re here to see Solomon Pierce,” Zane says calmly. Finn and I decided to let him do the talking.
I’m too on edge to fake pleasantries and Finn always jumps to the point, no matter where he is. Since sweet-talking women and authority figures is Zane’s cup of tea, we’re keeping our mouth shut.
Buzzcut glances at me and then at Finn. “Visiting hours are over.”
“You see,” Zane leans against the desk, “we drove all this way to visit our dear friend.”
He points to a sign. “Make an appointment and come back tomorrow.”
I curve my fingers into fists. There’s three of us and one of him. If we get him out of the way, we can go storming the facilities looking for Sol.
Finn stretches his hand in front of my fist. His eyes flash on me and seem to be saying ‘calm down’.
How the hell am I supposed to calm down?
Sol is in here because of me. He’s been here for damn near two months without any contact from us at all.
After taking the rap like that, we shouldn’t have left on tour. We should have made a better effort to keep in touch. Then maybe none of this would have happened.
Zane clears his throat and lowers his voice. “Mr…” He glances at the guy’s nametag, “Dusty, Sol is like our brother. I’m sure he’s mentioned us. We were all a part of a band together. The Kings.”
“Ah, you were the punks who got him in trouble and then ran out on him.”
I stalk forward.
Finn grabs my arm and locks me in place.
Zane laughs tightly, but I can tell that even he’s starting to lose patience. “Things got out of hand and we haven’t been able to get in touch with Sol for a while. Since you’re aware of our situation, I’m sure you can make a little exception for us to work things out.”
“Since I’m aware of the situation,” he rises to his full height, “I won’t be approving any visits from the lot of you. When Sol is released, he can choose to contact you, but we will not be facilitating it.”
“But—”
“Leave. Now.” He folds his arms over his chest.
Zane walks back to us, his lips tight.
I lean in. “We can take him.”
“Getting arrested won’t lead us to Sol faster,” Zane answers.
Damn. When Zane is the voice of reason, I know I’ve officially lost my mind.
Desperation makes me stubborn. I was the one who told Zane that I’d get his suspension revoked. Things have spiraled out of control, but I can’t let him down.
My brothers flank me on either side as we walk out of the lobby. I can feel the tenseness in their shoulders and I don’t know if it’s because they’re afraid I might try to jump Dusty or if they’re battling guilt of their own.
As we’re passing the security booth, I get an idea.
Zane slams the car door shut. His lips twisted in a scowl, he mumbles, “I say we come back with a ladder and some blow torches.”
“You plan to burn the place down?” Finn asks.
“If we create a diversion—”
“Damn it, Zane. We’re not arsonists,” Finn reminds him.
“You have a better idea?”
Finn rubs his temples. “Maybe if you’d be quiet, I could think of one.”
Zane scowls at him.
Finn glares back.
I turn to them and start the car.
“Where are you going?” Zane accuses. “Are you just gonna give up?”
“No,” I say.
“Well?”
I don’t feel the need to explain further and my brothers know me well enough to leave me alone when my brain is percolating.
Our truck zooms through downtown as I stop at every ATM I can find. When I’m done, I’ve got a duffel of bills.
Zane eyes the bag at his feet. “You think Dusty would fall for this?”
“He doesn’t seem like the type,” Finn says.
Again I don’t answer.
When we get back to the boot camp, I check my watch.
“Guys, wait for me,” I tell my brothers.
“You don’t need back up?” Zane asks, a hand on the door handle.
I shake my head, grab the duffel and head out into the drizzling night.
After a few minutes with the security guard, I hustle back to my brothers.
Zane grins at me. “I see you came back empty handed?”
“Not quite.” I flash a security pass at my brothers.
Finn’s eyes widen and he snatches it. “Who’s Orville?”
“The security out front.” I glance between the two of them. “He said he’s going off duty in ten minutes. The other guy is always late, so we’ve got about five minutes to get in.”
“Which is where this comes in I assume.” Zane wiggles the pass.
I nod. “Sol’s in room 201. We can’t be long or they’ll figure out he let us in.”
“Dutch, you genius.” Zane smacks my back.
Finn smirks at me. “Impressive.”
“I’ll bathe in your praise later. We’ve got to hurry.”
My brothers file behind me as we sneak through the back door and move carefully up the stairs. It’s late and there’s no one moving around in the hallways.
“There!” Zane whispers, pointing to Room 201.
I look both ways and charge across the corridor, my heart pounding. I open the door and let my brothers in first before I slip inside.
“What the hell?” Sol bellows from his perch on the bed.
“Sh!” Finn quiets him.
“Hey, man.” Zane’s grinning broadly. “Long time no see.”
“Sol,” I say.
Our best friend gazes at us with wide brown eyes. Then he leaps off the bed and attacks Finn and Zane in a two-armed hug.
“Bastards,” Sol says, his voice cracking.
Finn thumps him on the back.
Sol releases them and glances at me. His bare feet press against the floor as he takes a few steps my way.
I avoid his eyes. “Sol, man… I… I’m sorry.”
“Shut up, Cross.” Sol sweeps me in a hug.
My bottom lip starts trembling, but I firm it like a man and refuse to get emotional.
Sol leans back. The light shines in his face. He looks thinner than usual, his cheekbones are hollowed out and his eyes are a little sunken. His skin, which was always a healthy tan, is pale.
“Like the beard,” Zane says, making a motion over his own chin.
“Yeah.” Sol smiles sheepishly. “I figured, since the ladies here aren’t anything to look at, I’d try it out. You’re lucky you came today. A few months ago, you would have seen it in the weird, straggly phase.”
We laugh, but it’s hollow and empty.
Silence creeps in when the chuckles fade. It’s like we’re standing in a pool of regret. I’m up to my knees in it and I don’t know how to get unstuck.
“How did you find me?” Sol asks, whirling around and taking his seat on the bed again. “These psychos don’t let us use our phones or laptops. And the internet is heavily supervised.”
“That must be fun,” Zane quips.
“Unbelievably.” Sol tugs at the hem of his pajama top. It’s an awful greenish-brown color with standard buttons and wide-legged pajama pants. He catches me looking at it and grins. “They force us to wear uniforms here. Even when we sleep.”
“Sol, man, we’re gonna get you out of here,” Zane says. I look at my twin and his expression is more serious than I’ve ever seen it before.
Finn nods. “You shouldn’t have taken the rap by yourself that night.”
“Nah.” Sol shakes his head. “What’s done is done.”
“That’s not good enough for us,” I declare firmly. “We’re getting you back into Redwood Prep. Where you belong.”
His eyes flicker to me before dropping to the ground. “Forget it, man. I’ve already missed two months of school.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“Why do you think I’m here, man? I wanted to go back to Redwood Prep, so I acted up at every school my mom tried to shove me into. Didn’t last more than a week here or there. That’s why she stuck me into this hell.” He glances at the ceiling. “And that’s how I know that if I don’t get into a school soon, I’m going to have to repeat an entire year.”
“How soon?” I ask urgently.
“Two weeks. Max.” He lifts a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.
Two weeks? The deadline ricochets through my body.
Finn gives me a pointed look. “Two weeks isn’t a lot of time. We’ve been trying to find a way for you since we got back to Redwood but…”
“But what?” Sol asks, wide-eyed and innocent.
Zane rubs the back of his neck and shoots me a loaded look. “We haven’t been successful.”
“It’s alright.” He sighs, resigned.
“We’ll figure something out. I promise. You’re getting out of here one way or another.”
“Unless you want to join the military?” Zane asks with an uncomfortable grin.
“No, no, man.” Sol chuckles. Then he flops back on the bed and stares at the ceiling. “I want to eat mama’s enchiladas with the sauce that’s a family secret. I want to drive to school with my friends and act like a sound engineer even though I know jack about music.”
Zane laughs softly.
Finn smiles.
I stare at the floor in guilt.
Sol’s voice gets low and vulnerable. “I want to feel normal again.”
At that moment, an alarm goes off.
Finn fishes for his phone and swipes it off. He gives Sol an apologetic look. “We have to go.”
“Five minutes are up already? Damn.” Zane shakes his head.
“Thanks for stopping by, guys. Sorry I couldn’t offer any refreshments or anything.”
“Make it up to us next time.” Zane offers his fist.
Sol bumps it.
Finn gives him a two-fingered salute.
“I’ll see what I can do about your mom’s enchiladas,” I tell Sol firmly.
His lips curve up in a half smirk. “Don’t get my hopes up, Dutch. I’m starving already.” As if to prove the point, he rubs his belly.
Sol’s pajama top lifts at the corners and exposes his skin. I catch sight of weird jagged scratches tearing into his lower stomach.
My eyebrows tighten.
Sol glances down and quickly drops his shirt. “You should leave. I don’t want you to get caught. Dusty’s gonna ban you for life.”
“Come on.” Finn tugs me when I don’t move. “Someone’s coming.”
I hurry behind my brothers.
The footsteps get louder and we jump around the bend, holding our breaths while the sound of a door creaks open.
“I heard talking,” someone says.
Sol’s voice answers back. “I was talking to myself, Pete. It gets lonely in here at night.”
There’s a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and I don’t know if it’s out of guilt for what I’ve already done or for what I’m about to do.
