Dawn by McKayla Box
Chapter 30
They do go to Mexico.
And then come back.
But not to Sunset.
We got to Gina’s house and huddled around the phone in her family’s entertainment room to watch the evening play out.
There’s a big-screen TV mounted on the wall, a massive leather sectional sofa facing it, and a pile of blankets sitting next to it. We crash on the floor, put the phone in the middle, and watch it for several hours.
The dot goes just south of the border and is there for just a few minutes before it turns and heads back. We think they’re coming back to Sunset, but then it veers off and seems to stop in San Rivero, the first city on the American side of the border. The dot stays there for about fifteen minutes before it starts heading back to Sunset, following the same route it took on the way south.
“What are they doing?” Gina whispers as we all watch the phone.
“They’re being idiots is what they’re doing,” Bridget says. “Idiots. I don’t care what happened with Brett. This is really stupid. I don’t even want to think about what they’re doing and who they’re with.”
I roll onto my back and stare up at the ceiling. “I know.”
“I still think we should go see where they went,” Gina says. “Not in Mexico because fuck that, but we can totally go to San Rivero and see what the hell is down there.”
“I already pulled up the area,” Maddie says. “It just looks like a neighborhood off the beach. A bunch of houses, a strip mall. There’s nothing weird about that part of town.”
“That whole area is sketch,” Gina says, wrinkling her nose. “There’s a reason we don’t go down there or go to Mexico. It’s not like when our parents were kids and they could just go down to Tijuana for the night to hang out. We go down there now, we’ll end up in the back of a van, on our way to some sex-slave village.”
“Yes,” Maddie says. “A sex-slave village. Because that’s a real thing.”
“You know what I mean,” Gina says. “But there’s no reason we can’t drive to San Rivero, check out wherever they went, and drive back. At least it would be something.”
Bridget sits up. “I’m not going.”
We all look at her.
“I love you, Pres,” she says. “You know that. But this feels like some real shit. Not some high school fight or something. It has nothing to do with how I feel about you or Trevor or Brett. But this feels way out of our league and I’ll just say it out loud. This scares the shit out of me and I’m not comfortable going anywhere.”
“I have to say I agree,” Maddie says slowly. “Whatever is going on with them, we aren’t equipped to handle it. I’ve never known either one of them to have a gun, so that just makes it all the more fucked up to me. I don’t know if you want to tell Trevor that we tracked him or what, but I think we should stop right here. I don’t think we should be trying to spy on them or get involved or whatever because this just feels like…something different.”
“Well, I’m in,” Gina says, straightening her spine and giving the rest of our friends a defiant look. “Whatever you decide to do, I’m in. I’ll drive down there with you, Presley. I’ll go with you to talk to Trevor. Fuck it. I’ll even go to Mexico with you if you want.” She looks around at the group. “I know what you guys are saying and I’m worried about Trevor and Brett, too, but the more we know, the better off we are trying to help them.” She looks at me. “So I’ll do whatever you want to do.”
Sunny doesn’t say anything.
I love my friends. They are kickass and they always have my back.
But they’re smart, too. They aren’t stupid.
And I don’t want to put them in any sort of danger or put pressure on them to do anything for me that might get them in trouble.
They’ve been too good to me to do that to them.
I sit up. “Okay. We’re done.”
They all look at me.
“I think Bridget and Maddie are right,” I say. “This just got weird tonight. We shouldn’t go any further because I don’t want to risk any of us getting in trouble. Or worse. I don’t know if I’ll tell him what we know or what yet, but I think we stop here.”
Bridget exhales. “Good. Good.”
I look at Gina. “And I know what you’re saying and I love you for just being all-in here, but they’re right. We’re out of our league. I’m pretty sure the guys are, too, but that doesn’t mean we need to be.” I look at the others. “And I love you all, too, for being fucking honest and for doing everything you’ve done so far. Seriously. You guys are the fucking best and I’d do anything for any one of you.”
“Oh my god shut up or we’re all gonna start bawling,” Gina says, wiping at her eyes.
“I think you already did,” Maddie says.
“Fuck off. I have allergies.”
We all laugh.
But I don’t feel much better.
It’s the right decision.
I’m not getting them into something that will hurt them or get them in trouble.
But it doesn’t solve whatever Trevor is in the middle of.
So I don’t feel better.
About anything.