SOMEWHERE IN THE distance, Justin could hear the low rumble of music. He couldn’t see the moon through the shifting gray clouds and slowed the car as he leaned closer to the window.

“There,” Brian said, pointing to an empty space by the curb.

Justin nodded, carefully squeezing his car into the last space on a block lined with weeping willows. He killed the engine and popped the trunk. “Let’s go,” he said.

The bottles clanged with their steps as they walked against the crisp air. Justin lit a cigarette, then reached inside the bag and pulled out a bottle.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t feel like showing up completely sober,” he said, handing the rest of the beer to Brian. He drank as much as he could in one swallow, then drank some more. “You think this party will be any good?”

“The one she had over the summer was pretty crazy.”

“Good. Maybe we’ll just all have a good time then.”

A car came up behind them, and they stepped over to the sidewalk. Justin finished his beer and exchanged his empty bottle for a new one. He drank slower, and tapped his fingers to the growing beat.

“It’s not so simple,” Brian said. “There’s been a rumor.”

“So I’ve heard. About me and Alice.”

“No, this one’s new. This one says you planned this whole thing as soon as Wes went back to school.”

“That’s so stupid.”

“It’s the rumor. I heard it from Jen this morning so you know it’s been around.”

Justin searched for the moon again, but the clouds had become thicker. He spun around slowly until he felt a little dizzy. “Wes Stilman is a reasonable guy. He’s smarter than that.”

“Wes will come after you whether he believes it or not.”

“He hasn’t shown up at my doorstep yet, and Thanksgiving was yesterday. So he’s been home for how long – two, three days now?”

“He got home yesterday. It’s been a day. For all you know he’s only just now hearing about it.”

“Hell.” Justin wandered over to the curb and tried to balance himself as he went, one foot in front of the other.

He started walking faster and looked back at Brian. “Or, then again – ” he began, but slipped and fell.

The glass broke beneath his hand as he hit the pavement, and suddenly the music sounded closer and the ground felt very solid as he stood up. He picked up what was left of the bottle with his other hand and faced the broken edge toward Brian.

“You fighting him then?”

“I could.”

“No,” said Brian, shaking his head over the mess of glass and blood. “I don’t think so.”

Want to know what happens next? Go to the full story, print it out and read it in bed.