Page 61 of The Tomorrows After You
Everything in my bodyhummed, and itwasalmost likeI’dbeenhitby Riot’s artful truck. All Iwantedto dowasgo home. See him. Talk to him. I didn’t know what I would say. I justneededto be near him. In his orbit.
All Ihadleftto dowasjoin Jeremy on stage to be his little case study and then I would duck out.I’dwalk, no,runback to Riot’s house.
“We’regoingtocontinue to bring fresh, new, invigorating ideas on how to bring more visitors and more businesses to the town. Wehavean unbelievable amount of talent and leadership in Godot and I want to highlight one special leader who not only calls Godot home buthasmadean incredible impact in the world outside our humble hamlet.”Jeremygrinnedandmotionedfor me to join him.“If you didn’t catch her on the national evening news, you mighthaveseenher workhostingthe Godot High School morning announcements.”A chucklerumbledthrough the crowd, which by my calculations,consistedof the entire town population.“It’s my honor to reintroduce Nicolette Parker!”
Iwalkedacross the stage,realizingI didn’t know if heexpectedme to speak. Itookslow, regretful steps across the stage,scanningthe crowd for Riot. Hestooda few rows back, a head taller than everyone around him.He shiftedhis weight to the other foot as Katiewrappedan arm around his waist.
“I know I, for one,amlookingforward to the resources and relationships that people like Nicolette can bring to Godot,”Jeremycontinued. Ismiledhalf-heartedly out into the crowd. Ihadcome here to blend in, to root out a story and now here Iwasbeingparadedin front of the entire town like some sort of beauty queen and itturnedmy stomach.
“And wehavea little surprise for you,”Jeremypulledme into him, giving me a tight side hug and my stomachturnedsour.“The Family Field Days committeewantedtoputtogether a little highlight reel,honoringyour success. Youleftbefore graduation, whichiswhen students usually get the chance to becelebrated. We nevergotthe chance to applaud you in person and it’s important you know how proud weareto call you one of ours.”
My skin flushed. My eyes glided over to Katie who had a strange look on her face. Riot’s jaw was tight, but I never wanted to look away.
The projector screen came alive behind me. My face was huge andeverywhereas my own voice came out of the speakers. They were all clips of my early newscasts. God, it had been so long since I’d seen these. They elicited a sad wave of nostalgia.
My career at IANN had gone down in such disastrous, embarrassing flames that I had never had any interest in looking back. The work I had done, the stories I had covered, they made a difference. They gave a voice to people who’d been robbed of theirs. Watching the highlight reel, that same wave of pride I’d felt for Riot came back. But this pride — I’d earned.
Ihadworked hard to get where I was that early and I had never been celebrated by anyone. I wanted to turn around. I wanted to share this moment with Riot and see what he thought of my work. But the walk down memory lane had my eyes fixed on the screen.
The video cut from my newscast to an onsite interview I had conducted with the county prosecutor about a sex trafficking ring that had been busted after I followed a few tips on some bizarre solicitation arrests. The reel then cut to a few of my most viewed podcast videos, including the one that had exposed an embezzlement scheme in Easton.
Finally, as the reel wound down, I gazed out at the faces that were all beaming and smiling at the screen. A wave of guilt for all the judgment I’d passed crashed over me. I had assumed they would reject me because I had left. I never considered the thought that they might be proud of my success, hailing from their hometown.
As the background music started again, Jeremy turned back to the microphone.
“One of our hometown heroes, Nicolette Parker!” He started a large round of applause and I finally caved in and found Riot again. He was standing there, hands in his pockets. Katie clapped her hands, still clinging to him. When his eyes met mine, they softened and I caught a small nod. He slowly clapped three times. A smile stretched across his bare face and I’d never been so appreciative of beard clippers.
“Thank you—” Jeremy began again, and I moved to the right to step off stage when an audible gasp spread through the crowd. I scanned the townsfolk. Eyes went wide and parents wrapped their hands around their children’s eyes.
It was a sea of incredulous gasps.
“My heavens…”
“Oh my goodness!”
“What is this?”
“What in the Sam Hill?”
I frowned, confused, and I couldn’t help but flit my gaze to Riot whose eyes were fixed beyond me. There was confusion in his expression before realization passed over him. His jaw clenched in a hard line and his whole face took on a dark, dangerous visage. Next to him Katie’s mouth dropped so far open I thought it might hitthe grass.
My hearthammeredin my chest when familiar, animalistic noisescamefrom behind me. Every inch of my bodywentrigid.
Oh, God, no…
The worldmovedin slow motion. A cool breezepusheda wisp of hair in front of my face and Iblinked. I somehowmanagedto turn around to see the unforgiving sex tape of meplasteredin live action over the giant screen.
My heartstoppedand for the first time in my life, Ihadno words.
23
Riot
Iblinked several times to understand what I was watching. It was a black-and-white video with a high vantage point, like from a security camera. And it was porn. Part of me wanted to snort a laugh. Some kid had inserted a skin flick as a joke to light a fire under these uptight ass-hats.
On the screen, a young womanwasstrappedto a bed while a tall man with dark hairhither with some kind of instrument. Heslappedher hard on the ass and the womancriedout.
All the oxygenleftmy body at the familiar cry.
