Page 28 of Devoured

Friday

All my anger dissipated. Penny was lying there lifeless. The “fight, fight, fight” chants died away.

Everyone was frozen in place now.

Except for me.

I crouched down next to her, cradling her face in my hands. “Penny?”

She didn’t respond.

“Penny?”

I heard Melissa sobbing. “Someone call 911!”

No.Penny was drinking underage. She’d be expelled. This would ruin everything she was working toward.

“She slipped,” someone said. I looked up. A girl was already on the phone with the 911 operator. I needed to get Penny out of here. I’d get her home and have a doctor come to us.

“Is she okay?” Tyler said.

No, she’s not okay. You punched her, you fucking idiot.I kept my eyes trained on Penny so I wouldn’t punch Tyler again. “I’ve got her,” I said. I gently picked Penny up, cradling her in my arms. Being extra careful to support her neck.

“I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean to,” Tyler said. “What should we do?”

We?There was nowehere. “I’ve got her,” I said again.

Tyler didn’t try to stop me as I walked toward the stairs.

“She needs to go to the hospital,” Melissa said as she ran beside me.

“I’ve got her,” I said again. I didn’t trust Melissa. This was as much her fault as it was Tyler’s. She was supposed to be Penny’s best friend. So why was Penny so drunk? Why was no one looking out for her?

“James, please, the ambulance is on the way.” She followed me up the stairs.

“I’ll have a doctor come to us,” I said as I carried Penny out of the house. “Penny,” I said as I stared down at her unconscious body. “Penny can you hear me?”

She didn’t even stir.

Panic laced around my heart. She needed to wake up. She needed to look up at me.

I’d forgotten how light she was when she was in my arms. I remembered thinking that she’d be so easy to break. Since I was so broken.

I shook my head. I wasn’t going to break her. I wasn’t. This wasn’t my fault. But I was lying to myself. All of this was my fault. “Penny,” I whispered. “Please.”

“James, stop!”

I turned around on the grass. “Melissa, would you just listen to me for two seconds?” I snapped.

For the first time I realized she was crying.

“Take a deep breath,” I said.

I wasn’t sure if she followed my instructions, but she didn’t keep talking, so that was good.

“Now grab my phone out of my pocket.” I gestured to my back pocket.

She pulled out my phone.

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