I glance up at the building. It’s not much to look at from the outside, it’s been neglected. There are dents in the metal siding, and it looks like something has cut into it. An axe maybe? I don’t know.
The sun dips below the roof and the sky darkens around us.
My arms prickle with the chill from the breeze.
Caleb doesn’t drop my hand, so I don’t bother pulling away. Owen and Hazel are a little ahead of us, just going through the door.
“When do you have to be home?” he asks as we slowly walk toward the door.
“Ten.” I suddenly feel very childish having a curfew. I wonder if I can talk to my parents about staying out later since school is over for the summer. Though, if I do, they’ll start asking questions. And if they find out that I’m talking to a boy and getting into a car with him to go hang out somewhere, they will never let me leave the house again.
He stops walking and nods, his blue eyes dancing in amusement. “I’ll be sure to have you home every night by ten.”
Every night?
“You look lost for words,” he says, turning his body so we’re face-to-face.
“That pretty much sums it up.”
“Why do you think I can’t care about you?”
“Because you don’t know me. Because I’m too young for you.”
He tilts his head. “You can’t control a feeling, Piper. All around the world people try to hide who they really are and what they really want. I’ll never understand it. Sure, I’m not going to try anything with you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”
So, he’s honest. It’s refreshing.
“I agree with that. So many people around here hide how they really feel until all they can do is run away.”
“Exactly.” He blows out a breath of relief, as if he’s glad he’s finally found someone who agrees with him. “If people were a little more honest with themselves…”
“You don’t seem to struggle there.”
“I used to. Then I gave into it and…wow.”
I bite my lip to stop from asking what he gave into and started doing, but that feels a little intrusive. Also, if it’s gross, I’m going to regret asking. Some things are better left unsaid.
“Shall we follow the others?” he asks, tugging my hand so I step closer to him.
Dipping my chin, I reply, “Let’s do it.”
We walk through the door, and my mouth falls open. It’s huge. It’s one large room with sofas, a massive TV, arcade games, a pool table, and bar.
“This is amazing. No wonder you don’t hang out at the lake.”
“I don’t really like large groups of people.”
Smirking at him, I add, “Or outsiders.”
“Very funny. Okay, phones on the side table,” he instructs, taking his phone out of his pocket and setting it down, indicating for us to do the same.
“Why?” Hazel asks.
Owen puts his on the table, too. “Everyone is glued to social media. In here, we talk to each other. It’s more fun that way. House rules.”
She shrugs and puts her phone beside theirs. I hesitate; my phone doesn’t often leave my hand or my pocket.
“This isn’t school, Piper,” Caleb chuckles. “It hasn’t been confiscated. You don’t have to turn it off and leave it here until the end of class. If you get a call, you can come and pick it up.”
Hazel widens her eyes at me, as if to say, Don’t embarrass me again. “Come on, Pipes, then we can challenge the guys to a game of pool.”
Neither of us can play pool. But I’m being silly. “Okay.” I slide my phone from my pocket and place it on the table.
Caleb smiles. “Now, do you want to see the rest before we kick their asses at pool?”
“The rest?” I ask.
“You didn’t notice the building is significantly bigger than this room?”
“Well, I did, but I figured you’d just renovated this part.” Against the back wall are two doors with keypad security locks. “What do you have back there?”
“Which door do you want to go through?”
“Where does the one on the right lead?”
“To more rooms.”
“Where does the one on the left lead?”
Squeezing my hand, he replies, “If I told you that, I would have to kill you.”
I roll my eyes. “Really?”
“You have to choose one. Kind of like The Matrix. Do you want the red door or the blue door, Piper?”
“They’re both white.”
He laughs and takes a dangerous step closer. We’re almost chest to chest, definitely not a position we should be in considering we can only be friends. Besides, I don’t know him well enough to have him invading my personal space.
His smile dies as he looks into my eyes. Is he going to kiss me? I can’t have my first proper kiss with a virtual stranger.
He takes a deep breath. “I shouldn’t do this.”
Hazel shouts, “Come on, Pipes!”
I take a step back, and he lets my hand drop. Caleb shakes his head slowly. “Which door, Piper?”
“Well, I have no interest in being dead, so I’m going for the door on the right.”
With a breathtaking smile, he nods. “Good. Come on.” His posture changes; he’s taller, more animated.
“You really are proud of this place, aren’t you?” I tease.
He looks at me over his shoulder. “You have no idea. Owen, you two in?”
Owen looks up from where he and Hazel are playing pinball. “Sure.” I follow Caleb, intrigued by what else they’ve done here. He punches in a code and opens the door.
Caleb lets Owen and Hazel go in first and then turns back to me. “Okay?”
I nod, and he holds out his hand again. We probably shouldn’t, but I take it anyway and let him lead me into…a really long hallway. Huh?
Gazing up at him, I arch my eyebrow. “What is this?”
On each side of the hall are more doors, at least three on each side and another one at the far end. It’s dimly lit, the metal light shades casting circular shadows on the floor.
He laughs and lets go of my hand. “The building used to be offices when my dad ran his business from here. There’s that big room we came in and another one up ahead, then lots of smaller rooms.”
I turn back to the hallway as Hazel take a few steps down it. “Have you done anything with those rooms yet?” I ask.
He presses his chest against my back. I freeze as his breath blows against my neck. “Why don’t you find out?”
Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to be happening.
“I think I’m ready to go back to the other room now,” I say as his body moves away from mine. “Hazel, come back.”
I take a step closer to my friend, who is padding toward the first door on the left.
Behind me, I feel the atmosphere change. It chills me, causing my skin to pebble. Hazel looks past me and her face pales.
My back is still to the door, but I hear a loud clang and know the boys have gone.
“This isn’t funny!” Hazel shouts as she spins around.
Seeing her panic, I turn and sprint the few steps to the door. There’s a handle on this side, but the door’s lock is attached to the keypad, and I didn’t look when he punched in the code.
“Caleb!” I shout. “Let us out!”
Hazel slams into the door and hammers on it with tightly clenched fists. “Open the door now!”
“Caleb!” I shout louder. “You’ve had your fun, now open up.”
Pressing my ear to the door, I wait. They must be right out there, so why do I feel like I’m shouting to an empty room?
I stumble back a step and grab Hazel’s wrist. “What’s going on?” I mutter.
“What’s going on is that they’re dead as soon as I get out of this corridor.”
Oh God, this is not good.
“Caleb, please!” I shout.
Hazel and I jump as bright overhead lights blink on.
Caleb’s voice rips through a speaker: “Piper, Hazel, welcome to the game.”