Mason by Thomas Pendleton Page A

herself as she sat in the booth. There’s plenty of time to meet someone. I’ve got plenty of time .
    â€œThis is awesome,” Cassie said. Her eyes brightened and she waved frantically.
    Rene turned, the vinyl screeching under her backside as she looked in the direction of Cassie’s wave. Four kids from school, three football players and a girl named Connie, stood at the end of the counter. Connie waved back happily. The football players all nodded their heads. At the table in front of this gang, Miranda Bocage sat with the older guy from the night before. She looked furious, stabbing her diet cola with her straw as the man spoke to her.
    â€œAnd it’s early yet,” Cassie continued. “By ten, this place will be slammin’.”
    Yeah , Rene thought, and by eleven, we’ll all be up at the Hollow lighting a fire and drinking beers .
    The outdoor parties at the Hollow happened every few weeks. Sometimes they were planned with invitations circulated on the internet or handed out in the school’s halls. Other times, they just happened. Either way, they were a lot of fun, unless Hunter and his thugs showed up to tease and bully everyone.
    Her thoughts began drifting back to Lara, but Rene didn’t want to deal with any of that right now. She ordered coffee from the waitress and waited for Cassie to order her french fries, which she always did, even when Rene reminded her about the carbs. Rene decided to enjoy the festivities in the restaurant. Lara would have to take care of herself.
    Rene’s cell phone rang and she snagged it out of her bag on the second ring.
    â€œHello?”
    â€œRene,” Lara said. Her voice was low and nervous. It sounded as if Lara wasn’t willing to be forgotten just yet. “Are you there?”
    â€œYes,” Rene said, half wishing she’d ignored the call.
    â€œI really need to talk to you. It’s totally important.”
    â€œSo talk.”
    Rene heard fragments of words, but the noisy crowd made it hard to make out what Lara was saying. Across the table, Cassie looked around, smiling. Suddenly her eyes lit up and her cheeks flared red, and then she lowered her head to stare at the table. Rene turned and saw Eric Crawford with some of his buddies approaching the table. Lara kept talking, but Rene couldn’t make out a word of it.
    â€œHold on,” Rene said. “I have to go outside.” She covered the mouthpiece and told Cassie she’d see her in a minute. Then she scooted out of the booth.
    â€œYou can’t leave me!” Cassie said anxiously.
    â€œYou’re a big girl,” Rene said, “and I’ll be right back.”
    Rene said hi to Eric and Orin Unger as she made her way down the aisle. Outside, she turned left and walked several feet from the door.
    â€œNow, what’s going on?” Rene asked.
    â€œCan you meet me?” Lara asked.
    â€œAfter last night? I don’t think so.”
    â€œPlease, Rene. I’m scared. Really scared. I’m sorry about last night. So sorry, but I need to see you. It’s Hunter…. He…God, I can’t even say it.”
    A list of terrible things Hunter might have done unfolded in Rene’s mind. She pictured the tattooed thug in her mind, imagined him hitting Lara, saw him pull his gun from his pants. What had he done?
    â€œWhere are you?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Lara said, panicked. “I ran out of his house. I’m in the woods somewhere. You have to come get me.”
    â€œThe woods? Where?”
    â€œBy his house! God, I don’t know.”
    Rene thought about Hunter’s neighborhood. It was on the opposite side of town from the Ditch—not that his family was living large. Hunter’s mother had inherited the house from her parents. It was in a nice neighborhood, but the place was run-down, with two old muscle cars up on blocks in the side yard.
    â€œOh,” Lara said quickly. “I