GRAVEYARD | Topper Thornton

BEG

*new email from anonymous*

Harper, 

If you continue down this path, you'll meet the same end your parents did.  

You know what happened to them and I know you don't want that either. 

I'll be watching you. 

I got the email four days ago, the night after we left the Crain house. I had yet to tell any of the pogues yet despite their concern about my distant behavior. I was shocked, to say the least, scared even, but made my way to the chateau. 

As I was walking down the road, the twinkie raced past me but squealed to a stop. Sarah and John B both leaned out of the van, waving towards me. I jogged to catch up to them. 

"Jump in," John B said to me. I opened the back door of the van, sitting down in the back as I smiled at Sarah. As John B drove, they both attempted to catch me up on what had happened but were ultimately cut off when two motorbikes raced past us and stopped us in our tracks. Helmets were ripped off the two figures and revealed to by Rafe and Topper. 

"Pull that piece of shit over," Rafe yelled. John B stopped the van and we all jumped out. Sarah ran up to Rafe as he began screaming at her.  Topper stalked his way over to John B and I. I stepped in front of John B, not letting Topper get any closer to the boy. 

"Topper, what are you doing," I asked the boy, stopping him in his tracks. Topper's eyes held familiar anger that I'd seen a lot recently. 

"Harper, go to the bike, now," he scolded me as if I was a child. I looked at the boy, pushing him back farther away from John B and me. 

"I'm not your bitch, Topper,"  I told him, "who are you to tell me what to do."

"Harper, please,"  he begged me. John B pulled me slightly back and looked me in the eye. We could hear the fight between Sarah and Rafe intensifying causing John B to be conflicted between us two. 

"go," I whispered to him, "I'll be fine." John B stalked his way over to Sarah as Rafe continued to yell at her. 

"Harper, I'm begging you please just come with me,"  Topper's eyes were no longer angry, just concerned. I looked over to Sarah and John B as they battled with Rafe. I looked back to Topper reluctantly, moving towards his outstretched hand. 

"Harper," Sarah said as I walked away with the boy I still loved. I mouthed to the girl that I'd be okay before hopping onto the back of Topper's bike. He quickly said something to Rafe before we were off, out of the cut, and towards Topper's house on figure eight. 

Once we made it to Topper's house, he threw himself off the bike before dragging me inside his house and up to his room. He sat down on his bed with a sigh, running his hands over his face as I stood awkwardly by the door. 

"You used to sleep here, Harper," the boy broke the silence, "you can come in."

I reluctantly walked farther into the room moving over to the window seat. I sat down and looked out at the now setting sun, the orange and red hues of the sky opposing my mood. I wasn't really sure what to say to Topper, I hadn't seen him since midsummers and was still incredibly angry at him for what he did to John B. 

I felt Topper's arms around my waist as he sat down next to me, "talk to me," he begged me, his head sitting against my shoulder. 

Where do I even begin?