Laura Silverman - Up All Night: 13 Stories between Sunset and Sunrise

13 Stories between Sunset and Sunrise

edited by LAURA SILVERMAN

Algonquin 2021

For all the night owls

If this were a normal Friday night, I wouldve left Katie Changs party before midnight. Curfew is nonnegotiable in the Finch household, and Im way past it. But my parents are in Bermuda for their anniversary, and as Katie pointed out when convincing me to stay, Its not like they put a tracking device on your phone before they left, Grace.

Probably. My father didnt become the detective with the most arrests on the Owens Mills police force without having a few tricks up his sleeve. Its almost two in the morning, though, and I havent received a get your ass home text yet, so Im probably safe.

From parental ire, anyway. Not from playing what feels like an endless Never Have I Ever card game in Katies basement. Granted, Im the one who suggested it, but weve barely started and Im already yawning. Still, this is about as exciting as nightlife gets for our band-nerd crew, even when its well after midnight.

Never have I ever gone skinny dipping, Malik Roy, Katies boyfriend, reads from the card hes holding. The dozen or so people sitting in a circle on Katies threadbare rug all take a drink, except for me.

Liars, I say.

Malik rolls his eyes as he chugs the last of his beer. Grace Finch, ladies and gentlemen. Oh-for-four in this game because shes allergic to fun.

Because Im honest, I protest. You guys are only pretending youve done stuff so you can drink.

Which. Is. Fun, Malik reminds me.

I guess, I mutter, shifting restlessly beside him. Every party at Katies house is exactly the same: we watch movies, we drink (but never too much), and we play some kind of game. Usually, the game is designed to let us experiment with being edgier than we actually are; last time, it was Crimes Against Humanity.

Which is fine. Obviously. Im Detective Steve Finchs only child; mildly risqu card games and warm beer are as edgy as Im supposed to get. I am, as my father likes to remind me, a Role Model. I used to chafe at being labeled the boring one in a group thats not known for excitement, but Ive come to accept it. Mostly.

Maybe youre not asking the right questions, someone says.

We all turn at the new voice, and my pulse picks up when I see whos leaning against Katies wall near the basement stairs. What the hell is Caleb Manning doing here? my friend Adita whispers in my ear. It shouldnt be any surprise that Calebs at a late-night partythats pretty much what hes known for, along with using his older brothers ID to buy alcohol for said partiesbut hes never bothered with our crowd before. Everybody in the circle tenses, like a herd of gazelles that just realized a lion wandered into their midst during mealtime.

I, um... I whisper back, trailing off as Calebs eyes find mine and he smirks in recognition. I mightve invited him.

Take that, Malik. Caleb Manning might be a lot of things, but boring isnt one of them.

Whaaaaaat? Adita breathes, taking a bracing sip from her cup. Of Sprite. She drove here, but even if she hadnt, shes not a drinker. When did you... why would you...

It was a spur of the moment thing, I say. We were both in the principals office this afternoon. My friends eyebrows arch higher as I add, I was making copies of next weeks resolution for debate team. Debate is one of the many, many extracurricular activities that Adita and I do together.

And what was he doing?

I didnt ask. It seemed, um, discipline-related.

Adita regards me doubtfully, and I dont blame her. Shes one of the most careful, methodical people Ive ever met. She needs a scholarship to get out of Owens Mills, and every move she makes is part of a complex calculation where the underlying equation is always how will this look to a college admissions officer?

Sometimes I want to ask her if she ever gets the urge to break out of our good-girl roles and do something unexpected. But its not a fair question; she doesnt think she has the option. Even being in the same room as someone like Caleb is practically giving her hives.

Maybe I shouldnt have rocked the boat like this. But its too late now.

Someone hands Caleb a beer and he takes it without looking at them, draining half of it in one gulp. His bright blue eyes rove around the room, a half-smile on his lips. Caleb is tall and lean, with shaggy, dark blond hair that frames sharp cheekbones and a strong jaw, and he would hands-down be the most sought-after guy at Owens Mills High if he ever decided to lose the attitude. And the criminal tendencies.

Adita plucks at my sleeve. Are you into him? she hisses.

Of course not! I was just being nice.

Not to Katie you werent, Adita mutters. And I have to agree: Katie looks more than a little terrified as Caleb moves closer to the Never Have I Ever circle. Have you forgotten your father arrested Caleb? Or has he?

Nobodys forgotten that. It was last summer, for trespassing in a skate park after dark. Before that, Caleb had been warned a few times by other Owens Mills cops about disturbing the peace and underage drinking, so that relatively minor crime landed him on probation. Along with a permanent spot on my fathers shit list.

Which, admittedly, is part of why Caleb interests me. Its exhausting being Steve Finchs daughter for lots of reasons, not the least of which is the long list of people, places, and behaviors Im supposed to avoid. When everything you do is scrutinized, theres something fascinating about someone who couldnt care less about rules.

He looks twitchy, Adita says, her mouth pressed into a thin line. Ill bet hes high.

So are we playing or what? Caleb asks. He doesnt sit, thoughjust sort of looms over Malik, whos still holding the Never Have I Ever cards.

Uh, yeah. You know the rules, right? You just Malik goes to hand the deck of cards to the girl sitting next to him, but Caleb intercepts them.

Let me guess, he says, deftly shuffling the deck with one hand. Youre playing old school. Drink if youve done whatever the card says, right? He doesnt wait for an answer. Thats boring. We should mix it up, ultimate-challenge style.

What does that mean? Katie asks, her eyes on the spinning cards.

Caleb drops them into his other hand and extracts a single card from the deck, holding it against his chest. One-on-one. I pick someone to take a turn, and they have to do whatever the card saysright now. So who should it be? He takes his time shifting his gaze across the silent group. Eenie... meenie... miney... Finch, he finally says, locking eyes with me.

No way, I say. Thats not how you play. I turn to Adita for support, but she just shakes her head. The expression on her face couldnt be more clear: serves you right.

Malik, whos looked nervous ever since Caleb walked in, starts to grin. Of course he would; the last few cards all had to do with getting naked. Change approved, he says. Lets see what youve got, Grace.