One Night in Wyland High

By Amanda Innes

September 1989. After getting locked inside their potentially haunted high school, Drew and Rayze seek both a way out of the building and a way to save their fracturing relationship.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amanda Innes
• Release date: Sep 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215608753

Amanda Innes

Amanda Innes has been a production assistant on film sets, a dogsbody for community theaters, a performer of Shakespeare, an instructor for summer camps, and worked for major publishing houses before turning her attention to her own writing. She grew up in Texas, went to graduate school in Massachusetts, and now lives in Northern California.

Book preview

One Night in Wyland High

one night in wyland high

drew & rayze

book three

Amanda Innes

MPL Books

one night in wyland high

September 1989

I thought I might find you here, said Drew as he dropped his backpack just inside the library study room door.

Rayze did not look up from the notebook he was jotting in. Half a dozen books lay open and spread over the table, a few more stacked to one side.

Drew closed the door behind him and leaned down, hoping to see past the curtain of hair and catch Rayze’s attention. He knew, of course, how difficult it could be to get Rayze to switch gears, especially when he was this deep into whatever latest interest had grabbed him. Drew just wished sometimes that he could be that interest.

Rayze blinked rapidly a few times as he processed Drew’s presence and finally looked up. Then extracted a pair of headphones that had been obscured by his long, wavy hair. Something loud, angry, and tinny came pouring out before Rayze reached over to switch off the Walkman Drew had failed to notice amidst the books. Hey.

Drew gestured at the table. What is it this time?

The books or the music?

Either. Both.

He watched Rayze gather his thoughts, which was always weirdly fascinating to witness. But it told Drew something else, too. When Rayze was excited about something, he didn’t pause. When he was deep into something, though, he was careful with his words.

Well, this— Rayze placed a splayed hand on one open book that was stacked on a couple others, is a history essay. And this— He tapped a finger on a closed book. Is Calculus homework. And these— He finally looked up with a secretive little smile and caught Drew’s eye, making Drew wish he’d closed the blinds when he’d come in because they were way too visible to everyone else in the library for him to pull Rayze over the table and kiss him senseless. Which would take a lot of kissing. But Rayze didn’t allow that kind of thing when they were at school anyway.

Rayze’s expression had gone from playful to suspicious. Are you listening?

Yeah. Calculus.

These, Rayze said again as he placed a hand on the last and largest collection of books, are some local legends, plus some history and maps and stuff. Oh, and that was just Guns N’ Roses.

Well, I was hoping you would help me with my Trig, Drew told him.

Rayze sat back in his chair and folded his arms. Why did you even take Trig? You hate math.

I thought it would look good on my applications.

Not if you fail, said Rayze. He pushed the chair across from his out with a foot and began moving his books and notebooks out of the way. Sit.

Drew wished Rayze would let him sit next to him, but he knew it was his own damn fault for being easily distracted by Rayze’s hair, his smell, his hands, his jewelry—his everything. He’d proven himself untrustworthy on numerous occasions, though he liked to think Rayze had enjoyed those detours at least a little.

Still, Drew had discovered that when Rayze was in a serious mood he didn’t like to be sidetracked. The times he’d been willing to mix business with pleasure—or, really, replace business with pleasure—were remarkably rare. Once, when Drew had mentioned it, Rayze had said, "If I let myself get distracted by every pretty face, Andrew, I’d never get anything done."

It wasn’t my face I was trying to distract you with, Drew had said, and he’d meant it, but Rayze had only laughed.

The upshot being that Rayze didn’t tutor Drew in his bedroom anymore.

Rayze patiently walked Drew through sine this and cosine that. Drew worked a problem and slid his notebook across the table for Rayze to review. And Rayze looked at it as if he’d written in Greek. Except worse because Rayze probably actually understood Greek.

What…? Rayze began as he frowned at the paper. Then he shook his head as if trying to clear it of an unwanted thought. Okay, again. More sine and cosine and tangents followed.

It took way too long to get through the six math problems Drew had for homework, and by the time they had, he still wasn’t really sure what he was doing. But Rayze seemed to think he’d made progress. I think you’re getting it, he said as he looked at the work Drew had done on the final problem. You just missed this bit here, and that’s only because this should be 36, not 26.

Oh. Drew tried to look interested, but he was simply glad to be done.

So, everything after that needs to be reworked, Rayze said.

Drew began banging the back of his head on his chair.

It’s not a big deal, said Rayze.

For you, maybe. You can do these problems in, like, ten minutes. It takes me… He sat up suddenly. "What time is