I stood in the empty lot for several minutes after the anonymous rider disappeared into the night, staring at the spot where her taillight had vanished around the corner. Something about the whole encounter was nagging at me, like a puzzle piece that almost fit but wasn't quite right.
Who the hell was that?
My phone buzzed in my jacket pocket, snapping me out of my thoughts. I pulled it out and saw Mom's name on the caller ID.
"Hey, Mom," I answered, walking back toward my bike.
"Paxton, where are you?" Her voice carried that familiar note of worry that I'd been hearing a lot lately. "It's almost one in the morning."
"I know, I know," I said, running my hand through my hair. "I'm sorry. I got held up with some... business."
"What kind of business keeps you out this late on a school n
