Someone Knows Something

by Christa Weisman

  She saw no sign of him running away. Every bit of his room welcomed his return. She just couldn’t believe he would leave it all behind. Leave her without a word.

  She pushed aside the paperwork, mostly old homework assignments he had gotten less-than-stellar grades on, on top of his desk, looking for anything that could tell her where he was. A piece of paper folded origami-style caught her attention. She opened it and instantly recognized the soft, feminine penmanship to be Avery’s. She was not one to snoop, and under any other circumstance should not have read it. But her eyes continued to scan the print until the tone of it changed and caught her attention.

  I made an appointment at the clinic. I just wanted you to know I decided to go through with it. I don’t want you to come with me. Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone I’m pregnant.

  Avery

  Kate dropped the letter on the dresser as she clasped her hand over her mouth. Avery was pregnant. Did that explain Caleb’s odd behavior the last week? She thought it had to do with Dave, but this...this was much bigger than his father not coming to his football game. Or maybe it was a combination of all of it.

  What was she supposed to do with this information? Would she expose Avery’s secret by showing it to Rex? Or would she pretend she never saw it? Could she possibly pretend not to know?

  She quickly wrapped the note back in the shape she found it and tucked it back under the other papers. Tomorrow, Caleb would show up and she wouldn’t have to make this decision. He would tell her when he was ready.

  She closed the bedroom window and made sure everything looked the way it had when she’d entered, and then she quickly left his room, shutting the door behind her.

  Five weeks earlier

  J.R. made his wish and blew out the eighteen candles on his birthday cake. He was the last of the boys to become an adult and he was glad to finally retire the minor title. Caleb was already nineteen, and Ethan had celebrated his eighteenth birthday in August. They often teased him, calling him the baby among them, though Grace and Avery were still seventeen.

  Everyone clapped and cheered as he beamed, looking at the Hudson dining room and those who filled it. His mother cut the cake as Nora, who had always been like an aunt to him, passed out the china plates and silverware. His brother and sister fought over the largest piece as Avery and Grace both kindly declined the lavish chocolate drip cake.

  “I’ll take Avery’s slice,” Caleb offered with a wide grin as he held out his free hand. “We don’t need it going to waste.”

  “That’s awfully kind of you, Caleb,” Anna smirked as she gave the slice to Ethan’s dad.

  Caleb shrugged. “Just always thinking of others.”

  Avery rolled her eyes in disgust, making it obvious they were once again off.

  “What did you wish for?” Emma asked J.R. as he took a mouthful.

  “Play for the Huskies,” he answered between bites.

  “You’re not supposed to share what you wish for!” Grace exclaimed. “Now it won’t happen.”

  “Oh, it’s happening,” Jameson said smugly with an elbow jab to Nick. “Don’t you worry about that.”

  J.R. wrapped his arm around Grace’s shoulder. “See, baby, our future is already set.”

  “All your hard work will pay off,” Nick added. “Once the coach sees you all, there will be no question where you will be next year.”

  Ethan kept his mouth full of cake, not wanting to respond. He was grateful when Caleb checked the clock and said it was time for them to head out.

  “We have a surprise night planned for our baby boy,” Caleb jabbed.

  J.R. shook his head. “Jesus, can’t we be done with that now?”

  Caleb wrapped his arm around J.R.’s neck. “Never! Now get in the car and don’t ask questions.”

  “Ethan, will you be home tonight?” Nora asked as she stacked the empty chocolate dishes.

  “No, I think we’re coming back here,” he answered, giving his mom a kiss on the cheek.

  “Okay. Well, be safe, kids,” she said, looking at each one of them.

  “Give them a break, Nora.” Jameson laughed. “It’s Timber Falls, there’s no trouble to get into.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go have a drink in the parlor.”

  The boys piled into Ethan’s red Honda Civic with J.R. sitting shotgun while Grace drove steadily behind them with Avery in her midnight blue Acura.

  They drove through town, up Oak Hill and down around the outskirts that parallel the neighboring city.

  “Where the hell are you guys taking me?” J.R. asked.

  “Don’t worry about that and just enjoy yourself.” Ethan smiled. “Caleb?”

  “On it.” He twisted off the top to a flask and handed it to J.R. “My gift to you, my friend.”

  J.R. took a sniff; this wasn’t the beer they usually drank. “Thanks, man.” He grinned. “Or should I thank your mom?”

  “She won’t even know it’s missing,” Caleb admitted. “I don’t know why she buys it when she doesn’t drink it.”

  J.R. took a swig, feeling the burn as the liquid slid down his throat. “Dude, that is disgusting.”

  Caleb took the flask and shot it back. “It’ll finally grow some hair on your balls.”

  J.R. snatched it back. “Watch it, Weston, or I’ll start that rumor up again about you only having one testicle.”

  Ethan laughed loudly, accepting the drink when J.R. offered. “God, that was the best prank. Everyone believed us.”

  “You know that only worked when no one had seen my balls before, right? I have too many witnesses now.” He winked, taking his turn with the flask. “More than you can say, right, J.R.?”

  J.R. scowled. It wasn’t a secret among them that he was still a virgin. Grace had promised him that senior year she would finally be ready. He just hoped she didn’t mean the end of senior year. He didn’t know how much longer he could wait.

  “What about you, Ethan?” Caleb asked, sitting forward so his head was between the two front seats. “You get some action this summer with that Brittany girl that you didn’t tell us about?”

  “Brianna,” Ethan clarified again. “And I plead the fifth.” He took another shot from the flask and passed it back to J.R..

  “Puss.” Caleb scowled. “Turn up here on the right.”

  “Where the hell are we?” J.R. asked. “Are we still in Timber Falls?”

  Ethan flicked on his blinker, indicating to the girls behind him that they were turning. “Nope.” He drove a half mile down the unknown road before turning into a gravel parking lot, sadly pretty spacious for a Saturday night. But that’s why they were there, wasn’t it?

  “Mickey’s Tavern?” J.R. read the crooked neon sign. “How the hell are we going to get in there?”

  “You know I wouldn’t let you down on your birthday,” Caleb said smugly. He jumped out of the car, already feeling a slight buzz from the booze they’d drunk on the drive over. J.R. sat back in the seat, incredulous. He was used to following Caleb’s wild ideas without question, but sneaking into a bar led his mind to getting caught by someone who recognized him and his father finding out and newspaper headlines, and then to the loss of his potential football career. What the hell was Caleb thinking?

  Avery and Grace parked beside them, their faces showing hesitation and slight distaste for the dive bar. Slowly, they stepped out onto the rocky ground, their shoes sliding into muddy puddles from the earlier rain. Avery cursed as she felt the cold dampness seep into her socks. J.R. stepped out of the car, the last to make an entrance, the most resistant to the night’s plan.

  “Are you sure about this, Caleb?” Grace asked as she went to stand by J.R..

  “This looks shady,” Avery said, folding her arms over her chest. She settled up close to Grace. It wasn’t too late for the two of them to bail. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to be around Caleb. And it wasn’t just that he’d pushed her aside; that wasn’t new, and wouldn’t last. Caleb was used to getting hi
s way. Those on the outside would say that J.R. called the shots. He was the quarterback, he was the mayor’s kid, he was the best looking, with the best shot of future success. But what those of them knew on the inside, J.R. included, was that it was always Caleb. He was the ringleader, J.R.’s puppeteer. And Avery was secretly thrilled at that, knowing she had that edge over Grace. She was the one who was with the real king. But lately, Caleb’s tactics and persuasions were quick to end in anger if he didn’t get his way. It was a side they were not used to. It made them walk on eggshells around him, more fearful to question his motives.

  Caleb glared at her before answering Grace. “Yes, I’m sure.” His voice was tight, annoyed. “I did work for Mickey over the summer, mostly roofing and some things he needed help with on the business at his house. He tried to pay me, but I told him no, that when the time came I’d be calling in a favor.” He smiled with pride and patted J.R. on the shoulder. “Happy birthday, buddy!”

  “Caleb, I’m the mayor’s son.”

  “He’s not the mayor here,” Caleb shot back. He scratched at his head, his annoyance turning into agitation. Why didn’t they trust him? It was killing his buzz. “Look, Mickey said his patrons are easygoing and keep to themselves.” He omitted the part where he was warned not to draw any attention to themselves. “No one here knows who you, or any of us, are.”

  J.R. started to grin the more Caleb spoke. Ethan, who was leaning over the top of the car, slapped the hood and said, “Alright, let’s do this.”

  “That’s the spirit we need.” Caleb’s grin was back, putting the rest of them at ease. He led them to the entrance of the old brick building with a lopsided, but newly remodeled, roof. The smoke escaped into the night air as they opened the door. Through the fog, they could see a wooden curved bar in front of them with torn black leather stools. Two men who sat on the far end looked up when the door opened, only to draw their attention back to their drink as soon as it closed. Several patrons sat scattered throughout the rectangular room, men and women smoking cigarettes and sipping on bottom shelf liquor, minding their own business. Caleb could see why Mickey had said they would go unnoticed here. This was not the typical crowd that followed small-town politics or high school football.

  Mickey, a burly man whose exposed arms were covered in colorful tattoos, raised his hand to wave them over. His wiry beard was thick and charcoal colored, like it’d been drawn in. His eyes were small and narrowed, giving them a distasteful slant, but his smile was unnaturally warm. He shook hands with Caleb while eyeing his friends up and down. They clearly didn’t belong there.

  “Just this once, understood?” Mickey said sternly, speaking just loud enough over the jukebox for them to hear. “Crystal, keep their drinks full. Tab’s on me.” He retreated to a room in the back, shutting the door behind him.

  Crystal, a blonde with bleached yellow hair that matched her crooked teeth, stepped forward, sizing them up. When Caleb smiled at her, her mouth twisted into a sultry grin and Avery thought she was going to throw up.

  “What can I get you?” she said with a lick of her lips.

  If life had been better to her, she may have been pretty, Grace thought. Though she would never say that out loud in front of Avery, who was clearly seething by the way Caleb was looking at the bartender.

  “Let’s just get a drink,” Grace told Avery, ordering the two of them a screwdriver. The boys were already throwing back their first order of shots, and Grace knew if she could just get some liquor in her friend, they could have a really good night.

  Caleb, a few shots in, sauntered over to the jukebox, flipping through the tunes until he found just the right one. When the song came over the speakers, Grace grabbed Avery’s hand, her inhibition loosening after a couple of drinks. “Let’s dance!”

  They pushed empty tables aside and made themselves a dance floor, ignoring the annoyed glances and stares by the customers around them. They felt free and happy, unapologetic for their youth. The girls danced without care of others watching them, and soon, Caleb was beside them, followed by a usually constrained Ethan. The liquor ran through their blood and they let it take control of their limbs and their minds. J.R. sat back at the bar, watching his birthday night unfold with a grin. When Caleb moved in close behind Grace, J.R. slid off his seat and gently pushed his friend aside.

  “Okay, man.” J.R. laughed. “You’re in my spot.”

  Caleb stumbled back with a chuckle. “I’ll get us another drink.”

  Grace turned to face J.R., her eyes narrowed in on his, and he saw a look come over her that he’d never seen before. Her lips parted as she danced closer to him. He had always thought Grace was beautiful, but the way she moved with her hips aligned with his and her breasts pressed against his chest made her so damn hot. His mood quickly shifted and he felt the blood pool in his groin as he wondered if tonight could actually be the night. She grinded against him as she danced, and he couldn’t help but let out a moan in her ear. He was ready to get out of there if she was. Before he could make the move, she was ripped from his arms.

  “What the—” He opened his eyes to see Avery grasping on to Grace, Avery’s face twisted into an ugly grimace. Was she crying? Only one person could get a reaction out of her like that. J.R. looked toward the bar to see Caleb leaning up against the cracked wooden ledge with the bartender between his legs. She was doing a terrible job of trying to push him off her as he kissed at her. She laughed and turned her head and swatted at his hand on her hip, but didn’t move from his grasp. Instead, she whispered in his ear, and J.R. and anyone looking on could tell just what she was offering.

  “Get me out of here, now,” Avery snapped at Grace.

  Grace looked up at J.R. with an apologetic frown. She knew she didn’t have a choice. That fucking Caleb, J.R. thought. J.R. was so pissed he let Grace go without a goodbye, though she tried to kiss him.

  When the door shut behind them, J.R. turned to give Caleb a piece of his mind, only to find his friend pushing the bartender up against the bar, his hand around her throat as he kissed her. J.R. noticed the way Crystal’s demeanor changed once she realized something he and his friends had always known: there was no controlling Caleb. She squirmed in his hold to no avail. Caleb laughed as she struggled.

  “Let me go!” she choked out, pushing her arms against him. He was double her weight and towered over her.

  J.R. was on him, grabbing his arm and pulling him off her. “Come on, buddy,” he coached, not showing his alarm. Caleb flipped a switch and dropped his hand, jumping onto the bar counter, beer in hand. He lifted his drink to J.R., gesturing to him in a toast. “Ladies and gentlemen!” he shouted, attracting the attention of the annoyed audience.

  Crystal pushed past J.R., gripping her neck as she raced to the back room.

  “I just want to say Happy Birthday to the best friend a guy could ask for. This guy, right here,” Caleb said, pointing a finger at J.R., his beer splashing from the glass. “This guy right here, you don’t even know. He’d do anything for you.”

  “Damn,” Ethan whispered as he approached J.R. They looked grief-stricken at the crowd where men much older and rougher than them were quickly losing their patience with Caleb’s antics.

  J.R. stepped forward, his buzz gone. “Thanks, buddy,” he said calmly. “Come on down now.”

  Caleb shook his head. “You’ve always been there for me, man. Even when we were kids. My dad… and you had your dad.” He was spinning, not making sense. He took a drink of beer and then remembered what he was standing up there for. “Let’s all sing happy birthday to J.R.! Happy birthday…” he started to sing alone in an uneven tone.

  A burly man standing behind J.R. stood up, taking the cigarette out of his mouth. “You kids have had enough, it’s time for you to go home.”

  Caleb stumbled back. “Who the hell are you? I’ll go when I’m ready to go.”

  Before J.R. and Ethan could speak up, the man took a step toward Caleb. Though he was not as statuesque as Caleb
, he probably had him in weight. “The fuck you say?”

  He was joined by his friend, though it was clear to Ethan and J.R. that the rest of the bar patrons had his back. They were in deep water and clearly out of their element. Caleb jumped down from the counter, creating a large thud that shook the glasses on top of the bar. A look of content crossed his face. Ethan realized to his dismay that Caleb was actually enjoying this.

  “I said, I’ll go when I’m ready to go, old man.”

  The second man to stand took a long drag of his cigarette. His battered jean jacket was rolled up to his elbows, exposing scars, deep and rugged. He pulled his other hand out of his pocket and rested it on the table. It was when he lifted his palm Ethan caught a glance of the shiny blade beneath it. “You better walk out now, son, before you get yourself into something your daddy can’t get you out of.”

  The gleam in Caleb’s eye swiftly turned to fury at the mention of his father. Ethan and J.R. caught him by the arm just as he lunged forward at the man. The back door swung open, exposing a frightened Crystal, trailing behind an enraged Mickey. He took one look at the chaos of his bar before his eyes fell on Caleb. He was foaming from the mouth that he had let this piece of trash minor come on in and risk his business and reputation.

  As he rounded the corner, his hand came up and as Caleb turned to look at him, he realized he was staring down the barrel of a gun. He burst into a round of hysterical laughter. J.R. and Ethan went white, frozen in fear from what their friend had gotten them into.

  “Get the fuck out of my bar,” Mickey said, with eerie calm. “And don’t ever think about stepping foot in here again.”

  J.R. and Ethan each gripped an arm on Caleb’s side and all but pulled him to the front door. His laughter crippling his steps all the way to the car. They threw his ass in the back seat, both worked up in a sweat that was more from fear than the weight of their friend.