by SM Olivier
That knowledge surprised me. The way they hung out, I assumed they had been this tight for years.
“Crew has never been into the party scene or crowds,” Golden continued. “Jana tried to drag him along, but he was… indifferent with her tears, threats, and manipulations. He refused to give in to them and told her to go on without him. Eventually, she realized it was better if he didn’t go with her, so she stopped asking. She recognized she could influence people with her body, looks, and lies. She made a lot more money when Crew wasn’t around.”
“Crew never realized what she was doing?” I asked, mystified.
“I don’t think he really cared,” Zane said bluntly. “I know he told you they have a history together. She pursued him, and he finally gave in. But I don’t think he ever had real feelings for her, so he never bothered to verify her stories and lies.”
“Wow,” I whispered as I tried to process it all.
“If Mrs. Baker doesn’t show up in, like, five, I’m bouncing,” one of my classmates stated loudly.
I looked up at the clock above the whiteboard and frowned. The class should have started ten minutes ago. I’d been so caught up talking with the guys I hadn’t even realized that the late bell had rang a while back.
“What’s taking her so long?” another girl whined before popping her gum obnoxiously.
“Maybe she got a call from her kid again?” another guy chimed in.
One of the students—Jere, I think his name was, or something like that—stood up. “I’m walking. Who’s with me?”
English Lit. was the only class I had with him, but I had seen him in the halls. He was on the unbearable side. Rumor had it, he was some hotshot baseball pitcher. Unlike Zane and Crew, he was cocky about his athleticism. He, too, had college scouts watching him.
“Chillax, Jere.” One of his buddies laughed before digging out his phone.
I looked up and noticed Sal, my favorite Shadow, hovering in the doorway. He was my guard for today. He was vigilant without hovering or being overbearing. I had a newfound appreciation for him after yesterday's disaster.
He beckoned me forward. When I stood, the guys stood as well.
“Hey, Princess, where ya going?” Jere asked as I walked forward.
“Mind your own, Jere,” Golden sneered at him.
I ignored Jere and smiled inwardly. I reached the door and looked at Sal.
“What’s going on?” I whispered.
Sal leaned down. “Grab your bags and come with me.”
From the look in his eyes, I wasn’t going to waste my breath by asking him any questions. A queasy feeling hit my stomach, but it wasn’t that silent alarm I felt yesterday. I looked at the guys and silently nodded to them.
We wordlessly packed our bags back up and started to head back to Sal.
“Yo, Princess Delaney, what’s going on?” Jere called out.
Golden was in his face once more. “Don’t make me break your fingers,” he hissed in his ear. “You kind of need them to throw a ball.”
The look of pure madness in Golden’s eyes surprised me. I had never seen him so lethal. Oddly enough, I wasn’t scared.
Jere looked up at him and visibly swallowed. He had to outweigh Golden by fifteen pounds or so and was an inch or two taller. Somehow, some way, Golden intimidated him. It made me wonder what Golden had done in the past to command that respect. I filed the thought away to ask him later when I didn’t feel so tense.
“Y'all just sit tight until someone comes in here,” Sal told the classroom.
I could see the confusion and a little fear in some of my classmates’ eyes as we left, but I also knew no one would disobey my colossal Shadow.
We passed a few classrooms, and I immediately noticed how none of the teachers were lecturing. Most of them seemed to be preoccupied with their cellphones. I looked over at the guys and realized Zane had been scanning the area as well. He raised an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged in bewilderment.
He reached over and linked my hands with his, and I squeezed his in return.
Sal turned towards the rear parking lot door. “In a few minutes, they’ll be evacuating your school and sending everyone to the gym or practice fields,” he explained as we got outside.
In the distance, I could hear sirens, and I moved closer to Zane.
“What happened?” Zane demanded.
Golden pressed into my other side. I hadn’t entered the school or walked to any of my classes without at least three of them all day long. They took their “job” just as seriously as Sal did. I knew none of them wanted a repeat of yesterday.
Admittedly, I had been anxious and on the verge of a panic attack several times today, but their presence and diligence had helped me immeasurably.
“They found a girl in the bathrooms,” Sal said after several tense seconds.
“Okaaay,” Golden prodded.
“It looks like she overdosed,” Sal explained gruffly.
The shock I felt was mirrored in all the guys’ eyes. I didn’t know who it was, but I felt it just the same.
“Your friend found her.” Sal grimaced.
“My friend…” my voice trailed off as I realized he meant a friend of mine. I didn’t have many girlfriends. The only girls I could comfortably speak to were Heather, Marie, and Renee. I didn’t trust the other females that took a sudden interest in me. I hated being so suspicious, but I trusted no one.
“Renee?” Zane frowned.
Sal nodded.
My heart dropped. I wanted to go to Renee and comfort her, but I knew that was impossible. Sal wouldn’t let me back into the school, mostly since the school would be evacuated shortly.
“I don’t want her to be by herself,” I fretted aloud.
“Do you want me to keep her company?” Paxton inquired.
Paxton and Renee had formed a friendship. He was kind to her before I was taken and it had only grown from there. I had zero fears of her growing fond of him in a romantic sense. She was loyal to a fault. She would never betray me, and neither would Paxton.
I knew he regarded her as a little sister. In many ways I thought she reminded him of Mandy. They had a lot of similarities, and it seemed to bring him some comfort. Renee humored him, and they bickered like siblings at times. She treated him like an overbearing brother. I wasn’t threatened or suspicious about their relationship in any way.
I give him a short nod before I turn to Sal. “Do you think they will let him see her?”
“She’s in with Lochlann,” Sal informed us.
He wasn’t permitting Paxton to go; however, he wasn’t going to stop him, either.
Paxton needed no further bidding. He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine before he turned and went back inside.
“I don’t think it was a coincidence that Jana and her little dealers aren’t here the same day someone overdoses in the bathroom,” Zane grimly stated as we entered the gymnasium.
The uneasy feeling I’d had returned in full force. I hadn’t even put two and two together yet. I saw the validity in Zane's statement.
“Does Grandpa and David know?” I asked Sal.
“I called them immediately,” Sal answered. “All the other parents are being notified as we speak. Grief counselors are being called in, and they’re making sure this doesn’t get out of control.”
The sirens were blaring loudly now as they pulled up in front of our school. I reached out for Golden’s hand and leaned into Zane.
The Nothing had been my companion in the past. There had been days that seemed to stretch with no joy, peace, or happiness. There had been times I just wanted the pain, hurt, and hopelessness to just cease to exist by any means possible.
Something, or someone, had always kept me from embracing my companion, the Nothing, completely.
When she was hoping for that brief moment of relief, did that girl who overdosed know that she wouldn’t come back from it? Did she have anyone that would miss her? Had it been a way just to feel good, or
had it been an escape? If she had someone that loved her and cared for her, were they blithely carrying on about their day? In a matter of moments, they were going to receive a visit or a phone call from someone. Did they know their world would be forever altered for the rest of their lives?
I felt myself falling down the rabbit hole, and Zane must have noticed, too, because he tugged on my hand.
“Come on, let’s practice our duet.” Zane led me towards the empty dance room.
I eagerly nodded. I needed the escape. I needed my drug of choice. I needed to release the tension in my body that was strumming me tight. I needed the music to sweep through my brain and carry me away as my body followed its rhythm.
18
●
Homecoming Game
The butterflies of anticipation and nerves always took flight in my stomach the moment we reached our venue. I had always associated those feelings with dance, and I never thought I could feel the same anticipation for cheer. Since Ms. Houser had taken over as coach, I enjoyed it more.
The routines she had us learning were heads above what we had been learning before. Ms. Houser had ensured stunts and tumbling would be incorporated into our halftime show. I had to grudgingly admit we looked good. She recorded our practice yesterday, and today we reviewed it, polishing it up.
We were patiently waiting in the tunnels before our big homecoming game. The guest team’s cheerleaders had just taken the field, and the announcer was reciting their football players’ starting line-up.
“I should have peed when I had a chance,” Freddy grumbled by my side.
I giggled and looked over my shoulder. “The football team's locker room is right there,” I teased Freddy.
“I’ll hold it,” he sniffed dramatically.
It was no secret that the team’s locker room was sacred. The football players would yell and shun any of the male cheerleaders from using it. There was a reason we utilized the locker rooms next to our training room.
“Am I the only one that feels like throwing up?” Marie asked as she bounced restlessly beside me.
“You’ll be fine,” Heather reassured her with a hug.
The rhinestones on her blue neck gaiter caught the light, causing the tunnel to sparkle. I nearly cried when Heather came in with a box full of them this afternoon. She knew I always wore something on my neck. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind about what I would have done tonight without one.
Unbeknownst to me, she had asked Ms. Houser if she could order gaiters that matched our uniforms. She had shown me she was by my side in silent solidarity, and I could have kissed her for it. Plus, it was a cute addition to our uniforms.
Of course, Leah, Nan, and Flossie had protested, but the rest of the squad had outvoted them. Even the guys had chosen to wear them. I appreciated them all the more for it.
We all peered out into the crowded stadium, which was packed on both sides. The nerves among us were nearly palpable.
The school spared no expense to make this a big night. Typically, they didn’t have this much fanfare and hoopla with the announcers, but tonight was one of the exceptions. Not only did both teams have the current best records in their division and the state, but it was also Senior Night. During our halftime show, all the seniors in our school would be recognized.
I heard the speakers begin to play Hall of Fame by The Script and will.i.am. The adrenaline was intoxicating.
“Showtimes, ladies and gents!” Ms. Houser called excitedly.
The seniors were staged to exit the tunnel first. Some of the seniors chose to sashay out, but a few of us decided to go out tumbling. Once we reached our marks, we picked up our pom-poms, and those who were assigned picked up the paper banner with Spartans emblazoned across it. Our team would make their grand entrance by running through the latter as our starting lineup was announced.
I didn’t even attempt to pick up the sign because I knew Leah, Nan, and Flossie had already “called it.” Leah had started another campaign against me, and I steered clear of her. Somehow, she had decided to place the blame of her parents’ separation onto me.
Catherine Delaney hadn’t returned to the house, and according to the rumors, she was filing for divorce. I didn’t understand what she hoped to gain from the proceedings. Catherine had always struck me as someone who liked the prestige of being married to one of the richest men in town. Plus, she wasn’t going to get much, if anything, from a divorce. She would get her freedom, sure, but she couldn’t get as much blood as she wished to spill.
Unfortunately for her, David had an airtight prenuptial agreement. She wouldn’t get much in alimony or child support. More than likely, the judge would allow Claire and Dylan to choose who they lived with. From the sound of it, they wouldn’t be electing their mother.
Catherine’s family lived several towns over. They were well off but weren’t considered anywhere near as wealthy as the Delaneys. She had run home, and Claire and Dylan were content to stay where they were. Claire was getting tutored, and her therapy with her private therapist was going well at David’s.
Dylan had no desire to start a new school, and he had become very protective of Claire since her return. Apparently, he had set up parental controls and walked David through monitoring her internet activity. For a pothead-ex-bully, he knew his way around electronics rather well.
I waited until Marie did a few stunts in front of me before I performed a round-off, layout step-out, two backhand springs, and another layout step-out. Once I stuck my landing, I picked up my pom-poms. The crowd was screaming in excitement and anticipation, amping up our energy. The stands were filled with signs and fans, their painted faces showing their school spirit. Our school colors were represented as far as the eye could see.
My smile was broad and natural as I waved. The crowd erupted with more roars as our guys showed up in the tunnel. I leaned forward to locate Crew and Zane. I knew they’d be in front of the team.
My smile broadened as it met Zane's eyes. His severe and contemplative look was immediately softened as he grinned at me. I decided to be flirtatious, so I winked and blew him a kiss. I tried to catch Crew’s eye, but I knew he was in the zone. He took his position on the field seriously, and he needed to focus. I didn’t take it personally as he peered off into the distance. He shifted from right to left as he held his helmet in one hand, the other hooked into his jersey collar.
I grinned, remembering his reaction to me wearing one of his jerseys to school today. I’d been rewarded with one of his rare smiles when he saw me enter the school wearing it over a pair of leggings.
Now that Ms. Houser was in charge, she’d given us the option to wear either our uniforms or school spirit wear on game days. I knew I would be one of the few not to wear my barely-there uniform, but I was okay with that. I chose comfort over cuteness.
As the starting line-up was announced, they ran forward. I laughed when Zane stopped to kiss my cheek. He was rarely playful, but I knew he was happy to have me back and cheering for him.
It was Crew’s turn next. He reached out so that our hands brushed. It wasn’t the grandest of gestures, but it was enough. I knew he was acknowledging me and didn’t take it personally. He wasn’t as demonstrative. I was well aware of his quirks by now, and oddly enough, they were just as endearing as Paxton’s need to have my undivided attention.
“Good luck.” I smiled at him.
As if conjured from my thoughts, Paxton and another member of the yearbook team positioned themselves near us. He took several pictures, and when he was across from me, he lowered his camera for a second.
“Squeeze in closer, Peyton, Heather, and Marie,” he called out.
Heather and Marie closed the distance between us.
“Strike a pose. Charlie’s Angels style,” Heather insisted.
I laughed and watched as the girls pretended that their fingers were guns and pointed them in opposite directions, their backs pressed against my side. I decided to make my hands into a gun as we
ll and raised my arms into the air. Paxton shook his head, laughed, and continued down the line.
Heather, Marie, and I looked at each other and laughed. The energy around us was infectious, and I was feeding off of it. Right here and now, I wasn’t thinking about Sean, Priscilla, Tormentor, Butch, Jana, or anyone else that had occupied my thoughts lately. I almost felt like a typical eighteen-year-old female senior.
“So, who are you taking to Homecoming? You can’t take them all, Peyton,” Leah said slyly.
I rolled my eyes, choosing to ignore her.
“That’s none of your business,” Heather said through her teeth, her smile never slipping.
“Who says she can’t?” Marie snorted, then grinned and waved her pom-poms high in the air. “Green is an ugly color on you, boo.”
“What do I have to be jealous of? I took Zane’s virginity sophomore year,” Leah said smugly before yelling and jumping up and down. “She has my sloppy seconds.”
Bile filled my mouth with that thought. I hated knowing he was with her before. On the other hand, however, I’d technically met him through her. So there was that.
“You can thank Leah for everything Zane knows,” Nan said with a vindictive grin.
“Let’s be real.” Heather laughed. “If we were all worried about your sloppy seconds, Leah, we would all be celibate.”
“You’re the doorknob of our school. Everyone gets a turn,” Freddy said snidely to Leah.
Heather and Freddy still acted awkwardly around each other, but I noticed how they got along for my sake. It was evident they still wanted to be my friends despite what had gone down between them.
“Got her there,” a football player added as he ran past.
“There’s a reason she’s known as an easy lay,” another football player added. “Chapman was smart when he dropped her.”
Freddy, Marie, and Heather immediately began laughing, and I couldn’t help but grin. I appreciated the way they all stuck up for me. I might’ve still made me slightly uneasy knowing she and Zane were once intimate, but it wasn’t a tough act to follow after Leah. There was a reason Zane broke up with her—her beauty might have fooled him once, but he was smart enough not to stay with her.