Rumors

by Phil M. Williams

  Apparently, the temple was the most popular place to shoot yourself, followed by the mouth. Either of those were efficient. He did need to get the right bullets though. Full-metal-jacket bullets should be avoided as they don’t expand on impact. He needed hollow-point bullets. Technically, he only needed one hollow-point bullet. That was the new plan. A real gun and one hollow-point bullet. He messaged Aaron.

  CalebMiles245: I need something else. I have more gold

  Aaron responded almost immediately. Caleb’s friendly neighborhood drug dealer was a better friend than Madison.

  AaronDowntoClown: I’m home tonight. Come on over. Knock on front door

  CalebMiles245: B there in 20

  Caleb’s trailer was quiet, as it usually was on a Friday evening. His mother was at the gym, but she’d be back soon to shower and to put on some tight-ass dress to go out in. Ashlee was already gone. Out with friends. They were probably eating somewhere in Myerstown on the way to the game against the Raiders. Caleb went into Ashlee’s room and took half of the jewelry from her box. He thought she might notice, but it would be too late. But, then again, maybe she wouldn’t. She rarely wore anything from her jewelry box. The stuff she mostly wore was on her.

  Caleb walked to the Fullers’ trailer. It was only a mile and a half away as the crow flies. The sun was low on the horizon. It was breezy, a little nip in the air. He wore his jacket for the first time since spring. Caleb knocked on the front door of the rusted trailer. The front door felt flimsy, like he could kick it in. Caleb was thankful not to have to go around back. That pit bull scared him, and he didn’t like the idea of navigating the shit-filled backyard with the sun going down. Aaron opened the door.

  “Caleb, what up? Come in.” Aaron stepped aside, holding the door open.

  Caleb stepped inside.

  “Come on back.”

  Caleb followed Aaron to his back bedroom. “You’re not going to the game tonight?”

  “Nah, I don’t feel like it,” Aaron replied with his back turned.

  “You were one badass linebacker last year. How come you’re not playing football anymore?”

  Aaron opened his bedroom door and said, “Gotta make that paper.”

  Inside Aaron’s bedroom, Halo 5 was paused on the big screen.

  Aaron turned to Caleb. “Need more ice? We just got a new shipment. Some good shit too.”

  Caleb deadpanned, “I need a gun.”

  CHAPTER 55

  Rick Lies

  “I’m starting Shane tonight,” Rick had said an hour ago.

  “What did I do wrong?” Jamar had asked, his eyes brimming with tears.

  “I think Shane gives us the best chance to win.”

  Jamar had nodded and walked back into the locker room. That had made it that much more difficult. If he’d freaked out or called Rick an asshole, it would’ve been easier. But he hadn’t. Even worse than that, now Jamar stood on the sideline with his teammates, cheering on the defense as they forced the Raiders to punt on their first drive.

  After the punt, Shane and the offense trotted out to the field for the first drive. Coach Schneider called a rocket screen to Lance. It was an easy throw. Great for padding Shane’s stats. Shane caught the snap from the center and threw the screen pass to Lance, who broke a tackle and gained twenty-two yards before being tackled by the safety. Rick glanced to his right and left. His players cheered. Jamar cheered. Rick had never felt so low. A wave of shame washed over him. Rick called a time-out.

  Coach Schneider looked at Rick with his hands held out. “What are you doing?”

  “What I should’ve done an hour ago,” Rick replied, jogging out to the offensive huddle. He stopped short of the huddle, in the middle of the field, and called for Shane to come over. The quarterback jogged away from the huddle.

  “What’s up, Coach?” Shane asked.

  “I’m sorry, Shane. I made a terrible mistake. I hope you’ll forgive me for what I’m about to do. This isn’t your fault. It’s mine.”

  Shane’s eyes were wide.

  “I’m taking you out of this game, and I’m putting in Jamar.”

  Shane’s face twisted in disgust. “This is fuckin’ bullshit.”

  “I’m sorry, son.”

  “I’m not your son.” Shane stepped closer, every bit as tall as Rick. “Fuck you.” He turned and walked to the sideline.

  “Jamar,” Rick called out, motioning with one arm. Jamar put on his helmet and jogged onto the field, stopping in front of Rick. “I lied to you, Jamar. I’m sorry. I can’t tell you why I started Shane, but I can tell you that it had nothing to do with your skill as a quarterback.”

  Jamar nodded and paused for a moment. “You got a play?”

  “Run the zone read.”

  The next play, Jamar ran forty-eight yards for a touchdown.

  CHAPTER 56

  Janet and Hershey Kisses

  Cars drove on Chocolate Avenue, the road lit by streetlights that looked like Hershey kisses. Janet shut the curtains of their third-floor hotel room and turned to Cliff.

  “He totally humiliated my son,” Janet said.

  “I have to say, I’ve never seen anything like that,” Cliff replied, unbuttoning his shirt. “A quarterback benched after one play. It was a good play too.” Cliff shook his head as he removed his button-down shirt, revealing a white T-shirt underneath. The T-shirt rode up, a bit of his pale gut hanging over his belt.

  Janet clenched her jaw. “I want him gone, immediately.”

  Cliff sighed. “You sure know how to kill the mood.”

  Janet stepped closer, wearing her little black dress that was two sizes too small. In heels, she looked down on the stocky man. It’s not that he was short. In fact, he was average height, but Janet was six two in her six-inch heels. She pressed her lips to his, opening her mouth and swirling her tongue around. He placed his large hands on her ass and squeezed. Abruptly, Janet disengaged and stepped back, biting the lower corner of her lip.

  “He has to go,” Janet said.

  “I don’t disagree,” Cliff replied. “The school district won’t have a choice with that picture. I’d prefer to let him resign though. It’ll be a serious black mark for the district if the press gets wind of this.”

  Janet glowered at Cliff. “He’s having sex with a child.”

  “She is sixteen.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Girl looks about twenty-five. I’m sure he’s not the only teacher who thought about her with bad intentions.” Cliff chuckled to himself.

  “This isn’t funny, Cliff. I’m dead serious. I want him gone by Monday afternoon.”

  Cliff showed his palms. “All right. We can go to Pruitt’s house tomorrow and show him the picture.”

  “I don’t think I should be there, what with all this mess with Shane. Pruitt might think I have a grudge.”

  “You do.”

  Janet frowned. “The picture has to come from you.”

  “I don’t have anything to do with that picture.”

  “Neither do I. Just tell him that you were sent the picture anonymously.”

  “Where did you get it?”

  “An anonymous source.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second.”

  “You have to protect the reputation of the school district, and I have to protect the students.”

  Cliff had a crooked grin. “Is that what this is about? Protecting students?”

  Janet crossed her arms over her chest. “Absolutely.”

  “All right, I’ll talk to Pruitt tomorrow. We can suspend him, but we can’t fire him without an investigation and a private hearing. I’m guessing he’ll resign and make it easy.”

  Janet nodded and dropped her arms. “I’ll make sure we have a sub for him on Monday.”

  Cliff stared at her deep line of cleavage. “That dress is something else.”

  “You like it?”

  “I’d like it better if you took it off.”

  “What about our agreem
ent?”

  “I wasn’t born yesterday. Besides, I have a feeling you’ll be more motivated if I tell you after.”

  “I’m a woman of my word.”

  “Then take off that dress.”

  “You first.”

  He kicked off his shiny dress shoes and undid his belt. He dropped his slacks to the carpet and stepped out of his pants, now standing in silk boxers, a white T-shirt, and black socks.

  “Your turn,” Cliff said.

  Janet shook her head, smiling coy. “You wanna know what I have under my dress?”

  He nodded.

  “Nothing.” She pursed her lips.

  Cliff smiled wide and strutted toward Janet, but she stepped back and held her arms out in front of her, blocking him.

  “You’re not finished,” she said, glancing at his underwear and T-shirt. “I’d like to see the merchandise before I buy.”

  He laughed. “You are a wild one.” Cliff took off his shirt. He had a pale beer gut and a farmer’s tan on his neck and lower arms, but he wasn’t totally devoid of masculinity, with stocky shoulders, chest muscles, and thick calves. “What do you think?”

  “Not bad,” Janet replied. And she meant it. He wasn’t a terrible-looking guy for a fifty-year-old. His brown hair was thinning; the skin around his eyes was puffy, and he had deep forehead wrinkles to go along with a double chin, but he did have a charming bit of confidence, a decent smile, and he wasn’t overly hairy. She’d never fuck him under normal circumstances. She was forty-five, so it’s not like he was out of her age group, but she preferred younger men who were in better shape. “Let’s see that cock of yours.”

  His eyes widened, and he slid his boxers down his legs. He stroked his penis, causing it to grow in his hand.

  Janet put her hand to her chest, staring at his circumcised penis, and low-hanging scrotum. “Wow, that’s impressive.” It wasn’t anything special, but there was always power to be gained from complimenting a man’s penis. Janet reached behind her neck and untied her dress. She held on to the straps, the fabric of the dress still partially covering her breasts. She stared into Cliff’s unblinking eyes as she dropped the straps, freeing her breasts, her dress clinging to her hips.

  “No,” he said, grinning. “That’s impressive.” He stepped closer, his hands outstretched for the grope, but Janet blocked him again.

  “I’m not done.”

  He stopped in his tracks, his penis semierect now. Janet lifted her dress, revealing her lack of panties as she pulled her little black dress over her head. He was all over her the second that dress landed on the carpet—his tongue in her mouth, his hands on her breasts, rough, then between her legs. His mouth clamped on her nipple, then to her neck. Still standing, he grabbed his penis and rubbed the head against her vagina, pushing, panting, but not having the angle to enter. Janet wriggled from his grasp and stepped back.

  “What’s wrong?” Cliff was flushed, his penis still in his hand.

  Janet adjusted her glasses like a sexy librarian. “I have a treat for you.” She grabbed her purse and removed a blindfold. “Do you trust me, Cliff?”

  “Is that a trick question?”

  “Let me take care of you. Turn around.”

  He cocked his head for a moment, then turned his back to Janet. She slapped his ass, Cliff chuckling in response. Janet covered his eyes with the blindfold and tied it behind his head, tight.

  “No peeking,” she said, leading him by the hand to the king-size bed. She pulled the comforter and the top sheet from the bed. “Lay down. On your back.”

  He did as he was told, feeling for the bed with his hands before climbing on and laying on his back. Janet walked back to the desk.

  “Where are you going?” he asked, sitting up, moving the blindfold, and peeking at Janet.

  Janet frowned. “You’re ruining it. No peeking. I’m getting a condom, if you must know.”

  He replaced the blindfold and lay back. “Sorry.”

  “Just relax,” she said, grabbing a condom and her phone from her purse. She snapped a few pictures of Cliff, spread-eagled on the bed, the sound effects on her phone turned off so he wouldn’t hear the clicks. She replaced her phone in her purse and stepped back to the bed, setting the condom on the bedside table. She climbed into bed, next to him, his hands immediately groping her, but she removed them.

  “Naughty boy. No touching,” she said.

  He put his hands down, and she kissed him. Soft on the lips. Then his neck. His nipples. She moved down his body with her mouth, kissing everywhere but where he really wanted. He bucked and moaned, trying to get her to do it, but she continued to tease, his penis pulsing in anticipation. Finally, she kissed it. Once. Very chaste. He lifted his pelvis, encouraging more. But she moved back up his body with her mouth, now kissing his more forcefully, then moving back down with more urgency. This time she lingered on his inner thighs, his pelvis, her hair brushing across his penis as she worked her magic. He groaned, his breathing labored. She ran her middle finger along the shaft, her fingertip barely touching.

  It went like this for fifteen minutes, Janet teasing, giving him a little more touch, a little more of her tongue, then straddling him and rubbing her vagina against his penis. She thought he was gonna blow when she straddled him. Unfortunately, he was holding out. She took the head into her mouth, and he thrust upward, but Janet pulled back, slapping his hip playfully.

  “Be a good boy, or you’ll go to bed without dessert,” she said.

  She leaned over, barely taking him into her mouth again, her knees between his. This time he didn’t move. Without warning, she took him entirely, her mouth at full suction, nearly gagging. His penis spasmed, and she tried to pull back, eager to avoid the happy ending, but he held her head in place as he climaxed. Janet breathed out of her nose, waiting for it to end. When it did, she left the bed without a word, headed for the bathroom. At the sink, she spat and washed out her mouth several times. She put on a hotel robe and returned to the bed, grabbing his boxers and T-shirt from the floor on the way.

  “Damn, Janet,” he said with a wide grin. “You are something special. Sorry about the end. I got a little out of control.”

  Janet tossed his boxers and T-shirt to him. “Get dressed and tell me what you know about Pastor Goode and Daub.”

  “You don’t waste any time, do you?” His eyes flicked to the unused condom. “I just need a little break, and we can still use that condom. I can make you feel real good.”

  Janet sat on the edge of the bed, her torso turned to Cliff. “I need you to live up to your side of this agreement.”

  He put on his boxers and T-shirt, and sat up in bed, leaning against the headboard. “You wanna order in some food?”

  “It’s Pastor Goode, isn’t it?”

  “You are like a pit bull with a bone. I tell you what. I’d hate to be on your bad side.”

  Janet glared at Cliff.

  Cliff showed his palms. “All right, all right. I was just being friendly.”

  “By holding my head down so you could come in my mouth? You’re lucky I didn’t bite it off.”

  Cliff smirked. “I said I was sorry. I was in the throes of passion. I wasn’t thinking straight. It’ll never happen again.”

  “That’s for sure.” Janet crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Don’t be like that. I thought we were friends?” He paused for a moment, but Janet didn’t fill the silence. “You’re right. It’s Pastor Goode. Daub’s a regular Boy Scout, but Pastor Goode’s a different story.” Cliff took a deep breath. “This’ll knock your socks off. Sixteen years ago, Pastor Goode had an affair with a young parishioner. Very young. Eighteen years old. He paid the woman fifty grand from the collection plate so she’d keep quiet.”

  Janet uncrossed her arms. “How do you know this?”

  “I was friendly with the church secretary. She heard them arguing, and she did the books, put two and two together.”

  “Think she’ll talk?”

 
“Probably not, considering she died two years ago.”

  “Is there any other proof?”

  Cliff smiled wide. “A child.”

  CHAPTER 57

  Gwen and Secrets

  Gwen’s eyes fluttered, the ceiling coming into view. She was disoriented, staring at the ceiling fan, knowing that she didn’t have one in her bedroom. Then it all came back to her. Rick, grilling steak for dinner, not wanting to go out. They’d watched a movie on his couch, falling asleep before the credits. Rick had carried her to his bed, Gwen acting asleep as he tucked her in and kissed her softly on the lips. He had whispered something like, “I hope this isn’t the end.” She must’ve heard him wrong. Maybe he was referring to the movie. Maybe he said, “We missed the end.” A big part of her had wished that he would make a move, but she hadn’t been with a man in three years. Not since Brian. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to begin again.

  Rick had been sweet last night but distracted. In fact, he’d been distracted all week, melancholy even. He’d said he was worried about the Myerstown Raiders, but Lewis had said that they weren’t very good. And they weren’t. They’d beaten the Raiders forty-two to six.

  Then there had been that snafu with Shane and Jamar. He had started Shane, but he had been so happy with Jamar. Why would he start Shane, then pull him after one play? Everyone in the stands had been shocked. Janet had left the stadium in a huff. And, even after the game had been won, Rick had still been distracted, so it couldn’t have been about the Raiders.

  Gwen had expected Rick to invite her over after the game, but he had said he was tired. He did ask her to come over the next night, but he still seemed preoccupied. She knew he wasn’t telling her something important, but they’d only been on a few dates. He wasn’t obligated to spill all his secrets at this point. It was only fair. She had secrets of her own that she wasn’t telling him. She sighed. I have to at least tell him that I’m still married.