Uly got Mara and Belle back into the backseat of Ash’s truck.
Ash went around the back of the truck.
I dropped my boxers and balled them up with Vera’s top.
I stuffed them into the front pocket of the bag and took out fresh clothes.
Jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie.
No boxers.
I guess Ash didn’t want to touch my undies.
I laughed.
I had to laugh.
Vera had gotten me good.
But I wasn’t done with her yet.
I needed to find my motorcycle first.
And then I needed to break Vera’s heart to remind her who she was fucking with.
* * *
The motorcycle was just a couple miles away.
Parked on the side of the road.
Just sitting there like nothing had happened.
Ash pulled his truck to the side of the road to let me out.
I opened the door and Ash grabbed my shoulder.
He nodded.
I knew that nod too.
It was the brother nod.
I turned my head as Ash got out of the truck first.
Uly sat between Belle and Mara.
“How jealous are you right now?” he asked.
“Not going to lie, Uly, I’m really jealous,” I said. “Between those two… shit… I’d lose more than my clothes and motorcycle.”
“You’d lose your virginity,” Mara said.
Belle laughed and stuck her hand out for Mara to slap.
They high fived and I clamped my hand to theirs.
“Hil,” Uly said.
I pulled their hands closer to me.
I leaned forward and kissed both of their hands.
“Fuck, the girls in my life are going to drive me insane,” I said.
That’s when I got out of the truck and Ash stood there.
“Start it up,” he said to me.
“What?”
“The motorcycle. Just in case she fucked with it.”
“Ah, bro, you’re worried about me, huh?”
“Hil…”
“What?”
Ash looked around. “This is like Penelope all over again.”
“Wrong. She’s not fucking Uly behind my back.”
Ash shook his head. “You know what I mean.”
I walked to my motorcycle and saw a note waiting for me. I grabbed it without Ash seeing and I turned the key that was left in the ignition.
The motorcycle fired right up.
I looked back at Ash.
“Happy?” I yelled.
Ash put up both middle fingers and got back into his truck and drove off.
I turned off the motorcycle engine and lit up a cigarette.
I opened the note from Vera.
No words.
Just her lipstick on the paper.
A perfect set of lips.
Now I had a whole new set of problems.
Ash was right.
And I had an honest question to ask myself.
Was I going to be able to break Vera’s heart before I wanted to hold it because I stupidly fell for her?
Chapter 11
I walked through the doors of BFH and looked down at my phone one more time.
I debated on how to handle the Vera thing.
No fucking way in hell was I going to run to her like some beaten puppy looking for a kiss. Maybe that’s how she did things with other guys. Which was cool. But I wasn’t like that.
Yet at the same time, she was burning in my heart a little.
I was amazed at the black car that always picked her up. That she wasn’t allowed to be involved with music. That she disappeared to Vancouver for a few days without a reason. Other than lying to me about having a boyfriend.
Unless that was true.
Maybe she was that crazy that she told the truth but said it was a lie when it was indeed the truth.
I let out a whew at the thought of how much crazier she could have been.
And yet it didn’t chase me away.
And in the worst twist of fate I turned the hallway and thought to myself…
Is she thinking of me right now?
I curled my lip and turned my head to see pretty Tara standing at her locker.
Face down looking at her phone.
I put my phone into my back pocket and walked up to her then put my hand over her phone screen.
She looked at me and her blue eyes shone bright. Her cheeks became a rosy red color when I smiled at her.
“What’s up, beauty?”
“Hi… hey… Hil…”
“How’s your morning?” I asked her.
“Fine,” she said.
I looked at her. A really good look at her. In a one piece flower kind of dress thing. A little short, the top part a little low, her hair in a messy strawberry blonde bun.
I leaned closer to her and brushed my lips to her ear.
“If I kissed you right now, would you scream my name or whisper it?”
She gasped.
“You know I’ll break your heart, right, beauty?”
“Yeah,” she whispered.
“And you’re okay with it, right?”
“Totally,” she whispered.
“That’s everything I need to hear right now.”
I pulled away from her and moved my hand from her phone to her cheek.
I started to lean in to kiss her.
Fuck, I need this.
Tara’s eyes widened with surprise. And maybe a little bit of need.
“We need to talk.”
Tara wasn’t the one who said that.
I turned my head and Ash was standing next to Tara and I.
“I mean, I’m sorry to interrupt this obvious love connection,” Ash said.
“What do you want, bro?” I asked.
“I have something to show you.”
I looked at Tara again. “Don’t fucking go kissing anyone else, beauty.”
“Hil…”
I brushed my thumb to her bottom lip. “Don’t ask questions. I’m talking to you now. And I will later. Save yourself for me, beauty.”
Tara smiled.
Her cheeks turned even more red.
I moved away from her and walked with Ash.
“Do I want to know?” Ash asked.
“No,” I said.
“Right.”
“What the hell do you want?”
“I’ll show you.”
Ash walked to the side door and we were right back outside.
I guess we’re skipping a class or two again, huh?
Uly was outside too, standing near the back of the parking lot, smoking a cigarette.
When I saw Mookey’s truck, I looked at Ash.
“Did he remember something?” I asked.
“Oh, you’ll see,” Ash said. He laughed. “You’ll fucking see.”
I was excited to see.
I always loved some fresh BFH bullshit drama first thing in the morning.
After all, Werthwood’s car was still missing and everyone was hot on our tails about it. Even though there was zero proof Them had something to do with it. Other than the mindless rumors that were one day loud, the next day quiet.
Uly flicked his cigarette toward me. “Good to see you dressed today, Hil.”
“Fuck yourself,” I said.
Mookey walked around from the other side of his truck. “You’re sure there’s no cameras here?”
“Of course,” Ash said.
I looked at Ash.
There were fucking cameras everywhere throughout the BFH parking lot.
Mookey was just that much of a meat neck not to realize it.
He was nervous though.
Which was kind of fun to watch.
“Ready for this?” Mookey asked.
“Ready for what?” I asked. “Do you have a dead body in the back of the truck.”
“Not quite,” he said.
“What?”
I asked.
Uly started to laugh.
I looked at Ash.
He shrugged his shoulders.
Mookey ripped open the back door of his giant truck and reached up.
He grunted as he pulled something heavy out of the truck.
It took me a few seconds to realize it was indeed a body.
* * *
But not a dead body.
It was some kid.
The kid scrambled to get to his feet.
“Mr. Mookey, please,” he said.
“Mr. Mookey?” I asked.
“I’m the one who makes the fucking rules,” Mookey growled at the kid. “Cover your ears. Shut your eyes.”
The kid listened.
I nodded.
I was impressed.
Mookey stepped toward me. “Happy yet?”
“Not sure.”
“I’m in charge of bringing the freshmen on the team. Giving them the tour. Explaining what they’re up against. What to expect. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said. “Still not understanding this.”
“These punks know shit,” Uly said.
“Punks? As in plural?”
Ash nodded to Mookey.
He pushed the first kid into the truck so hard, the kid fell. Then Mookey reached into the truck again and pulled out another kid.
“Wow,” I said.
“Freshman,” Mookey yelled.
“Mr. Mookey, sir,” the kid said.
“This is Charles,” Mookey said. “And the shithead on the ground pissing himself is Steven.”
“Are you really pissing yourself?” I asked Steven.
“No,” he said.
“If I tell you to piss yourself, what are you going to do?” Mookey asked.
“Piss myself,” Steven said.
“Oh, this is fun,” I said. “Tell him to piss himself, Mookey.”
“Wait a second,” Ash cut in. “Let’s handle business first.”
“I don’t want to see anyone piss themselves,” Uly said. “I’m good.”
“What the fuck is this?” I asked. “I mean, it’s really cool. But…”
“They’ve been chatting a lot,” Ash said.
“Ah,” I said. I looked down at Steven. “Stand the fuck up.”
Steven pulled himself to his feet and stood next to Charles.
“I’m going to call you Stevie and Charlie,” I said. “Got that?”
They both nodded.
“Do you know who I am?”
They nodded faster.
“Say it, fuckheads.”
“Them,” they both said at the same time.
“And Mookey pulled you aside for what?” I asked.
They looked at each other.
Silence ensued.
I shook my head.
“I hate this part,” I said.
“I don’t,” Uly said.
He lunged forward and punched Charlie right in the mouth.
Charlie spun around and fell to his knees, crying.
“Fresh meat crying is so sad,” I said.
“Want to look like your friend?” Ash asked Stevie.
“We didn’t know what we were saying!” Stevie yelled. “I swear.”
“That’s what they said to me,” Mookey commented
“And you let them lie to you?” I asked Mookey.
“Hey,” Mookey said. “I would have rearranged their faces into burger meat… but I brought the assholes to you. Remember that.”
“What didn’t you know?” I asked Stevie. “Huh?”
Charlie cried. “My jaw is broken.”
“If your jaw was broken you wouldn’t be able to talk,” Uly said. “Want me to break it so you can feel it?”
“No!” Charlie cried.
He fell all the way to the ground and curled up.
“Oh, I hate this,” I said.
“No you don’t,” Ash said.
“I know,” I said. “I’m trying to be sympathetic. This might be their last day alive.”
Stevie gasped. “I swear…”
“What?” I yelled.
“The car!” Stevie yelled.
“What about it, Stevie?” I asked.
“We were talking about the car,” he said. “The missing car. That’s all.”
“That’s all, huh?” I asked.
“It’s never that’s all,” Ash said.
“Let me hit him,” Uly said.
“Please, no!” Stevie yelled.
“Run, Stevie,” Charlie said from the ground. “Save yourself.”
I started to laugh. “Where the fuck is he going to run to?”
“I’ll break him if he runs,” Mookey said.
“I’m not running,” Stevie said. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You did though,” I said.
“I heard this shithead say he took the car,” Mookey said.
“Whoa,” Uly said. “A freshman taking the car?”
“Not a chance,” Ash said.
“Exactly!” Stevie said. “I didn’t take any car. I was just saying it.”
“Why?” I asked.
“To be tough.”
“To be tough?” I asked. “You think that makes you tough?”
“I don’t know,” Stevie said.
“Well, do you feel tough right now?”
“Not really.”
“Fight me.”
“What?” Stevie asked.
“Fight me. You want to be tough. Fight me.”
Stevie shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was saying. I didn’t know it was tied to you. I didn’t…”
“I had a long talk with these two,” Mookey said. “And I hate talking.”
“Okay, so here’s what we do,” I said. “Stevie… you don’t want to fight me. Fine. But you’re going to be tough and tell me where you heard about it. About the car.”
“Everyone is talking about it,” he said.
“Names,” Uly said. He showed a fist. “Or you won’t be able to talk for a long time.”
“Oh, fuck,” Stevie said. “This is crazy. This is bad. This is so bad.”
“Then make it good,” Ash said.
Stevie looked down at Charlie.
“Fuck, just say it,” Charlie said.
“He knows?” I asked Stevie.
Stevie nodded.
Ash punched Stevie in the stomach. He curled forward and tried to cry but there was no sound because he had no breath.
He collapsed forward and went down to his knees.
I kicked him out of the way with my foot.
Mookey grabbed Charlie and picked him back up.
“If you fall, you’re never going to walk again,” he said.
Charlie stayed on his feet.
The left side of his mouth was bleeding.
“Just say it, man,” I said. “I don’t want to do this right now. I’m tired. Okay? I had a long night.”
“Some crazy chick stole his clothes and his motorcycle,” Uly said.
“Blue balled him to the moon and back,” Ash said.
“Everyone is talking,” Charlie said. “Werthwood’s car is missing. It was stolen. So everyone keeps saying shit about it. But I think that night or maybe the next morning or day or something… there was this guy… he… he was in a hoodie. A black hoodie. He was tall. I guess. Yeah. I mean, taller than me.”
“Holy fuck,” Ash said. “Hurry up.”
“I am,” Charlie said. “I don’t want you to hit me.”
“Then tell us,” Uly said.
“I just did,” Charlie said. “I have no clue who it was. He didn’t say his name. That was it.”
“What?” I asked.
“Some guy in a black hoodie with the hood up. Black sunglasses on his face. He said he stole Werthwood’s car. For the fuck of it.”
“Where was this at?” I asked.
“Over near the pier,” Charlie said. He shut his eyes and shook his head. “The one near jagged rocks. Okay? It was
me, Stevie, and a few other freshmen hanging out. We were talking about shit. Life. Girls. I don’t know.”
“And this guy just shows up?” I asked.
“He had the car with him,” Charlie said.
“Damn,” Ash said. “Now you’ve got my attention.”
“But nothing happened,” Charlie said.
“He’s telling the truth,” Stevie said from the ground.
“So you’re the little fucks that started the rumors about us?” I asked.
“No way,” Charlie said.
“I’m fucking confused,” Ash said.
“That’s all I know,” Charlie said. “He told us he was taking the car. He said we could say we stole it. For fun. He offered us a ride. He was tall, big, I don’t know. Just all covered up. And it was nighttime too.”
“What was on the hoodie?”
“BFH,” Charlie said.
“Fuck,” Uly said.
“Who did you tell?” I asked.
“Just some girls,” Charlie said. “I thought… you know…”
“You told some girls you took the car and you thought they’d screw you?” Uly asked.
“Yeah,” Charlie said. “But then like an hour later everyone started saying it was you guys. It was Them.”
“Which way did this guy drive the car?” I asked.
“Like to go out of town,” Charlie said. “I swear that’s all I know.”
I looked at Mookey.
He shrugged his shoulders.
At least he was trying to do something.
I looked at Ash, then Uly.
Then I turned and walked away.
I helped myself to a cigarette as I listened to Mookey yell at Charlie and Stevie to get into the truck.
“At least we know our message is making its way around BFH,” Uly said.
“So someone in a hoodie, a BFH hoodie, took Werthwood’s car?” I asked. “And then told some freshmen about it.”
“Sounds stupid to me,” Ash said.
I walked and smoked.
I checked my phone.
“Fuck, man, you’re waiting to hear from her again,” Uly said. “You can’t get enough. You just keep touching the fire and wondering why you’re getting burned.”
“I like the heat and the pain,” I said.
“That’s fucked up,” Ash said.
I dropped my cigarette and stopped walking.
“We’ll have Mookey tell those little shits to ask around too. Even if they want to say they’re working with us. I don’t care. We’ll figure out who did this. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
I looked down at my phone.
Uly and Ash went into the building.
HIL: a bay falls high novel Page 10