Played

by Natasha Stories

  "Would you like to explain yourself?" he said. Both Ri and Janey flinched at the frosty greeting, but Ri squared her shoulders and answered.

  "Janey's here to apologize. If you accept it, we'll stay for dinner. If not, I need to take her back to the dorm. She rode with me."

  This was the lowest blow of all. His Rihanna, taking the side of the woman who'd caused all his problems! Gone was his mature acceptance of accountability for how he'd behaved. He didn't know which was worse, the disappointment he felt like a blow to the stomach that Ri wasn't one-hundred percent on his side, or the rage that Janey would blindside him like this. With the two emotions warring, he was left speechless. Janey took advantage of his silence to sit down and begin to speak.

  "Drew, I thought we'd gotten past all the drama. Before Spring Break, we were friends again, I thought. But now, we don't seem to be on speaking terms, and I've heard you're still in trouble. If there's anything I can do to help you fix this, please tell me what it is. I think too much of you to let you ruin your career."

  Drew cast her a bitter look and shook his head. There was nothing she could do except turn back time and not sleep with that bastard Mackey. He couldn't say that to her. Supposedly, he'd already forgiven her. How could he tell her now that he was haunted by the memory of their date and by what his imagination showed him when he thought of her with Mackey?

  Janey hung her head, and then got up. "Drew, I can't tell you how sorry I am. Mostly I'm sorry that we can't be friends after all. I can tell you, though, that I'm over Justin Mackey, if that's any comfort."

  Turning to Ri, she said, "You don't have to take me back, please stay here with Drew. I'll get a taxi."

  Drew looked hopefully at Rihanna, who seemed undecided. Then, realizing he was being very rude, he said, "No, Janey, it's okay. Stay. You're right; I did say we could be friends. You guys sit down and let's eat."

  When the server came to bring their chips and salsa, give them menus and get their drink orders, Drew ordered a Corona and Rihanna put down her menu to stare at him. "Oh, no you didn't!"

  "I'm benched tomorrow, Ri. The season's as good as over, and I'll be lucky if the guys don't kill me. I might as well have the condemned man's last meal," he joked weakly.

  Janey looked stricken. She hadn't heard, then. Drew looked questioningly at Ri.

  "No, I didn't tell her. She feels bad enough," Ri explained.

  "Isn't there something…" Janey started, but Drew shook his head.

  "Someone narced. I'm benched until the investigation, but without me, they've got no chance against UCLA," he said, with no false modesty.

  "Who did it?" snarled Ri. Drew almost wished he did know. It would be a kick seeing his bestie tear the guy a new one.

  "No idea, unless it was Slocum. He gets to start now."

  "Sorry, Drew, we can't eat after all, we've got an errand to run. C'mon Janey."

  Janey threw Drew a look of apology as she followed Ri. Both of them knew there was no crossing Rihanna in this mood. Drew waved at them as his Corona was delivered.

  "On second thought," he told the server, "I don't want this after all. Would you offer it to one of the people at the bar, and bring me a Coke instead?"

  ~~~

  Back on campus, Rihanna was a madwoman on a mission. She'd told Janey they were going to find out whom the snitch was, and let the team know. Everyone would be angry, and they'd take care of the matter.

  "Will they hurt him?" Janey wanted to know.

  "Not permanently, but they'll put the fear of God into him. He won't do such a lousy thing again. Who do you know on campus that you could ask?"

  "No one, really. Alicia maybe. I haven't spoken to her since she abandoned me that day Drew almost…"

  ""Don't remind me. Well, take one for the cause, kiddo. Call her."

  Instead, Janey sent a text asking Alicia to meet her at the Student Union for coffee the next morning. She didn't really think Alicia could help, but Ri insisted they leave no stone unturned. Then the two of them sent Greg a text to find out where he was; they needed a pow-wow.

  Greg brought the same group with him that he'd gathered for Drew's intervention, minus Smith and Greene, who weren't inclined to help after they heard about the benching. The other three young men and the two girls sat at a big corner booth at Pancake Haus and discussed what was going on. Greg had already told the others what he knew, and now they were brainstorming who the snitch could have been. The most likely candidate was Slocum, but they couldn't do anything to him until after the game, on the off chance that they could win with him. The boys were putting forth appropriate punishments when Janey had an idea.

  She had been very quiet after being pointedly ignored by the men when she and Rihanna got to the restaurant. Ri had told them that if they wanted her help, they could accept Janey's presence, but Janey didn't want to call attention to herself. Feelings were still running too high. When the idea popped into her head, she spoke without a filter.

  "I wonder if Mackey could have had anything to do with it."

  Instant silence fell over the loudly expostulating group. Rihanna broke it.

  "Shit! I'll bet he did! He got punished big-time, and Drew got a slap on the wrist. Janey, is he vindictive like that?"

  "He told me even before the fight that if something bad happened to him or his career, I'd be sorry. Yeah, I could see him doing something vengeful to Drew. But, how would he have known about the rule-breaking?"

  "Drew was drunk when he punched him. I'll bet Mackey smelled it on him," said Greg.

  "What!? No way," Rihanna exclaimed.

  "Yeah, I'm afraid so. But, why wouldn't Mackey just press charges?" Greg went on.

  "Because, he was threatening me when Drew went after him. He must have known I'd defend Drew and accuse him, and it would have gone even worse for him."

  Greg regarded her with surprise. "You'd have defended Drew?"

  "Yes, of course. He was trying to protect me, like I said."

  Rihanna was staring at Greg with an 'I told you so' look on her face, but he had his own issues with her and refused to meet her eyes.

  "How can we prove it, and what do we do about it?" said one of the others.

  Ri looked at Janey before answering. "I think Janey needs to go to Coach and tell him that if it was Mackey, it's bullshit. Janey, you have to tell him what you just told us."

  ~~~

  All during his solitary dinner and the drive back to campus, Drew thought about what Janey had said. She and Mackey were over, what did that mean for his chances with her? Would Janey go out with him again, after all the misunderstanding? Did he even want to go out with her again? If he were honest with himself, the answer to the last question was yes, but he wasn't sure about his motives. Before, he thought he was falling for her. After, he couldn't believe she felt nothing for him, especially after Valentine's Day. She had to feel something, didn't she? But, she'd come right out and said she was using him, how messed up was that? Did he just want revenge sex, to use her because she used him? Or, after all was said and done, did he still care for her?

  Besides, what if she did use him? If he could take her words at face value, she'd changed. She wanted to be friends, and Rihanna, his oldest and dearest friend, must believe her. Maybe he could just go with it, see what happened. By the time he got back to campus, Drew had thought himself into a better mood and decided he'd ask Janey to go with him to the after-game get-together, no matter what. The coast was clear, no Mackey, and as far as he knew no one else.

  Drew got to bed well before player curfew and caught up on some badly needed sleep. His dreams were pleasant, even the one with Janey in it. She was kissing him tenderly and telling him that he was the only one; no one would ever come between them again. She was fully clothed, which for some reason made him feel more comfortable.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Here was another moral dilemma. Even if it was true that Mackey was just out for revenge, if Drew really was drunk when he defended m
e, he'd broken school rules anyway. I'd already allowed several lies of omission to stand. All this was my fault, what was one more lie? It was late when the group at the Pancake Haus broke up, but Greg told me he'd go with me to the coach's office before my first class in the morning, so Ri and I went back to the dorm and to bed immediately. Morning would come early tomorrow.

  I wasn't through sleeping when my alarm went off, and evidently, Ri wasn't either, because a pillow sailed across the room and hit me in the head before I'd silenced the alarm. As quietly as I could, I dressed in the dark and made my way to the place where Greg had said he'd meet me. I didn't know what I would say to Drew's coach, nor if it would do any good, but I had to try.

  Greg knocked on the door for me, and ushered me in when Coach's booming voice said to enter. Then, his hand was gone from my back and I realized that he'd melted back into the hallway and I was alone with the intimidating man at the desk. He was looking at me with surprise and I thought puzzlement on his face.

  "How can I help you?" he asked.

  I took a deep breath. It was the moment of truth. Did he know who I was? I'd find out in a minute.

  "Hi, er, Coach. I'm Janey Nielsen." His face changed, and settled into hard lines. So, he did know. That made it harder, and I choked back a dry sob before I said anything else. "I'm here to correct an injustice, if I can, sir," I said, my voice shaking.

  "I'd think you would have done enough harm, young lady. What can you possibly add to the fact that my star player isn't available for tonight's game, and I suspect strongly it has to do with you?"

  "Yes, sir, I'm aware of that. But, are you sure of your informant? Would you tell me who it was?" My voice was stronger now. What could he do that was worse than calling me on my bad behavior to my face?

  "That's confidential," he snapped.

  "Is it? May I take a guess? Was it Prof. Mackey?" I thought the answer was in the widening of his eyes.

  "I think it was. If so, you've only heard his side of the story. Would you like to hear mine?"

  "I fail to see…"

  "Coach, please. Just let me have my say, and then you can decide. All right?"

  "You're a very persistent young lady. All right."

  "Thank you. This goes back to the day that Drew lost his head a bit in the Student Union. He's already been disciplined for that, it's not fair to punish him further. What you may not know is what happened just before he did that. Drew and a dozen or more other students heard Mackey threaten me that if his hearing about our relationship went badly for him, he'd make me sorry. Well, it did go badly, despite my effort to be fair. I think he told you that story about Drew to get his revenge on both of us. He had to know Drew was my friend when he came to my defense."

  "You're saying Prof. Mackey lied about Drew?" he asked.

  "I'm saying he told you a story designed to hurt Drew, out of revenge." If I could get away without saying he lied, I would, because I suspected it wasn't a lie. But, if the campus cops who took Drew into custody hadn't noticed, maybe it was. I didn't know. I did know that Mackey was capable of pettiness.

  "Can you bring witnesses that heard Prof. Mackey threaten you?"

  "I didn't know most of them, but I have an appointment with a friend that Mackey threw out of her chair when he confronted me. She may have stayed to hear, or she may be able to tell me whom the others were. They were interviewed by campus security, too. Shouldn't they have a list?"

  "Bring me a witness, and I'll take it under advisement. But Drew still doesn't play tonight if we haven't sorted it out by then."

  I jumped to my feet. "Thank you, sir! I'm on it."

  I literally ran out of his office, nearly bowling Greg over in the process. "Come on! We have to find the witnesses to the Student Union fight. If someone else heard Mackey threaten me, he may change his mind."

  "You mean, Drew might get to play tonight?"

  "Only if we can get a witness to your coach before the game. Hurry!"

  "Wait, Janey, slow down! Your roommate was there, remember? She's the one who called Drew about what was happening."

  I stopped in my tracks. "That's right," I said, "why didn't she volunteer to come with me to talk to your coach?"

  "I don't know," he shrugged.

  "She's in class right now. Can you wait for her there? I have an appointment with a friend who was there before Mackey scared her off. If you can find Ri, bring her to the Student Union, okay?"

  "Sure. Where is she?"

  "History, I think. Maybe just wait at the front door to the building. I don't dare text her, she forgets to mute her phone and I don't want to get her in trouble."

  "Okay. See you in a while."

  We parted ways and I rushed to the Student Union, where I expected to meet Alicia within the next ten minutes. I was staring at my coffee, trying to remember the details of that morning when everything went crazy, when Alicia approached silently and took a seat. I startled, and spilled a bit of my coffee.

  "Hi! Oh, sorry," she said.

  "No problem. After recent events, I should be more alert in here," I smiled.

  "Listen, Janey, I need to apologize for abandoning you that morning. I shouldn't have left."

  "It's okay. That's what I wanted to talk about. Did you hang out in the crowd? I may need to find someone who heard what Mackey said to me."

  "Really? Why?"

  "Long story. Did you?"

  "No, I was scared. I left."

  "Did you see anyone you knew on the way out? Someone who might have stayed to watch? You heard what happened, right?"

  "Yeah, everyone on campus heard what happened. The only one I saw that I knew was Rick, you know, the little gay boy from our first semester class?"

  "Gay? No, I don't think I know him."

  "Sure you do. He sat right in front every day, and he was always drooling over Mackey like the rest of the girls."

  "Oh, I think I do know who you mean. I didn't know he was gay."

  "How could you not?" she laughed.

  "Well, to be fair, I've never been around any gays. Is that why he walks the way he does?"

  "Totally. Listen, I'm not against gays, you know that, don't you?"

  I didn't know one way or another, or why she would be so anxious to tell me, but I nodded. "Of course."

  "Well, he might have stayed to watch, or he might not have. I don't think the effeminate ones like violence."

  "Do you know his last name?"

  "Ummm, Brickner? Yeah, I think that's it. Can you imagine going around with a name like Rick Brickner? I bet he totally got called Rick Brick when he was younger."

  "Thanks, Alicia. Hey, do you want to do me another favor?"

  "Sure," she said, "I owe you. What is it?"

  "Do you think you can locate Rick and bring him here? We're trying to save Drew's NBA career." Her eyes went wide.

  "Oh, wow, I didn't know he'd been drafted. Yeah, I can try. I think he's a theater major, too. I'll be back when I've got him."

  As Alicia walked away, I added not correcting her about Drew's draft status to my list of lies of omission. I was collecting quite a batch of them. Before I had time to process what was happening to my integrity, though, Greg was there, with Rihanna in tow.

  "Hey, girl, Greg here practically kidnapped me. You do know I'm missing class, right?"

  "Sorry, Ri, but it's about Drew."

  "That's what he said, or I wouldn't have come. What's up?"

  "Coach said he'd reconsider letting Drew play, if I could produce a witness that heard Mackey threaten me. You heard that, I know. Come with me to tell him."

  "Whoa, chica. I did hear it; don't you think I thought of that last night? But, Coach knows me. He knows I'm Drew's best friend. Do you really think he'd take my word over Mackey's?"

  "Oh," I said, deflated.

  "Have you talked to your friend Alicia yet?"

  "Yeah, she headed for high country when Mackey threw her out. She said the only person she saw while she was leaving was a
boy named Rick from our first semester class. She said she'd try to find him and bring him here. I guess you could go on to class, now."

  "Fuck it," she said. "I'll stick around and wait for this Rick. Maybe I'll recognize him."

  We had a long wait, as it turned out Rick was in the next hour's class by the time Alicia found him, and then he was reluctant to come. Alicia told us later she'd had to threaten him with exposure of his crush on Mackey if he didn't come.

  Rick was a slender boy with pretty features and longish blonde hair that he wore hanging over one eye. Now and then, he tossed his head, only to have it cover his eye again. I imagined that he'd be very attractive as a girl, but right now he was a sullen boy, his blue eyes stormy and his full mouth set in a grim line.

  "What do you want?"

  "Rick, did you hear Prof. Mackey threaten me in any way the day we were fighting here?" I asked, as gently as I could.

  Rick took on a mulish look. "I heard you threaten him."

  My mouth dropped open. "When did you get there? I only defended myself."

  "You said you'd go to the dean and get a lawyer," he said.

  "In response to what? Did you hear me say if he threatened me again?"

  "I heard what I heard."

  "You little weasel, what's Mackey to you? Does he switch hit?" Ri snarled. Rick turned white.

  "Oh, my god. You're the snitch! You weren't within a mile of Drew that day. What did you tell the coach?" Greg had put it together, and Rihanna, Alicia and I were in shock. One thing was certain, though. There'd be another altercation, and this time it would be Greg in trouble if we didn't stop it.

  Ri stood and put her hands on Greg's chest. He was in a threatening stance, his hands in fists at his sides. Alicia had narrowed her eyes at Rick and her eyes were darting around, apparently trying to think of something else with which to threaten Rick. Rick was cowering and tears were gathering in his eyes. I couldn't stand it.

  "Everybody, sit down. Rick, did you tell Coach a lie about Drew?"

  "It was his fault. Justin's depressed and won't talk to me, and it's all that asshole's fault!"

  "Do you mean Drew?" I said, speaking gently, as if to Gracie when she was having a tantrum.