by S. M. Koz
“I doubt it.” Crackheads I can identify from a mile away. That’s not a skill I’m especially pleased to have, but when you grow up where I did, it becomes second nature. It’s a survival skill, really.
“Any STD medicines in his bathroom?”
“Brittany!” I whisper-yell. I can’t believe she’d even suggest that. What if he heard her? “That’s not possible.” It’s not like he’s even exposed himself to the risk.
“Of course it’s possible.”
I shake my head.
“Unless he hasn’t …” Brittany starts. I nod and tell her to be quiet.
“No way!” she says much too loudly, causing everyone to look in our direction. I shush her again and stare at the opening credits on the ginormous television. I probably shouldn’t have said anything. It’s not my secret to share and I suddenly regret my decision.
“Y’all have talked about that?” she asks.
“No, not really,” I say to cover my tracks. “It’s just an assumption, so don’t say anything to anyone.”
“I don’t gossip,” she replies matter-of-factly. After a moment, she adds, “You like him.”
“Sure, he’s a nice guy.”
“That’s not what I mean.” She nudges me with her elbow and then catches my eyes.
When I don’t respond, she nods and whispers, “You could do a lot worse.” Then, she pulls her legs under herself and settles in for the movie. I’m not attracted to Brad. Okay, I am, but it’s because he’s a good guy. I’m drawn in by the thought of a good guy. Plus, he’s hot. That doesn’t hurt. He’s just so different in every way from what I’m used to with Chase.
Oh my god, Chase. I forgot to call him. I promised to call every night and I already forgot.
I consider excusing myself to check in with him, but it’s still kind of early. Plus, Gil was sitting in the library when I passed by a little while ago. I don’t know of another phone and I don’t want to talk to Chase in front of him. I decide to wait until after the first movie to call. It’s a Saturday night, so he’s probably out getting blitzed anyway. Surely, he’s got better things to think about than me.
The opening scene begins and we all quiet down. It’s a loud, action-packed movie with lots of explosions. The guys love it. Abbie and Brittany are on their phones, their fingers moving at lightning speed as they text their friends. Michelle’s been inching closer and closer to Brad every minute that passes. He doesn’t seem to notice, though. Instead, he hollers and high-fives Adam every time something blows up and critically reviews each chase scene.
I alternate my attention between the movie and the people next to me, secretly analyzing them. Abbie and Adam are clearly siblings. They both have dark skin, hair, and eyes, although her hair is significantly longer and pulled into twists that are secured with a hair tie low on her neck. If I didn’t know she was a sophomore and he was a senior, I’d probably think they were twins.
They also clearly have money by the designer clothes they’re wearing. It’s not like they’re dressed up in fancy outfits, but I can tell their casual jeans and tops are not from Goodwill or Wal-Mart where I’m used to shopping. The materials look softer and the clothes fit better, almost like they were custom tailored for them.
From my angle, I see Brad and Michelle in profile. Michelle has a pointy nose and chin. Her blonde hair falls in soft curls over her shoulders, and her eyes are made-up like she’s attending a red-carpet event with smoky lids and black as night eyeliner. The makeup, her short skirt, and tight sweater all seem a bit extravagant just to watch a movie with friends. Not even her friend Abbie is made up like that.
Brad must sense my attention because he turns his head and lifts his chin at me. I focus back on the movie, but not before I catch his smile. It seems real and genuine, like he’s happy I’m here.
“I’m cold,” Michelle says. I glance back in their direction and see her inching even closer to him.
“Grab a blanket,” Brad says, not taking his eyes off me.
Michelle stands, frowning, and then walks around the back of the sofa to a basket overflowing with the plushest-looking blankets I’ve ever seen.
“You okay?” he mouths to me.
I nod, just as Michelle returns. She lowers herself practically on his lap and then spreads the blanket over the two of them. I can’t tell for sure, but it seems like her hands may be roaming up and down his leg under the blanket. From the expression on his face, he doesn’t seem to care one way or the other. He’s still got his eyes on me, despite Michelle’s best efforts.
I can’t look at them anymore. Her blatant attempt to get the attention of someone who clearly isn’t interested is painful to watch. I wonder why she’s unable to take the hint, or why he doesn’t flat out tell her, if she’s that clueless. I know he’s a nice guy and all, but this is ridiculous. For the rest of the movie, I keep my eyes plastered to the screen, so I don’t have to see them anymore.
During the final chase scene, in between the explosions and roaring engines, a soft ‘tap-tap’ comes from someplace much closer than the speakers. We all look at each other in confusion.
“You expecting anyone else, man?” Adam asks, pushing himself off the sofa.
“No.” Brad stands and walks around the furniture.
Adam picks up a pool cue and then tosses one to Brad. They wield them like baseball bats as they march toward the sliding glass door, which puts me on edge. The other girls must agree because they scoot closer together.
Tap-tap.
“What is that?” Michelle asks, craning her neck to try and see around the boys, but it’s useless. It’s a curtain of black outside.
“The wind?” Abbie suggests.
“The wind whooshes, not taps,” Brittany points out.
“Maybe it’s causing a tree branch to hit the glass,” Abbie says.
Brittany turns and faces her. “Are there any trees right next to the glass?”
“No, not really …”
Tap-tap.
As the girls continue to debate the source of the sound, the boys peer out the sliding door, covering their eyes with their hands to block out the interior light from the television.
“Oh, hell,” Brad groans.
Chapter 9
BRAD
I flip on the light switch so everyone can see who’s out there. It’s that scrawny ass thug of Hailey’s. Next to me, I sense Adam relax slightly, probably relieved that it’s not a serial killer, although I doubt this is much better.
“You gonna let him in?” Adam asks.
“I’m not sure.”
The dickwad bangs on the glass now, and Michelle asks, “Who is it?”
He points to Hailey through the glass and mouths something that looks like he wants to talk to her.
Against my better judgment, I slide open the door, but not without a warning. “You get five minutes.”
“Calm down, bro,” he says, sauntering through the door like he owns the place.
“I’m not your bro,” I reply through clenched teeth.
“What do you want, Chase?” Hailey asks, rising from the couch. At least the douchebag has a name now.
“You didn’t call tonight.”
“It’s early still. I figured you’d be busy.”
“Or maybe you were too busy with your new friends.”
“I was going to call around ten, like I usually do.”
This is ridiculous. She has to check in like a child with a parent? Who does this guy thinks he is? And why does he think he can treat her this way?
“Your mom wants to see you.”
“No,” she replies, visibly shaken now.
“It’s set. She already talked to Sherry.”
Hailey glances around the room at all of us watching them. Predictably, she blushes at the attention. She then tugs on the sleeve of his shirt and pulls him into the hallway, just out of earshot.
I move a little closer to make sure he doesn’t try anything. I hear hushed whispers and parts of w
ords. I can’t make out what they’re saying, but as long as they’re talking, he’s probably not physically hurting her.
“Can Chase stay for the movie?” Hailey asks when they return.
“Is that what you want?”
She nods, but won’t meet my eyes. There’s not a chance in hell I believe her. I’m about to say so when Adam replies, “The more the merrier. Help yourself to a soda in the fridge.”
After Chase turns around, I glare at Adam. “What the hell?” I whisper. “I was going to kick him out.”
“And cause a big fight. Scare the girls. It’s just a movie. Then, if he doesn’t leave, the girls can go upstairs and we’ll escort him out.”
“This is a terrible idea,” I say, the gnawing sensation of impending doom replacing my earlier anger. I usually trust Adam’s decisions, but I think he’s being much too friendly right now. Despite that, I sit on the couch and watch as Chase saunters over to the kitchen area.
He doesn’t just help himself to a soda. He raids the refrigerator and pantry, pulling out an ice cream bar, Twizzlers, Doritos, and a Slim Jim. Then he lowers himself onto the couch next to Hailey, piling his bounty into his lap.
Brittany, who moved over for him, raises her chin in greeting. “’Sup?” she asks. I have to give it to her—she knows how to fit in just about anywhere. She’s not part of my group at school, but has done perfectly fine here tonight. Then, when someone from the opposite side of the tracks joins us, she acclimates as needed, showing no fear. The other girls have migrated as far away from him as possible. I don’t blame them.
Chase reaches into his pocket and pulls out a plastic bag with what appears to be weed. “Anyone want some?” he asks. Hailey closes her eyes and leans her head against the back of the couch. She’s mortified. I so want to kick Adam’s ass right now. Chase should be gone.
“You can’t smoke that here,” I say.
He shrugs and returns it to his pocket, like he doesn’t care.
“So,” Brittany says, trying to break the tension. “You up for a good ax murderer movie?”
“Always,” Chase says, extending his arm over Hailey’s shoulders and pulling her much closer than she seems to want.
We start the movie, but I can’t get into it. I’m constantly looking over at the two of them. He stuffs his face with the food and when it’s gone, begins groping Hailey through her clothes. She whispers something in his ear and he temporarily stops his exploration. The whole time, Michelle’s trying to do the same thing to me, which is baffling since we’re not together. We’re friends because she’s best friends with Abbie and Abbie is Adam’s sister. That’s the extent of it, if you don’t count our one night of rampant hormones and teenage curiosity. Which we don’t. We’ve talked about that at length, both before and after it happened.
Suddenly, Chase stands and pulls Hailey by her arms. “You got a place we can be alone?” he asks me with a wink.
As if there’s some guy code where I’m going to let him be alone with her. Like hell.
“No,” I reply, standing. “I think it’s time for you to leave.” I flex my fingers a few times to let him know I’m not above forcefully removing him.
“It’s okay, Brad,” Hailey says, stepping between us. “He wants to talk to me for a couple minutes and then he’ll leave, right?”
“Sure thing, babe. We’re just talking, bro.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“The weight room?” she asks. The other option down here is the guest bedroom, and I’m sure as hell not giving him a bed and an open invitation to have his way with her.
I nod to Hailey and then to him I say, “If you so much as hurt a hair on her head, I will pummel you. Understand?”
Hailey’s eyes grow wide, but he just smirks in my direction. Adam stands up next to me. “Me, too,” he says, finally coming to his senses. Although Adam is smaller than me, he does have a black belt in karate. The punk wouldn’t stand a chance.
They move to the weight room and I move to the hallway, listening for any sign that I need to step in. Adam stays by my side while the girls huddle up on the couch. This is turning into an awful night. As soon as he leaves, I’m sending everyone home.
After a few minutes, I hear a grunt followed by his voice screaming out her name.
“Oh my god,” Michelle says, covering her mouth.
Abbie’s face grows pale.
Brittany shakes her head with a look of disappointment.
“Get out of my house!” I yell, barreling into the room. Adam’s on my heels as we clear the doorway. Hailey’s bent over the reclining bench with her pants around her ankles while Chase holds her hips in place. His zipper is down, letting me see parts of him I’ll never be able to erase from my memory.
“Get the fuck out of my house!” I yell, running at him and tackling him. He hits the floor with a thud followed by a loud crack as his head makes contact with a stack of weights.
“You bastard,” he spits out, reaching for his temple. There’s a small gash oozing blood. He jumps to his feet, faster than I thought possible given his lack of muscles. I pull back my fist ready to knock out some teeth, but Adam gets to him first. He grabs his hand and twists his fingers back. It looks innocuous enough, but the asshole falls to his knees, gasping for breath.
“I gave you the benefit of the doubt,” Adam says, “and you let all of us down. This is the warning. Next time, we won’t be so easy on you.”
With that, Adam releases his fingers, but then grips his forearm behind his back and walks him back through the media room to the sliding glass door. Chase’s zipper is still down, and I can only imagine what the girls think.
“You messed with the wrong guy,” Chase screams through the closed door. “This is only the beginning!”
After he’s outside and the door is closed, no one speaks for a moment. Then, Brittany breaks the silence. “Holy crap,” she says. “I need to spend more time with y’all. You sure know how to liven up a night.”
I rush back to the weight room to be sure Hailey’s okay, but she’s gone without a trace. I sprint upstairs to her bedroom, but it’s empty. I then begin a meticulous search throughout the entire house, but she’s nowhere to be found. Finally, I stop in the library where my parents are reading and listening to classical music, completely oblivious to everything that’s happened.
“You okay?” Dad asks.
“Not really. Have you seen Hailey?”
“I thought she was with you.”
“She was, but … something happened. I can’t find her now.”
“What happened?”
“I … can’t tell you.”
“Son,” he says, standing up. “What’s going on?” His serious face and tone suggest I’ve got two seconds to spit out the truth, or I’ll be grounded for the rest of my life.
“I think she ran away,” I reply, finally putting my thoughts into words and giving him only the essential information. I’m sure she was embarrassed beyond belief with everything that Chase did and the position I found her in. I just hope she didn’t leave with him. Surely, she wouldn’t do that, would she? What if she wanted to have sex with him? Did we just assault a guy for something she wanted?
My words get my parents moving. They’re in the car in record time, Dad behind the wheel and Mom on her phone calling DSS. That’s one of the things I love about them. They don’t waste precious minutes grilling me on all the inconsequential details. I have no doubt that will come later, but right now, they’re able to focus on what needs to be done and have faith I didn’t screw things up too badly.
Chapter 10
BRAD
“Any idea where she went?” Dad asks.
“No,” I reply absently while texting Adam. I had gone downstairs and grabbed Brittany to help, but didn’t have a chance to explain everything to the others. I don’t get into the details in the text, but do ask him to lock up and make sure Abbie and Michelle get home safely.
“How long ago did she go miss
ing?”
“Less than fifteen minutes.”
“Then she can’t be far.”
Dad eases out of the driveway, but pauses, no doubt considering which direction to go. Left will take us further into our subdivision while right is the quick exit to the main road. Hailey’s never been left, so I’m sure she’d avoid that way.
“Right,” I say definitively.
He follows my command and we all keep our eyes peeled.
“Hi,” Mom says, finally connecting to someone at DSS. “I’m Hailey Brown’s foster mom and it seems she may have run away a few minutes ago. We’re in the car searching for her now.” There’s a pause and then she says, “Yes, okay. Hold on a minute.”
She looks over the seat and asks me, “What was she wearing tonight?”
“Jeans and your old sparkly, yellow top.”
She relays the information to the person on the other end of the phone and then says, “Thanks.”
When she hangs up, she tells us, “The police are looking now, too.”
Shit. This is going from bad to worse. She can’t get picked up by the cops.
“Where do you think she was headed?” Dad asks.
I don’t have a clue. Home? To be with Chase? Did she meet up with Chase outside? Was that their plan all along?
“I don’t know. Sorry,” I reply, gazing out the window.
“Okay, we’ll just head toward town. If she’s trying to get somewhere in particular, that would be her best bet for hitching a ride.”
I nod and don’t bother telling him that she might not have to hitch. She could easily be on the back of Chase’s motorcycle and halfway to Carthage by now. Maybe she’s given up on the foster system and is running away with Chase for good. God, I hope not. I can’t even imagine what would become of her life if she left with him. Actually, I can. She’d probably become a mirror image of her own mother and the cycle would perpetuate. That thought makes me sick to my stomach, so I stare out the window with renewed resolve. We have to find her and talk some sense into her.
“What if she’s in the woods?” Mom asks, scanning the dark pine forest along the right side of the road. “We’d never see her.”