Track Record

by Bonnie Bryant

  Face it, she told herself grimly. There’s no one close enough to hear me scream again if George—She paused in mid-thought. What? What was she expecting him to do? He wasn’t a monster or an ax murderer. He was just a pathetic, lovesick loser who thought he was Superman.

  That thought gave her a dash of courage. “Listen to me, George,” she said sternly, gathering her wits and realizing that it was up to her to get herself out of this mess. “I want to get out of here. Step aside and let me pass. Now.”

  To her surprise, George obeyed immediately, backing off until she could dart past him. She hurried into the aisle and breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much better immediately.

  George followed her out, looking slightly sulky. “I don’t know why you’re acting like this, Callie,” he said in a hurt voice. “I enjoy playing these little cat-and-mouse games as much as you do, but enough is enough.”

  “Get real!” she snapped, fed up with the whole situation. “There’s no game. I really do want to get away from you.”

  She stepped forward to fasten the latch on Scooby’s stall. As soon as she turned her back on George, she heard him step toward her. A split second later, before she could react, his hands were gripping her shoulders tightly.

  “What are you doing?” she cried in alarm.

  “Hush,” George hissed in her ear, his hot breath on her neck. “Don’t fight it, Callie. You know this is meant to be.”

  Callie struggled to get away, but George had her trapped against the stall door. Pressing his body against her, he nuzzled her neck, his wet lips leaving slime trails on her bare skin as he tried to turn her head toward his.

  “Stop!” Callie shrieked, twisting her head away. “Get off me!” Managing to get one elbow free, she jabbed him in the ribs as hard as she could.

  “Ouch!” George exclaimed, sounding annoyed. “Callie, what are you—”

  Taking advantage of the momentary loosening of his grip, Callie stomped on his foot and then elbowed him again, this time in the neck. As he staggered back, crying out in pain, she shoved past him and took off, racing down the aisle as fast as she could. She didn’t even realize she was crying until she tasted salt in her mouth.

  “Callie!” George called after her. “Wait! Stop!”

  But Callie didn’t slow down as she took the corner into the entryway. She wasn’t going to stop running until she’d left him behind.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to stop for ice cream?” Scott asked, taking his eyes off the road just long enough to shoot Lisa a smile. “We could go to that place you like. TD’s, is it?”

  Lisa hesitated. It was still early—barely ten o’clock—and she certainly wasn’t in any hurry to get home. She wanted to give her mother’s griper friends plenty of time to clear out before she returned. But she wasn’t really hungry, and she definitely wasn’t in the mood to walk into another public place with Scott. “Maybe we could just hang out at your house for a while instead,” she suggested. “You said your parents are out for the evening, right?” Realizing what that might sound like—she definitely didn’t want Scott to get the wrong idea—she hastily added, “I haven’t seen much of Callie lately, anyway. I wouldn’t mind saying hi to her if she’s home.”

  “Knowing Callie, she’s probably still at the stable.” Scott grinned, then glanced at the dashboard clock and shrugged. “Actually, I’m only half kidding,” he added. “Mom and Dad are out tonight, and Callie told them she’d be at the stable all night so they wouldn’t drag her along and make her play the politician’s daughter. Mind if we stop in and see? It could save her a cold walk home.”

  “Sure, no problem,” Lisa agreed quickly, pleased at the idea. She really doubted that Callie would still be at the stable—by that time of night, the horses almost always had the place to themselves. But it might offer her just the right private setting to talk to Scott about how she was feeling about their relationship. Because the more they went out, the more it felt as though other people were always getting in their way. Barely two minutes had gone by all evening without someone rushing up to them, wanting to say hello to Scott. It was getting down-right annoying, but Lisa wasn’t sure what to do about it.

  Is that just something I’ll have to get used to if I want to be with Scott? she wondered again, shooting him a sidelong glance as he drove. Because I’m not sure I can do it. I’m not sure I’ll ever adjust to sharing him with the world every time we go out.

  The stable was only a couple of miles away, and before long Scott was spinning the steering wheel to turn into the long gravel driveway. The nighttime spotlights were on, as usual, but the place looked totally deserted. Lisa glanced at the parking area, which seemed to be empty except for the stable’s trailer and truck. Then she blinked in surprise, noticing the corner of a dark red fender peeking out from behind the trailer.

  “Hey,” she said. “Isn’t that Carole’s—”

  “Callie!” Scott exclaimed.

  Lisa followed his gaze. He was staring in the opposite direction, toward the stable. Callie was running toward them, coatless, her long hair flying behind her and her face pale in the spotlight’s beam. When she got a little closer, Lisa saw that her expression was wild and frightened.

  “What’s—” she began, but Scott didn’t seem to be listening. Slamming the car into park, he leaped out almost before the motor stopped and ran toward his sister.

  Lisa unhooked her seat belt and followed more slowly, confused. What could possibly make Callie look like that? Had she had an accident with her horse?

  Callie had her face buried in Scott’s shoulder. She was sobbing and babbling. Lisa couldn’t understand most of it, but she heard the name George.

  Huh? she thought. It almost sounds like she’s saying that George attacked her or something.

  She shook her head, figuring she must have misunderstood. Shifting her weight awkwardly from one foot to the other, she glanced at Scott, wondering what to do.

  Scott murmured some soothing words in Callie’s ear, stroking her hair as she hugged him tightly. After a moment, he gently loosened her grip and turned her toward Lisa. “Go with Lisa, okay?” he said softly. “She’ll take you to the car.”

  “Is she … Is she okay?” Lisa asked hesitantly, stepping forward.

  Scott glanced over his shoulder at the stable building. When he turned back to face Lisa, she saw that he had been transformed into a stranger, his jaw set grimly and his blue eyes hard and unfamiliar. “Get her to the car,” he said tightly. “Stay there and wait for me.” Without waiting for an answer or even giving Lisa a glance to see if she understood, he turned and strode toward the stable, his fists clenched at his sides.

  Lisa stared after him for a second. Then, realizing that Callie was shivering in the cold night air, she took her by the arm and steered her toward the car. Opening the passenger door, Lisa stood back to let Callie climb in. Scott had jumped out in such a hurry that he’d left the driver’s side door open. Lisa walked around and pushed the seat forward, climbed into the backseat, then shut the door.

  Callie had stopped crying. She was huddled in the front, silent except for an occasional sniffle. Lisa twisted her hands in her lap, wishing she knew how to help. How could she, though, when she had no idea what had happened?

  After a few more seconds of silence, Lisa cleared her throat. “Um, what’s going on?” she asked Callie hesitantly. “What happened? Is George … Is George hurt?”

  Callie just shook her head. She didn’t turn to look at Lisa, and she didn’t say a word.

  Lisa wait for several long, silent moments. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but then closed it again. Callie’s silence was making her feel strangely afraid.

  She turned to glance at the darkened stable building. What had happened in there? Before she could begin to figure it out, she saw Scott emerging. He was alone, and as he walked toward the car, Lisa saw that he had a rag wrapped around his right hand. His expression was still grim.

  He opened
the door and slid in, glancing at Callie with concern. “You okay?” he asked.

  Callie sniffled and nodded. “I just want to go home,” she whispered.

  “We’re on our way.” Scott started the car.

  Lisa sat quietly in the backseat, feeling confused and a little queasy. What had happened between Callie and George in the deserted stable? What had Scott done just now to injure his hand? She had no idea, and part of her didn’t even want to know.

  I can’t believe this is happening, she thought, turning to stare out the window as Scott’s car sped along the darkened country road. It’s like in a movie or something, when everything just suddenly changes. Except I don’t even know what actually happened.

  It didn’t take long to reach Lisa’s street. Scott pulled to the curb in front of her house, then put the car into park without shutting off the engine. He hopped out and pulled the seat forward, reaching for Lisa’s hand to help her as she clambered out awkwardly.

  “Good night, Lisa,” he said distractedly, leaning down and giving her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek. “I’ll call you.”

  “Um, okay. Thanks. And I hope—I hope everything’s okay.” Lisa wasn’t sure if he heard her or not. He was already getting back into the car. A second later he peeled out, leaving her standing alone on the sidewalk.

  FIFTEEN

  “All right, Ms. Forester,” the gentle-voiced female officer said, jotting down a few final notes on her pad. “That should do it. Thank you for answering my questions. I realize it’s difficult for you, but we really need to have all the information.”

  “It’s all right,” Callie said. “I mean, you’re welcome. I understand.”

  Standing up, she followed the. officer into the sparsely furnished room down the hall where her parents and Scott were waiting. Callie had been wavering between embarrassment and relief ever since Scott had bundled her into the house, where they’d found that their parents had just arrived home. Fifteen busy and confusing minutes later, the entire family was on the way to the police station in Willow Creek. At first Callie had been aghast at the whole idea of involving the police—she just wanted to forget the whole thing had happened. But her parents had been firm, and at last she’d given in. It just seemed easier to go along with them, especially since she was suddenly so very, very tired.

  She was still embarrassed about what had happened, but surprisingly, telling her story to the officer had actually made her feel a little better. Everyone at the police station was taking her story very seriously, which was kind of a relief after her weeks of solitary worry.

  “Is everything okay?” Mrs. Forester jumped to her feet, her face pinched and anxious, as Callie entered and flopped into a chair. Congressman Forester stood as well, putting a comforting arm around his wife’s shoulders as he glanced worriedly at Callie.

  The female officer stepped forward. “Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Forester,” she said calmly. “Your daughter and I had a good talk.” She greeted another officer who had just entered. “Let’s discuss how to proceed.”

  Scott scooted over to the seat beside Callie’s as the adults huddled near the door, their voices low and serious. “Are you okay?” he whispered.

  “Yeah.” Callie glanced at him, then poked at his wrapped hand. “Are you?”

  Scott shrugged and grinned weakly. “I’ll live.” He cleared his throat, his smile fading. “But listen. I just want to apologize. You tried to tell me about how George was acting, and I guess I just—”

  “Its okay,” Callie cut him off. “Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

  “But I should have seen it,” Scott insisted. “I mean, you did tell me he was bugging you. I just didn’t realize how bad it was getting.”

  Callie sighed. “To be honest, I didn’t quite realize it, either,” she said. “I knew it was really getting weird, but I guess I sort of figured it was my fault.”

  “What?” Scott frowned. “Why would you think that?”

  Callie shrugged. “You know. Like, because I wasn’t clear enough with George in the beginning. Maybe even led him on.” Scott was already shaking his head, but Callie held up her hand to stop him from saying anything. “I know. I know now. He was really out of control tonight, and no way did I do anything to cause that.” She shuddered as she remembered how crazy George had acted at the stable. “I didn’t believe he had it in him.”

  “Yeah,” Scott said quietly, squeezing her arm comfortingly. “I guess none of us did.”

  Callie leaned against him for a moment, taking comfort in his solid presence. Then she sighed and glanced at their parents. “So what do you think happens next?”

  “I expect they’ll take out a restraining order against George,” Scott said.

  Callie winced. That sounded so serious. What would people think when they heard about it? What would it do to life at school, at Pine Hollow?

  Whatever happens, I’ll just have to deal with it, she decided, leaning back in the uncomfortable plastic chair and closing her eyes, soothed by the soft murmur of the adults’ voices as they continued their conversation. Anyway, at least now I know I wasn’t going nuts. And maybe now that other people know, now that I have help, I can put this whole crazy nightmare behind me at last.

  Carole was still feeling giddy and breathless as she and Ben made their way up the path to the stable’s rear entrance. It was very dark, with only a little bit of light spilling toward them from the nearest outdoor floodlight. Still, Carole was pretty sure that wasn’t the only reason Ben had her hand tightly clutched in his own.

  I can’t believe this is happening, she thought with a shiver. It’s so amazing. Like everything just suddenly changed and I’m not even sure how or why. But I do know that I like it. I definitely like it.

  She was so wrapped up in her new thoughts and feelings that it took her a moment to notice that Ben was staring at something beyond the stable building. “What?” she asked, following his gaze. She frowned as she saw weird red flashes lighting up the edges of the roof. “What’s going on?”

  “Let’s go see,” Ben said grimly.

  Carole followed as he hurried around the building. For a moment the only thing she could think about was that he’d dropped her hand. Then she forgot about that as they rounded a corner and saw two police cruisers parked in the stable yard, their blinkers casting an eerie red glow over the familiar scene, making it all look strange and off-kilter.

  “What’s going on?” Carole asked again, feeling panic rising in her throat. Why were the police there? Had someone broken into the stable while she and Ben were distracted in the shed? Had someone pulled the fire alarm outside the stable office? Had one of the horses gotten hurt somehow? A dozen horrible possibilities flashed across her mind, but she forced herself to stay calm.

  Several officers were just climbing out of their cars. When they spotted Carole and Ben, they walked toward them.

  Carole swallowed hard, trying not to feel nervous. Despite the fact that she’d never broken a law in her life—she didn’t even speed—whenever she encountered a police officer, she started worrying that she’d done something wrong.

  “Can—Can we help you?” she asked the officers politely, her throat tight.

  One of them, a portly man with a kind face, tipped his hat. “We’re looking for a young man name of George Wheeler,” he said in a soft drawl. “His folks seemed to think he might be here.”

  “Oh!” Carole glanced quickly at Ben, then turned back toward the officer. “Um, he was here earlier. But I think he left. I’m not sure.”

  At that moment she noticed a figure hurrying down the hill. Max.

  “Good evening, officers,” the stable owner said as he strode over to join the group. He quickly introduced himself. “Is there something I can help you with? Is there some sort of problem here?”

  “Not at all, Mr. Regnery,” the officer replied. “We just had a tip that someone might be here. Thought we’d stop by and see. Young fellow name of Wheeler.”

  “I
see.” Max’s face turned grim. He turned to Carole and Ben. “Have you two seen George in the past couple of hours?”

  Carole hoped it was dark enough to hide her blush. She and Ben had been out in the shed for a couple of hours. “No, Max,” she said as Ben shook his head. She glanced at the officers again. “But what’s going on? Why are you looking for George?”

  Max shot her an unreadable look. “Go on home, Carole,” he said firmly. “I’ll sort this out. It’s none of your concern.”

  Carole drew back as if she’d been slapped, even though Max hadn’t sounded angry. She glanced uncertainly at Ben, who was listening quietly.

  “Come on,” he said, pulling her away by the arm. “Let’s get out of their way.”

  Carole allowed him to lead her toward her car, which was parked beyond the cruisers. “But what’s going on? What if George is hurt or something?”

  “If he was, they’d know where he is,” Ben replied simply.

  Realizing that he’d stopped a few yards from her car, Carole hesitated. Ben lived in a poor part of town, and she knew he was a little sensitive about it. “Um, can I give you a ride?” she offered uncertainly.

  Ben bit his lip and hesitated. Then he nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Thanks.”

  Soon they were in the car, heading through the darkened, empty streets toward Ben’s house. Carole couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the police visit. “Why in the world would the police be looking for George?” she asked. “I mean, he’s hardly the ax murderer type.”

  Ben shrugged. “You never know about people.”

  Carole was silent, thinking about that. She supposed he was right—and she wasn’t just thinking about George anymore. Who ever would have guessed how this night would turn out? she thought. First Ben and I—She broke off the thought, suddenly feeling shy, almost as if Ben could read her mind. And then, on top of that, this thing with the police … It’s been quite a night.