Dare Me (21 page)

Alexia scowls. “He only did that because he was framed for the other shit. You know that.”

My mind lurches. This line is in utter opposition to her previous logic. “But you said he was stupid for what he did. That you couldn’t be with him.”

Alexia looks over my head. “Yeah, well, some things are easier said than done.”

“But Alexia, you deserve better.”

She looks at me now, her eyes rimmed with tears. “You always say what you’re thinking, Ben. The truth. You see people for who they are. I always liked that about you. But this time, you may be blind to the truth.” With that, she closes the door and I feel like falling apart.

—

The first snowfall
hit last night. Only an inch or so, but enough to make me think of what a pain in the ass winter will be: deliveries in terrible conditions, a freezing house warmed like a log cabin, and, if I go along with them, frigid dares. I’m sure O. P.’s going to take advantage of this terrain. Or, more aptly, Ricky. Maybe I’ll die of hypothermia?

I dress in the cold, putting more layers on top of my current layers and head downstairs. The fireplace is roaring and I sit on the hearth. Mom and Dad are awake, and both look at me and then immediately down. Dad coughs and folds the newspaper across his lap. “Is there something you want to tell us, Ben?”

The warmth I felt drains out of me. Here it is. They figured it out. “What do you mean?”

Mom sighs. “Don’t play dumb. We know.”

Now my brain pulses like a cell tower. I don’t respond, but wait for the words I figured would come well before now.

“Where is your report card?” Dad asks like I’m a four-year-old, and once I process what he’s said, I feel like rolling around on the ground like one.

“My report card?” The words giggle out of me.

“Yes,” Mom says. “Why’s that funny?”

I almost laugh. Almost. But I bite my tongue and put on a surprised expression. “Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t know where it is. I figured maybe you guys got it. It came in the mail, right?”

They look at each other and in their confusion I see my opening.

“Maybe because of the move it didn’t come? Maybe it went to our house?”

“Ben, this is our home.” Mom means for this to be a strong statement, but it falls apart at the end.

Dad looks at me for a moment and nods. “I wouldn’t be surprised. Can you check at school?”

“Sure. And when I pick up John, we’ll swing by the house and see if it happens to be there.”

Mom says, “But . . .” and doesn’t finish.

I stand up, feeling like I’ve dodged another bullet, and get some breakfast. While I’m staring at my cereal and devising a plan to keep the report card hidden, Dad stands up and says, “Wish me luck.”

“Huh?”

“My interview. It’s today.”

I totally forgot. He told me when I got home that night after dealing with Jesse and Alexia. What was that, two weeks ago?

“That’s right. Good luck!”

“Not that he’ll need it,” Mom says.

“True, but I’ll never turn any away,” Dad says.

I like that statement and I hope like hell my luck keeps holding out.

—

“But why are you checking?
You know it’s not there.” John tilts his head and looks at me like roadkill. We’re parked outside my house, the former one.

“I know. But I’m interested in who moved in. You haven’t seen anyone, right?”

“No.”

Which is weird. “Right, so, it’ll only take a sec.” I hop out and head up my old steps. It feels odd, like I’m visiting a relative’s house.

I peek in the window and the house is empty. No furniture, no moving boxes, nothing. It’s exactly as we left it. The mailbox is equally so. I take another look and climb back in the Jeep.

“Did you see
anyone
move in?”

John’s texting and only half listens to me. “I told you, no.”

I wait for him to finish.

“What?”

“Jesus. Have you seen anyone at the house?”

“Just some guy the day after you guys moved out. He had keys and everything. I think changing the locks. But that’s it.”

I think about this, but have no answer, so I drive on to school, as if maybe the answer will emerge there.

Lockers are decorated like presents, and kids are sucking on candy canes and talking about what they’re getting. I have no clue what Christmas will be like. My parents have no money. I don’t really want anything, anyway. But I’ve still got Chantel to consider. I don’t know what
we
are, but I should get her something.

We turn the corner and Ricky does not look pleased.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“I’ve been thinking.” Ricky’s voice is low.

“Careful with that, it’s not your strong suit.”

He ignores me. “We can’t go seeking revenge. We made him pay already. That’s enough.”

A spark fires off inside me. After seeing Alexia as she was, I reached out to Ricky with this plan. He was fine with it then. “So it’s okay for Holmes to do what he’s doing to Alexia?” I ask as calmly as I can.

“No. But that really has nothing to do with us. It’s coincidence. Besides, she’s not your girlfriend. Why do you care?” Ricky stares me down.

“What if someone were beating up Trev? He’s not really one of us. What would you do?” The question’s not fair and I feel like a dick for asking, but he pushed me to this point. Some weird noise comes out of John’s throat, and Ricky’s face goes white.

“I hope he’d kick his ass.” Trevor’s voice is meek, but we all turn to look at him.

He looks around. “One time, freshman year, I was walking home and Jesse was out with his crew. I think they were drunk. There were four of them.” Trev looks at the floor. “They jumped me. Called me all sorts of names. You know. Punched me and kicked me. When I thought it was over, Jesse picked me up.”

Ricky’s fists are clenching and unclenching and everyone is dead quiet, listening.

“Yeah, so, he told me I was his little bitch now and then pushed me over to a fire hydrant. Told me to bend over and grab it.” Trevor pauses and I don’t want to hear what he’s going to say next. I hate Jesse for what he’s done to Alexia, what he’ll keep doing if we don’t go ahead with the plan, as crazy and as stupid as it is. But I know I’ll hate him even more after this, even if it is about Trev. Because in spite of what I said, he is part of us.

“So I did, because there were four of them. And before I knew it, my pants were down and Jesse was behind me. ‘This is what I do to my bitches,’ he said, and then he spanked me so hard my eyes watered. The other guys stared, laughing, and Jesse hit me again. They all took turns and one of them took pictures, emailed them to me and told me not to say anything or else they’d tell people I paid them to do it.” He stops again. “They knew what I am.”

No one speaks. We look around but not at one another. Trevor shrinks back into himself and I want to apologize, but it’s too late, the moment’s passed.

Ricky looks from Trevor to me, his eyes simmering. “Count me in.”

I look him in the eye and he’s as furious as I’ve ever seen, but I can also see Trevor, and the smallest of smiles crosses his lips. I feel a mix of anger and contentment. Maybe we are crazy and suicidal, like Ginny thinks, but deep down, we’re still decent. And no dare will change that.

CHAPTER 22

R
ight now I really wish
I’d paid better attention in physics. We covered electrical currents and the whole Ben Franklin story. My teacher even laughed after making some joke about how the inventor was equal parts genius and daredevil. So it only figures that it’s the middle of the night and Ricky is pulling Christmas lights and tasers out of a box.

“Doesn’t this, like, make you shit your pants or something?” John holds up one of the tasers and shines his headlamp on it. The headlamps as well as the decorative lights and tasers are courtesy of O. P. As are the stupid Santa hats and beards we’re wearing instead of our usual masks.

“Nah, it’ll make you twitch, but that’s about it.” Ricky’s answer sounds like he’s convincing himself.

Trevor strings the lights around the small pine tree Ricky has chosen, and Ricky clears away the dusting of snow at the base of the tree.

I watch and am starting to connect the dots. “Explain this.”

Ricky stops and picks up a taser. “Fine, but are you two going to make a whole scene out of this?” He’s talking to John and me. We look at each other and I shrug.

“Depends on what we’re up to,” I say.

“Fuck. You do realize that you can’t have it both ways—safe dares and lots of cash. We have to . . .”

“Shut up with all that and just tell us the plan,” John says.

Ricky either doesn’t feel like arguing or doesn’t want to get punched again, because he gets to it. “It’s simple. We turn ourselves into an electrical current using the taser. You’ll stand on this spot without your shoes, and we’ll tape the end of the lights into your hand. One of us will taser you and, bam, we’ll have a light show.”

Right, and we’ll broadcast it to everyone and make more money. I feel my feet rooting into the ground.

Trevor finishes with the lights and grabs his camera. “Who’s going first?”

John and I answer at the same time, “Ricky!”

“Whatever. Fine.” He takes off his shoes and stands in his socks on the cold, wet ground. “Can’t have the current ground,” he says. “Ben, get over here.”

I stay in place. “No. I’m not sure about this one, Rick. I think we might be going too far. Messing with electricity isn’t bright.”

“Nice pun, Benny boy. Now help me out.”

I shake my head. “You’re not listening.”

Ricky sighs. “Aren’t we past this? Or are you really choosing
now
to throw a tantrum?”

“What, is there a better time for you? I’m sorry.”

“Yeah,
before
the dare, not just as we’re getting set.” He turns his hands, palms up. “Come on.”

I don’t bite on his plea. “Answer one question. Did O. P. tell you to forget the passwords this time?”

Ricky’s face pinches. “Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters!” John says. “Shit, Rick, we’re going to get caught. That can’t happen. I need the money.”

“
You
do? Ha! Why do you think we’re doing this?”

And as he says it I can tell he wants those words back. He might as well have his hands covering his mouth.

“I can easily set a password. There’s really nothing to it,” Trevor says.

Ricky eyes him and juts his chin, then looks at me and squints. “We are not putting up any more passwords.”

“So we’re in this for the money? That’s it? And
you’re
calling all the shots?” I ask.

“Why do you have such a problem with that?” Ricky asks. “John, do you care?”

John looks at me, then away. “About the money, no. I think it’s pretty obvious that this thing isn’t healing well.” He holds up his arm. “But you being a dick isn’t cool.”

Ricky opens his mouth to answer but turns to me. “How am I being a dick? After this we’re taking care of Ben’s problem.”

“Don’t call it
mine
! We all threw Jesse under the bus, and now that’s come back on us through Alexia.”

“Fuck you, Ben! You’re being a goddamn pussy, like always.”

“That doesn’t even make sense. Besides, pussy or not, Jesse aside, I would have done my research and realized that O. P.’s a joke, some guy who doesn’t even advertise our links. Did you know that, Rick? You go to O. P.’s site and there’s nothing. No mention of us. What’s that all about? Huh, fearless leader?”

“How the hell should
I
know?” He pauses. “That’s his business. Not ours.”

That pause is all I need. “I’m calling bullshit! You know that’s ridiculous. Who spends that kind of money and doesn’t look for every opportunity to promote? Even Chuck does that.”

Ricky’s dancing now, hopping foot to foot. “What are you saying, Ben?”

“I’m saying something’s not right with this whole deal. I want to talk to O. P. again. I have questions. And I’m sick of asking them through you. Write me out if you want. But after this, you get me connected or I will never spend another minute with you.” It feels good getting these words out. They’ve been a long time coming.

There’s a moment of silence, but then Ricky asks, “What about Holmes?”

The question is downright dirty. Fortunately, Trevor agrees. “You take that back, Rick, or I’ll taser you right now and I won’t let up.”

“What?” Ricky asks.

“These guys do everything you ask, even after realizing it is only about the money, not the lie you sold them on. And now the one thing Ben’s asked you to do, the one thing you
should
do, you use as leverage? No, you don’t get to do that.” He looks at me. “If he refuses to help, I’ll go with you.”

“You know I’m there, Ben,” John chimes in.

We all look at Ricky, who looks pathetic without his shoes, and for so many other reasons. “Okay,” he says.

I breathe deep to steady myself. Trevor walks up to me. “Ben, we’ll make this work.” He claps my shoulder and nods. I follow his lead. “Now, please tape this plug onto Ricky’s palm. It’s retrofitted to absorb the shock and not burn out. John, grab a taser.”

It takes me a second to move, because too much has happened. But my body’s getting used to moving without my brain, and I do as Trevor has asked. The plug is huge and I want to ask how much current we’re about to take in, but Ricky does not look at me as I wrap the tape around and around.

Once the tape is secured and John has armed the gun, Trevor motions for us to turn off our headlamps and flips on the night-vision lens. He counts down and points to Ricky, who starts pitching like he always does, as if nothing has happened between us. But a shit ton did, and it’s not over.

Ricky unbuttons his shirt and nods to John, who aims the red dot of the laser guide on his chest.

In the dark, the dot is haunting. It’s too much like the movies I’ve seen where the next moment is punctuated by gunfire. I want to yell for John to stop, but at the same time I want him to light Ricky up. It’s beyond twisted, but something else is equally clear—I’m not nervous. That feeling of excitement that I used to have has returned full force. This, for money or not, is going to be awesome.