Foxe Hunt (23 page)

Skyler shook his head. “You made a good decision, Rick.

Much braver than…than me.”

“Yeah? It doesn’t feel brave right now. My father will kill me.”

His voice broke on the last and Skyler’s heart ached for him.

“I’ll go with you to your father. I’ll talk to him.”

“You don’t get it. He won’t want to talk to you. He won’t want to listen to anyone about this, least of all me.”

His eyes were glossy and he looked around the corridor uncertainly. Finally, he pushed away from the lockers and headed down the hallway.

“Rick!”

But the boy ignored him. Dammit. It had all been so promising and Rick had been excited about joining. Today there was another meeting. Rick should definitely go and get the support he needed.

Skyler wondered where Alex was. He glanced at his watch and knew he had to get to class. When he looked up again Rick had disappeared.

The day dragged. When he finally got to his fifth period class, Foxe hunt
185

all the students filed in. All except Rick.

He glanced at Alex but he seemed just as perplexed as anyone.

Skyler checked the roll and had to ask. “Does anyone know where Rick is? I saw him earlier today.”

Everyone rustled but no one said anything.

Finally, Heather spoke up. “I saw him sitting on the bleachers.

He didn’t look like he was going to be moving anytime soon.”

Skyler looked at all the faces staring back at him and made a decision. “Everyone, just read your books and I’ll be back.”

As soon as he left the classroom he broke into a run. He flew down the stairs and out the building, heading fast for the football field. He finally stopped when he reached the edge of the bleachers. He was a bit out of breath. He hadn’t jogged in the mornings for weeks…which was Keith’s fault. He tended to get up too late when the man stayed over.

He scanned the bleachers and saw the lone figure sitting in the middle.

He jogged up the stairs and walked toward him. Rick was staring off into the middle distance before he looked up in shock.

“Mr. Foxe? Didn’t class start already?”

“You didn’t come to class so class came to you.”

He looked around, maybe expecting the rest of the students.

Skyler sat beside him and stared ahead. “You gotta come to class, Rick.”

“Why? My dad will take me out of school once he finds out about me. Shove me in a Catholic school. Like a Catholic school has no homos.”

“I’m the world’s biggest hypocrite, but you’ve got to go to the GSA meeting after school today.”

“What good will that do?”

“They’ll have some suggestions for you. And support. That’s what it’s about, remember? Besides, Heather’s joining today.”

186 Haley Walsh

“Munson of the black leather?”

“Yeah. She’ll kick ass, too.”

“Mr.
Foxe
!”

“You know she will,” he said, ignoring Rick’s shock. “And she’ll come up with some good ideas, too. Don’t give up now, Rick.”

Rick glanced at Skyler’s profile until Skyler turned to face him.

“I don’t want to. It’s just…”

“I know. Trust me, I know.” He gave a regretful smile. “I’m sorry I’m such a lousy role model.”

“No you’re not. I’ve never known a teacher who would leave his own class to come after a student.”

Skyler shrugged and leaned forward on his knees.

“What do you suppose the class is doing while you’re gone?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Setting fire to the trash cans. Hacking into my computer. General partying. It’s what I’d be doing.”

He laughed and shook his head. They both turned at a step.

It was Alex.

Rick rose. “Dude, what are you doing here?”

Alex looked distraught. “I wanted to see what happened to you.”

“I’m okay. Mr. Foxe is the patron saint of lost boys.”

Alex didn’t seem to know what that meant or anything else.

He only had eyes for Rick.

“I’ll give you boys a few minutes,” said Skyler, standing and threading his way through the benches. “But then you’d better both get back to class. I’ll sic Heather on you if you don’t.”

Rick held up his hands. “No need for drastic measures!” He almost sounded like his old self again.

As soon as Skyler had gotten down the bleachers a few feet, Alex enclosed the taller boy in a hug. Skyler smiled. Looks like support had arrived.

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But when he reached the bottom, he noticed Ed Fallows dragging the blocking dummies out to the field. And he was looking up at the stands.

Skyler hesitated. It was insane leaving his class alone this long, but he didn’t like the look of Fallows’ body language.

The boys were finally headed down when Fallows called out to Alex. Alex motioned for Rick to go on, which he did, going down the opposite stairs from Skyler and didn’t notice him.

Skyler was too far away, but he got the gist of what Fallows was saying to Alex. The boy was turning red and barely composing himself. Skyler moved forward, close enough to catch the tail end of, “…don’t need any pansy-asses on this field, you understand me? Carson will hear about this and you’ll be off the team faster than I can spit your name, Ryan.”

“Is there a problem here?”

Fallows glared at Skyler. “It’s none of your damn business, Foxe.”

“It’s my business if you’re throwing your homophobic diatribes at a student.” He turned to Alex. “Go on back to class, Alex.”

“I’m not through with you, Ryan.”

“Oh yes you are. Go, Alex.”

Alex didn’t hesitate. He sprinted away, head down, and continued in a hard run.

“Foxe, you are in for a world of hurt if you get mixed up in this.”

“Oh yeah? I already know what that’s like.”

Fallows’ eyes flicked to Skyler’s shiner. “Someone popped you one already, huh? Looks like someone knows how to make you shut up.”

“You’re a fucking disgrace, you know that. I’m going to make sure you can get nowhere near kids again.”

Skyler spun on his heel, expecting any second to feel the guy
188 Haley Walsh

pounce on him. But when he was a good hundred yards away, he looked back, and Fallows was still standing by the blocking dummies, fuming.

The hell with it. Skyler was feeling vindictive. He pulled out his phone, punched in Sidney’s number, and waited till she picked up.

“What is it, Skyler? I’m in the middle of something.”

“Want to make a drug bust?”

“At the
school
?”

“No. There’s this orchid farm on San Timoteo Canyon, but it’s only a front for a pot farm.”

“
What?
Start at the beginning.”

He cleared his throat and told her the whole story. He pulled the phone away from his ear while she yelled and when it sounded like she was done, he put it back.

“Are you absolutely sure about this?”

“Yes. I…uh…went inside.”

He pulled the phone away again and waited.

“Skyler, are you fucking insane?”

“Just be aware that I might have left a few fingerprints.”

“Oh that’s just great. Great! Brilliant. And you, a college graduate.”

“I didn’t think I was going to find pot. That much of it.”

“A lot? Seriously?”

“Row on row. Go get ‘em, Sidney.”

“So why the sudden change of heart?”

She was so on to him. He sighed. “An assistant coach here works there part time. And he pissed me off royally today. I only hope he’s involved. At the very least, that will be one job he can’t go back to.”

“Jesus, remind me not to piss you off.”

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“He laid into a student about being gay. You know that is one of my buttons.”

“Well, you go, girl. All right. I’ll get a warrant and go out there.

You didn’t say anything to him about it, did you?”

“No. Mums the word.”

“Okay. I’m on it.”

He clicked off his phone and punched the air. “Ha! Take that you homophobic bastard!”

§ § §

He returned to class much less agitated, but he did cast an eye toward Alex, who was quiet and sullen at the back of the room.

He was glad to see the class hadn’t devolved into chaos while he was gone—no explosions or burnt corpses—and in fact, Amber and Heather had tried to lead a discussion on the reading.

When the class was over, Alex tried to escape quickly but Rick cut him off. Amber and Heather had remained, too, and when Alex realized it, he clammed up.

“So,” said Heather. “Are you two going to the GSA meeting?”

Alex glared at Rick. “What the fuck, dude? Did you tell them?”

“We aren’t stupid, Alex,” she said. “You make cow eyes at him all the time.”

“Shit!” He ran his hand over his spiky hair and dropped into a chair.

“Chillax.” She plopped her backpack on the desk in front of him. “We’re here to be your escorts.”

“I’m not going,” said Alex.

“Are
you
?” she asked, turning to Rick.

He worried his lip and stared at Alex melting down in his seat.

He raised his chin and gave a quick nod. “Yeah, I’m going.”

“Awesome. You?” She leaned on the desk toward Alex.

“I can’t!” he rasped. “Football. Although I’ll probably be kicked off the team.”

190 Haley Walsh

Rick sat at the desk next to him. “What? Why?”

“Coach Fallows saw us. He screamed at me about no fags on the team.”

“He can’t legally kick you off the team, Alex,” said Skyler.

“Don’t you worry. I’ll take care of Coach Fallows.”

He looked Skyler up and down as if to say “Are you kidding?”

Skyler straightened his shoulders. “I’m serious. I won’t let it happen. I have a feeling he’s not long for this school.”

He blinked at Skyler, his mouth hanging open.

Rick laid his hand gently on Alex’s. “Come to the meeting,
mi
pequeña
. Come
with
me.”

Alex chewed on the inside of his mouth and wouldn’t raise his eyes. “I don’t know.”

“It’s a safe zone,” said Amber primly. She had her sophomore secretary hat on now. “I’ve read up on it online. If we all go together then no one will know whether you’re gay or just gay-friendly.”

He took in her pink sweater and fuzzy head band and then sized up Heather’s plaid mini skirt, purposely torn fishnet stockings, and heavy black boots. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. In a small voice, he finally said, “Okay.”

Skyler’s eyes bugged. He never expected that!

They all left together with backwards calls of “See you later, Mr. Foxe. Have a nice weekend.”

He was frozen to the spot as they disappeared en masse around the corner. He was so damned proud of them.

And then he felt like shit for staying behind.

§ § §

It was a long time later that night that he let go of the guilt and felt instead the buzz of excitement about the drug raid. The phone rang. Keith had told him earlier that he couldn’t come over and he thought the call was from him. But when he looked down he saw that it was from Sidney. “All
right
! Let’s hear the dirt.” He Foxe hunt
191

clicked it on. “Sid! What’s the 411?”

“You asshole!”

He sat up. “What?”

“Mike and I go down there with guns drawn, and guess what?

Nada. Bumpkis. Nothing there. I look like an idiot.”

“
What?
”

“There was nothing there, Skyler. You have a lot of explaining to do.”

Sidney came over about an hour later, pushed through the door, and laid into him right away. She was in the middle of her tirade before she noticed his eye. “What the hell happened to you?”

His hand came up automatically and tried to cover it. The purple was beginning to turn a sickly yellow. “Oh. It’s nothing.

Jamie elbowed me.”

She tore his hand away and stared at it. “Keith did it. I’ll kill him.”

“Keith didn’t do it! Jeez, why is that the first thing everyone thinks?”

“Because you’re an idiot and you keep dating that guy when I told you not to.”

“You can’t tell me who to date!”

“Goddammit, Skyler!” She kicked the coffee table and flopped down on the sofa. “This was one fucked up day. Not only did this whole thing blow up in my face—and my captain thinks I’m a lunatic, thank you very much—but now Mike isn’t speaking to me and that’s really tough because he’s supposed to be my partner.”

He sank down next to her. “What happened?”

“Don’t change the subject. What the hell happened with this supposed pot farm?”

“I don’t know. It was there a few days ago.”

“Someone must have tipped them off.”

“You didn’t find
anything
?”

“Nope. Traces, but not enough to arrest anyone. The owner was one pissed off dude. Threatened to sue.”

“So now what happens?”

194 Haley Walsh

“Not much. We keep an eye peeled. But chances are they won’t show up there again. They probably have lots of farms all over the place.”

“You mean in the canyon?”

“Yes, that, too. But sometimes these operations move into suburbia. Regular houses fronting for farms. Rooms or the whole house devoted to just growing weed. It’s becoming quite the enterprise.”

“Wow. I’m sorry. But isn’t it better to know about it and keep an eye on the guy than not to have known?”

“I suppose. I told everyone over and over that you were a reliable source.”

“I hope so.” That was crazy! They must have worked all night moving that much weed. How did they find out? Maybe that shack wasn’t empty after all and they saw him and his friends that night. How messed up was this?

He looked over at Sidney, fuming and angry. Of course,
he
was still a little mad at
her
for arresting Jeff. But this was kind of a big deal. This kind of thing could become a career-ender. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

But then she had said something about a problem with Mike.

Sidney was just as much a virgin with relationships as Skyler was.

Maybe even worse. “So Sid, what’s this other problem you were talking about? What was this disagreement you had with Mike?”