The Original Crowd (17 page)

I’d had enough of this conversation. Hopping off the counter, I said, “I’m going to visit a friend in the hospital. Tell your parents I’ll be home tonight.”

Mandy and Austin both froze, registering my words, before I swept out the door.

It wasn’t until I was in my car that I cursed, realizing what I’d just said,
Tell your parents I’ll be home tonight
.

*

I hated hospitals. I’d always hated hospitals. I’d been coming to them my entire life. It always seemed someone was in an accident, someone had tried to kill themselves, or now—someone had been beaten close to death. I know Geezer wasn’t dying, but he could have. I watched Brian put a few people in the hospital over the years, and they’d stayed a lot longer than just for observation. One of them had been in a coma for a few days.

Brian had spent that time in jail, followed by a short stint in prison.

And I stayed with him. I had been terrified, yes, but…he was all I had. He’d been there, through thick and thin with me. But now—some of that love was starting to give way to my right, my fury.

The son of a bitch had twisted so much from me over the years. He’d convinced me that only he cared and I believed him. I still do in some way.

I don’t care what Grayley said. I knew, deep down, it had to be me who’d put Brian in his place. Only I could. I just had to figure a way around my promise to him—somehow.

But not today. Today was for Geezer.

I absent-mindedly wiped away a tear as it slipped down my cheek as I parked and walked down the parking ramp, towards the hospital.

Checking in at the front desk, I pinned my visitor’s pass to my shirt and took the stairs.

Again. I’d been here many times and knew my way around.

I could hear voices in the room as I slowed down, approaching it.

The door was open so I knocked with the back of my hand, pausing in the doorway.

Geezer’s face lit up in a smile—or it would’ve—if the bruises had allowed it.

God.

“Tartar!” he said, his voice still weak.

“Hey.” I forced a smile, moving to his side. Bending down, I kissed his cheek. “The other guy better be in the morgue,” I teased.

Geezer looked at me gratefully.

Noticing who was in the room, I blinked, seeing a lot of our old crew. Kerri, I frowned, seeing her own bruises. Liza, her waif-life figure swamped in a Cowboys sweater. Grayley was there, he’d hopped up on the windowsill, making room for me. I sent him a small smile. He winked back at me in understanding. And, to my surprise, I saw Trent Gardner, tipping back in his chair, one hand on Geezer’s bedrail.

“Hey,” I said, sweeping my eyes over them all.

Kerri greeted warmly, “About time you got here.”

And that was it—I’d been welcomed back.

“Hey, chick,” Trent drawled, “about fucking time you showed your face around these parts.”

I grinned, sitting in Grayley’s vacated seat. “Shut up,” I retorted back playfully.

Trent rolled his eyes and launched back into his story, apparently about a party last night where he’d tapped some form of ass. Hearing a familiar name, I interrupted, “What party were you at last night?”

Trent looked at Grayley. “What party, dude?”

“Same party as you, Taryn. That one guy’s. No idea what his name is,” Grayley informed me.

“Who’d you tap?” I asked Trent.

“I dunno. I think her name was…fuck, I don’t know.”

“Sasha.” Grayley helped out. “Looked like a Hooters girl.”

I groaned, “You fucked Sasha Klinnleys? From my new school?”

“What of her?” Trent asked. Of course Trent would ask that. He didn’t give a shit that I knew her or wasn’t happy that he’d screwed her. No. This was Trent. He was unmoving, laidback in the face of death, antagonistically cool—Trent.

I didn’t know how to describe Trent. He’d always been around in our circle, but he could be placed in a lot of other groups. He and Liza had been an item for a little bit, but that’d ended when she slept with Brian. Trent was probably the only guy in Pedlam who could tell Crispin Gentley to fuck off and then just walk away—unharmed. I didn’t know how Trent did it, but he did. Every damn time. He was just…nonplussed. Down to the bone. He’d hang out with the popular kids one week. The potheads the next. The Goths the following weeks. And even the preppies liked him.

But he’d taken a liking to Geezer. I’d forgotten that. Since he was here with Geezer, that meant he’d taken a stand against Brian. Guess Brian had violated some code or something otherwise Trent would’ve shown up at the house or something. Or just asked Grayley how the Geeze was doing, if he was still limping and smoking. Something like that. Not be in the hospital. With his ex and all of Geezer’s friends.

“Nothing. I don’t like her.” I rolled my eyes.

Liza laughed. “Like I’m surprised that you wouldn’t like someone.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re not the easiest person to get along with,” she said shrugging.

“Leave Taryn alone,” Kerri spoke up. “She’s got a lot of stuff going on—like her new family. How is your new family going?”

“It’s alright. Got a cool sister and brother. I just realized today that my new fourteen year old brother has an attitude like mine.”

“Sounds perfect. You dealing with a mini version of you.” Kerri sighed.

I looked at Geezer and saw he was just watching all of us. I could tell he was happy from the sparkle in his eyes. It was nice seeing a sober Geezer looking back at me. Too bad I knew he wouldn’t say that way for long. He’d be back smoking as soon as he got in the car of whoever picked him up.

Grayley must’ve recognized my look because he coughed and spoke up, “Geeze’s sleepy. Let’s head out.”

“No…” Geezer argued weakly. “Stay.”

“Nope,” Grayley said firmly. “Let’s head out. We’ll be back in a while so you can get some sleep.”

No one said a word when they saw I stayed in place. That’s probably why Grayley made the comment, so I could talk to Geezer alone. As soon as the door was pulled shut behind them, I grabbed Geezer’s hand and whispered, “I am so, so sorry.”

Geezer shook his head quickly. “No,” he choked out hoarsely.

“I promised Grayley I wouldn’t do anything to Brian, but…he can’t get away with this.”

“He won’t,” Geezer murmured. “Grayley’s freezing him out. He and Trent.”

“What do you mean?”

“No one. No one will talk to him.” Geezer coughed.

“Oh God. I’m sorry. I’ll talk to Grayley. Don’t worry about it.” I smiled softly, brushing his hair behind his ears. “You rest and heal, okay.”

Geezer squeezed my hand tightly. I saw the tears at his eyes and bent to kiss his forehead again. Resting my cheek against his forehead, I whispered, “Just get better. Heal.”

Geezer knew I wasn’t talking about just physical healing. I meant it in every other way possible. I was tired of seeing my best friend high 24/7. I was tired of not having him around me anymore. He needed to grow up with me, not stay the same age.

I curled up in the lounger beside his chair and closed my eyes. Pulling my knees against my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and promptly fell asleep, Geezer snoring right beside me.

*

Grayley woke me up an hour later. The nurse needed to do her checks and they needed privacy for Geezer. Whispering goodbye to Geezer, I pressed a kiss to his forehead again and moved out the door.

Grayley was waiting for me in the hallway.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” He gave me a half-grin back, leaning against the wall, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“He’s…um…”

Grayley shrugged.

I left it alone. I didn’t have the energy right now anyway.

“I took off before my parents got home. They’re probably pissed at me.” I sighed.

Grayley nodded.

“Gardner, huh,” I murmured, finding myself staying in place instead. The door wasn’t coming to me.

He nodded again.

“Geezer said you guys are freezing Brian out.”

Grayley shrugged.

“Could you talk, maybe?” I shot out, starting to get irritated.

“I told you. Leave it alone.” Was all he said.

“You’re pissing me off.”

“I can handle it,” he said smoothly.

“Fucker.”

“Bitch.”

I rolled my eyes, chuckling.

“Go. Pacify your parents. We’ll be here.” He nudged me with his shoulder.

“Okay. Okay. I’m going.” I started walking backwards. “But I’ll call for a report later in the week.”

“You can stop by for a report,” Grayley pointed out. “But I’ll give you one anyway.”

“Alright. Tell him…”

“He knows,” Grayley finished, turning and leaning one shoulder against the wall, just watching me walk backwards.

When I found the door behind me, I hit the button, asking for it to be unlocked. When it buzzed, I pushed through and it closed. I saw through the window that Grayley turned back and entered the room as the nurse left.

I hit the elevator button and waited.

And found myself staring in shock when the doors slid open, revealing Brian’s startled eyes.

“Taryn!” he cried out, slapping the elevator door shut as he moved to follow me.

I blinked, realizing I had instinctually taken a step backwards.

“No,” I said, and shoved him away. “Fuck no!”

“Taryn,” he said again.

I slapped him, uncaring where we were or if I set him off. I slapped him again. “You put my best friend in the hospital, you asshole!”

“Taryn,” he pleaded, trying to gram my arm.

I slapped him a third time. “You hit Kerri.”

“Come on…” He was starting to get pissed, but I didn’t care. Hell, I wanted him mad. I wanted to see that side of him. I wanted to remember it so I could have that picture in my mind when I hated him for the rest of my life.

I hit the elevator again and shoved him inside.

When the door shut, I hit the emergency button, halting the elevator and full-out punched him. The funny thing is that I decked him using the moves he’d taught me. I grabbed his head and brought my knee up.

Now. Fighting is wrong. Assault is wrong and I could get arrested for this, but I rarely stopped to think about the consequences before I did something illegal. Right now, all I cared about was hurting Brian as much as he’d hurt me and those I loved.

So I whirled and kicked him again. My heel neatly clipping him in the face.

Asshole.

“Stop, Taryn,” Brian hissed, grabbing my arms.

I wrenched my arms up and wrapped them around his. As his eyes widened at my hold, I brought my knees up, hard. In the groin.

Brian toppled to the ground.

I released the emergency hatch.

“You fucking stay away from my friends. You stay out of my life.”

Brian groaned, “Bitch.”

I knelt beside him and tapped him on the forehead. “You bet and this bitch can get you hauled off to prison if you keep pushing me. You touch my friends—I’ll send what I got to the cops. And trust me, if I have to, I’ll go searching. Whatever I need to get you in prison.”

Feeling the elevator come to a halt, I brought out my taser and grinned in satisfaction as it crackled against his chest.

Then I pocketed it and stepped out from the elevator, leaving Brian on the ground in the fetal position.

I’m a cold bitch and Brian knew it.

I heard gasps from behind me as I walked through the circling doors, feeling the sunlight hit me as I stepped out onto the sidewalk.

As I strolled up the parking ramp’s stairs, I called home and heard Shelley answer.

“Hi, Shelley. It’s Taryn.”

“Taryn!” she gasped. “Where are you? Mandy said a friend of yours is in the hospital.”

“Yeah. One of my friends from Pedlam. He’s got a punctured lung and a few broken ribs.”

“Oh my gosh, Taryn. Well, you stay as long as you need to,” she rushed out.

“Um…thanks, Shelley. I might sleep over at a friend’s tonight.””

“That is totally okay with your father and myself. I think Mandy will be relieved. She was talking about a party with some of her friends anyway. We’ll just have a nice quiet dinner tonight.”

“Okay,” I said, lamely.

“Alright. I’ll tell your father what’s going on and we’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Okay,” I repeated, hearing the dial tone as I sat, dumbly, in my car. The keys still held in my hand.

I put the keys in the ignition and started my car, turning down the ramp.

An hour later, I pulled up to Tray’s house and walked around to his pool-house.

What the hell was I doing here?

But I kept walking.

I heard music and laughter coming from the main house so I steered that way. Opening the back door, I followed the noise, finding myself going down to the basement and—whoa—saw the largest media room in my life.