The Original Crowd (9 page)

I saw Amber staring determinedly at us before she sneered, “Where have you two been?”

Tray shot her an amused look. “We had business.”

“What kind of business?”

“None of yours,” Tray said firmly, settling against the wall near the door.

“Mandy,” I spoke up, walking to her side, “go to your room.”

“Taryn—”

“Mandy,” I interrupted sharply, “go.”

“Fine,” she cried out, shoving Carter aside as she swept out of the room.

Turning on my heels, I faced Jasmine squarely. An icy calm had taken over me and all the rage I had from Brian, Jace, everything—all of it erupted inside of me as I saw a fitting target for my outlet.

“You’re a pathetic, little, insecure, selfish, bitch with narcissistic tendencies. You have no empathy and no compassion in your bones. If you did, you wouldn’t be screwing your best friend’s boyfriend.” I was seething. Stepping closer, I hissed, “And if you had done it to me—trust me, you’d find yourself in a psych ward by the end of the month and you’d have no idea how and where exactly you got fucked along the ride.”

“And who are—” she sputtered, taking another step back.

“I’m not done,” I cut in ruthlessly. “You will stay away from Mandy. You will not speak to her, you will not speak about her, and you better be clear across the room every time you’re in the same vicinity. Because if I get wind of any rumors, any nasty little things your pathetic mind could think up, you’ll deal with me. You won’t deal with Mandy, I’ll be coming straight for you. And trust me, you don’t want to be my enemy. There’s a few bitches in lock-up who can attest to that.”

Everyone was silent. Jasmine had grown pale, shrinking away.

“Now get out,” I finished.

Devon grabbed her arm and hauled her behind him, out the door.

Amber slipped away after them, dragging Grant with her.

Bryce, Carter, and Tray all remained behind.

A moment of silence filled the air between us before I heard a deep laugh coming from Carter, who had thrown his head back. “Oh, I like you. I really like you.” Passing by, he thumped Tray on his chest and chuckled. “She’s a cold hearted bitch.”

I took it at as a compliment. I heard him walk up the stairs and knock on Mandy’s door.

Bryce stood up, stretching. “Evans, let’s go get a burger.”

Tray, who’d been staring at me steadily, nodded before turning and following him out.

*

Mandy knocked on my door that night, around eleven-thirty, so I was pretty surprised when she told me I had a guest downstairs. Swinging my legs off the bed, I asked, “Who is it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, but he’s hot. Like really, really hot.”

Before she turned, I saw the shadows underneath her eyes. “You okay?”

“Carter’s staying over,” she said, walking into her room and shutting the door.

I frowned at her bedroom door a moment, seeing the light turn off from underneath the door.

Walking down the stairs, I halted abruptly seeing Jace casually leaning in the doorway, looking like he owned the place.

“Hey,” I said softly, crossing over to him, stopping a few feet away, uncertain.

“Hey.” He attempted a grin, but it came out more a frown.

“So…”

“You told him, huh,” he stated.

“Uh…” It wasn’t often when I was short for words, but Jace had effectively made me speechless. He’d had the effect on me for a long time, ever since Brian and I first became friends in the fourth grade. He’d already been famous in the eighth grade, he was the Lanser that everyone knew was either in detention or skipping school. He was the number one hated student by all faculty in middle school and high school. I’d always had a crush on him, but Jace was just too much, at least for me. He was too much for anyone, even the cops.

“He’s on a rampage, Taryn.” He sighed, looking exhausted. He sighed, looking exhausted.

“I should’ve called. I’m sorry.”

“Ben called, but a little warning would’ve helped,” he said dryly.

“It was the only…”

“I know.” He sighed. “And the shit of it is that I don’t even know if this will do it. He’ll be back in a few months, doing all the same shit again. He’ll compartmentalize it somehow, make a way where you and me together doesn’t affect him, had nothing to do with him…I don’t know. He’ll be back.”

“I’m sorry, Jace,” I said softly, meaning it.

“He and I—that’s been broken for a long time. And we’re done, there’s no going back with us, but hell…there hasn’t been for a long while.”

“You don’t know that…” I said half-heartedly, because we both knew it was true.

“Come on, Tar, Bri’s hated me all my life. He grew up hating me. Our dad made sure of that.”

“What happened tonight?”

“Threw a few punches, that’s it really. Cam got in the middle, had to take her to the hospital.”

“Oh God. Is she okay?”

“She’ll be fine.” He shrugged. “More worked up about you and me. Heads up, by the way, she’s gunning for you.”

It was ironic really. I had to watch my back because I was a cheating bitch while I was protecting Mandy from the same thing. I had to appreciate the irony, for a moment anyway.

“I’ll handle her…”

“I’ll smooth things over, she always comes back, but with you…she’s always wanted a reason to hate you. I can’t fix that.” He gave me a faint grin. “I think she always wondered…about…”

“I can handle myself.” I grinned, trying to be cocky, but looking away.

Jace chuckled, running a hand through his tousled hair.

“Nice of you to dress up to see me.” I couldn’t help myself, lightly punching him on the chest, feeling the cement wall of muscle beneath his bleached t-shirt.

“Yeah.” He chuckled again. “How do you know Evans?”

My mood sobered instantly. “He goes to my school.”

“He runs your school,” Jace pointed out.

“Yeah…I know what he’s got going on.”

“Then you know he’s not a guy to take lightly.”

My eyebrows arched. “That’s high praise coming from the likes of you.”

“We’ve had a business deal going on. Only met him once though, but…he’s got this town nicely locked together.”

“What do you mean?”

“None of my business comes in or out of Rawley.”

Thank God. I’d never spoke up against Jace, against what he did, but…I cared about him. Bottom line, I cared. And that meant there were many nights I had wished fervently for a different world. A different world for me, Brian, and Jace. But Jace most of all—because he’d never get out. And if he did, it’d be a bloodbath. Blood got you in, blood got you. So I just never said anything, he was in too far.

“How’d he manage that?”

“I don’t know, I’ve already said too much. He’s not like Brian, Taryn. Remember that.”

“Meaning that my obsessive ex is the lesser of the two evils.”

He grinned at that. “If the shoe fits, bitch.”

I punched him for real this time and I probably hurt my hand more than him. “Hey.”

He grabbed my hand, laughing softly. Raising it, he kissed the knuckles tenderly and said huskily, “You know I say it lovingly.”

I pulled my hand away and smirked. “Right.”

He turned to the door, opening it, but paused in the doorframe. He looked serious. “Listen, don’t worry about Brian. If you want him gone, which you must, I’ll make sure he stays away.”

This was it. We both knew once that door closed, the line was drawn for us. No going back. No more crossing it, from either side. And a part of me wanted to crumble up and cry for the rest of the night. A part of me wanted to go with him. He was family, no matter what happened between me, him, or Brian. The three of us had been family.

“Hey, Jace,” I called out, stopping him.

Our eyes met. And held. We’d had that one night and like I’d said before, it brought up stuff that neither of us had ever admitted. Much less to ourselves than each other. But, this might be the last time…so…I walked over to him and kissed him. Tenderly. I didn’t stop the feelings this time.

Jace put his arms around me, drawing me closer, as he returned my kiss.

It felt just like it had before—for a moment, the world stopped. Because this wasn’t a cheated night taken in revenge. This was goodbye, so nothing was held back.

And then I pulled away. Our eyes held again as he walked out.

I shut the door. Returning to my room, I flicked a tear away from the corner of my eye and then curled underneath my blanket.

*

Mandy had left early for school. Through my open window, I’d heard Carter say goodbye as he got into his car. A second later I heard Austin pad by my doorway on his way to the kitchen. Moments later, I heard his friends pull up and honk their car horn.

“Hey, dude. Hurry your ass up!” One of his friends must’ve called because Austin slammed the door shut and yelled back, “Shut the hell up. I’m moving.”

I stayed put. Another second later there was silence.

I rolled over, pulling my blanket over me.

It was a few hours later when I got out of bed. I saw my phone blinking, knowing there were probably a few messages, but I just didn’t care. I didn’t care about school. Not today.

After showering and grabbing a bite to eat, I dressed and walked out to my car. Getting in, I turned it in the direction of Geezer’s, knowing I’d forgotten to go to his place last night, but knowing he probably didn’t even noticed.

An hour later, I looked at the old house again. This time the music wasn’t blaring from inside and it was quiet—almost too quiet. It was eerie.

Walking inside, I sighed, smelling the ever-present aroma of his favorite substance and I found him curled on the couch…again. Greeting him like I always do, I dropped kicked the end of the couch and he fell off.

Blinking in a drug filled haze, he croaked, “Tarter?”

“You got something for me?”

Frowning, he ran a hand through his hair, making it even shaggier. “Uh…like what?”

“Like some plans that Grayley was supposed to give you.”

“Oh.”

He had no idea. Grayley might’ve just dropped them off and taken off. He dropped out of school the second it was possible and spends the majority of his time not on our realm of reality. Geezer wasn’t known for his ambition, but then again—who would be with a father who stopped caring about him at the age of three and a mother who was in jail for selling meth. His parents stopped caring a long time ago, so why would Geezer? At least that was his motto.

Sighing, I moved into his kitchen and found the blueprints placed on the counter with my name written at the top of them.

I heard a crash behind me and whirled around, breathless for a moment. I saw Geezer on the floor, his blanket wrapped around his feet.

Helping him up, I asked, “You trying to walk like us adults? You should know better.”

He laughed, a hand balancing on my shoulder as I helped him unwrap the blanket. “Oh, Tartar. What are we going to do without you?”

“What have you been doing?”

“Smoking up.” he answered.

I laughed. “That’s the truth, but it’s no different from before.”

“It’s different,” he said quietly, stumbling back to the couch. Curling back up, he said again, “It’s a lot different.”

Then he fell asleep.

Standing there, I frowned down at his form, seeing the innocence that’s only present when asleep.

I moved into the kitchen and dialed Grayley’s number.

“Yo,” he greeted. I could hear sound in the background.

“You’re at school?”

“Yep. Aren’t you?”

“I’m at Geezer’s, got your present.”

“Oh. Hey, I got all I thought you’d want. You know, tried to be comprehensive.”

“Comprehensive?” I grinned, leaning a hip against the counter. “The English teacher must be hot this year.”

“It’s the T.A.” he said, actually serious.

“Geezer’s in rare form.”

“Yeah.”

That was it. Not that I’d expected more. Grayley was pretty tight-lipped about his best friend, the bond between them had always been there, since they were kids. I felt that Grayley had taken the protective older brother role.

“Anything I should know about?” I asked lightly.

“Nah. I got it covered. Go do your own thing, we’ll manage.” I think he meant it jokingly, but I heard an edge in his voice.

“Alright—” I faltered, hearing him hang up abruptly.

Leaving, I made sure there was some food in Geezer’s kitchen and was surprised to see it full. Moving back out, I took a last look at him before crossing out to my car. By the time I got back to Rawley, I could make my last class: psychology. Guess I might as well. It would give me a chance to check on how Mandy’s doing.

*

Moving through the hallways, I ducked around a group of giggling girls and jocks who decided the hallway was a perfect place for wrestling. Dropping my bag in my locker, I grabbed my books and headed towards my classroom. Mandy was already seated at a table with Sophie—I think??—I recognized her from the student council meeting at the house the other day. And Jasmine was across the room, laughing with Bryce, her hands lingering on his arm.