Fallen Crest Alternative Version (18 page)

Ethan Fischer had entered the gym. The cheering section hooted, hollered, and laughed. Some of the girls called out his name and the guys started a chant that wasn’t audible. Ethan grinned and ran a hand through his messily rumpled hair. He had baggy jeans on and a tight black tee shirt, but he loped towards his friends with his hands shoved down in his pockets. He went slow and smirked when more people called out to him as he passed.  As he drew near, his friends separated and he got a seat smack in the middle.

I let out a breath I’d been holding. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding it, but goodness. If that was his welcome and he wasn’t on their team, I couldn’t imagine about Mason and Logan’s arrival.

“Hi, Samantha.”

I jumped backwards and landed into the person who spoke to me.

“Oh, Helen.” I gave her a shaky smile as I scooted backwards. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

She waved it off with a gracious smile. “That’s okay. You weren’t expecting me. I wasn’t expecting you as well. Do the boys know you were coming tonight?”

I blinked at her. The niceness that came from her made me pause, and I didn’t realize I was staring until she chuckled in a soft manner. Her golden hair was down. It framed her face and with the pink cashmere sweater she wore, giving her an angelic image. She glanced down and I did as well. She wore jeans that I already knew were custom-fitted over a pair of pointy shoes. They were black, but I knew they were from a designer I had never heard of.

“Sam?” She gave me another soft grin. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” My head ducked down. I must’ve looked like a fool. “I didn’t…anyway…”

She chuckled again and gestured to the bleachers behind us. “Should we sit?”

I looked where she pointed. “There are no seats.”

She pointed higher. “I paid for that box when Mason was a freshman. It’s reserved for any of their family members, but no one knows that. I don’t think Mason and Logan even know that I did that. Would you sit with me? I came alone.”

“Me too.”

“I know.”

I felt another blush coming and rolled my eyes. Why was this happening?

Then she touched my arm. “I didn’t mean that in a bad way, Sam. Mason told me you’re a loner, of sorts.”

“Oh.” Then why did I feel stupid because of it? “Yeah.”

“Come on. Let’s go up.”

A security guy took her elbow and led the way. We were taken behind the bleachers and into another a narrow hallway. The walls touched each side of my shoulders as we trudged down it to a small door that led to a small stairway. As we went up, I could hear the roars and chants from the gym beside us. The wall was thin and it shook from whoever was on the other side, in the bleachers beside it. The security guy opened another small door at the top, and we stepped into a small box set above the gym. We were encased in hard plastic all around us with a desktop that stretched from one end of the box to the other. There were folding chairs at one end with some upholstered chairs at the other end. When Helen sat in one of them, I took the other.

The security guy took one of the folding chairs.

We were above the rest of the chaos in the gym and no one glanced at us. Not once.

Helen touched my arm again. “Would you like something from the concessions? I was thinking of getting some popcorn.”

“Oh.” She was going to the concessions? I jerked my head in a nod. “I’ll take a diet soda.”

Her smile blinded me, and she extended a twenty dollar bill to the security guy. “Edward, would you get me one as well?”

He nodded, took the money, and left.

I sat back. Of course. I should’ve seen that from a mile away.

And then the door opened again and two more men climbed inside. They gave us both cheerful grins and one took a seat in the farthest seat. A microphone was placed on the tabletop in front of him and the other took out a mechanical device. Each of them also wore a microphone in their ears with a mouthpiece in front. As they started to converse about the game, I realized these were the guys heard on the radio.

The rival team made its entrance.

Boos and chants were loud. They were abrasive, even through the box, as they took their side of the court and started their warm-up routine.

Then, it was the Fallen Crest Public High’s turn.

The mascot came first and the cheers were deafening. The walls of our box shook and I grabbed onto the table. I didn’t want the box to fall. I didn’t want to die. Helen covered my hand as she chuckled and looked back over. The team came next and the cheers tripled.

I felt like I should’ve been at a preteen concert. The screams made me cringe and cover my ears, but then I saw Mason and Logan. They were the last on the court and were slower than the rest. The bruises hadn’t faded since I saw them last, two days ago, but they warmed up with the rest of the team. When Mason caught a basketball and jumped back for an easy three-pointer, I let out a deep breath.

He looked good. His warm-up jersey clung to his muscular build and he jumped for his shot with a grace that took my breath. There was an animal sense to his athleticism. I cursed at myself because I hadn’t fully appreciated it when he was on the football team, but now that he wasn’t covered in pads or his restricting football uniform, his muscles bulged and shifted under his jersey with ease.

More girls screamed at the sight and I understood.

Then I glanced over and saw the small smirk on Helen’s face. She was proud of her sons, as she should be, but there was something else. There was a sinister look to her and I sat back, now cold.

The enjoyment of the game was gone. I was reminded who sat beside me, Helen Malbourne. Mason told me that she had taken her maiden name back recently. Her wealth surpassed James’ and she earned her respect from her sons. That spoke the most to me and I took in a small breath.

I felt like I sat with the enemy. But did I? She loved them as well, so…I glanced up. There was a hard cynicism in her depths. I sighed. This wasn’t someone I would ever confide in or let my guard down around. She hated my mother. My loyalty was spelled out with that statement. I loved my mother, though I didn’t support her all the time.

With her eyes still trained on the court in front of us, she asked from the corner of her mouth, “I take from your sudden tension that you’ve been reminded who I am?”

She turned then and her eyes caught and held mine. She studied me how Mason always did, but I slammed a wall down and raised my chin. “Your Mason’s mother. You hate my mother. You’re dating my biological father.”

Talk about confusion.

Her smile turned ugly as she preened. “All is true, what you say.” Then her gaze dipped down and her smile grew. The look of pride was an understatement. “Those two are my most precious gems in this world. They are my pride and joy. They are a force to be reckoned with. They are already men, and I am proud to call myself their mother. You want to take that away from me?”

I didn’t blink, but I spoke with a hallow ache in me. “I never said that.”

“You don’t approve of me.”

“You’re scary.” I threw away caution and went in balls-out. My gaze was strong. “You don’t like my mother. You think she’s beneath you. You’re dating my biological father, but you don’t approve of me. You think Mason could do better than me.”

“He could.”

She shifted in her seat and the two men in the box grew silent. I knew they paid attention to our conversation.

“Why?” I was honest in my question. “Because I don’t have money?”

“Because your pedigree is lacking.”

She had a predator’s smile.

I glanced back at the gym and saw the game had started. Mason and Logan were in the front, beside their coach. Kate, Natalie, Jasmine, and Parker were in the row of seats behind them. As I watched, Natalie snaked a hand through Logan’s hair and pulled his head backwards. She bent to whisper in his ear and he enjoyed it. His grin could’ve melted off someone’s panties. Kate tried the same with Mason, but he shoved her hand away. When she grew determined and grasped his hair, he reached back. His hand found her face and he shoved her backwards.

My eye never twitched. I grew stronger.

I turned back to his mother. “My pedigree is lacking?”

She crossed her legs and leaned forward. All her attention was focused on the game, but she spoke to me. “Your mother is a gold digger and an alcoholic. She is a social climber while the father that raised you is a high school football coach. What pedigree is there for my son?” She turned now and never blinked as she met my gaze. She meant every word she spoke. “There is no pedigree. Mason deserves better than you. Yes, I will be nice to you for him. He’s asked this of me. I invited you to join me in this box, but I won’t insult you by answering with a bold-faced lie. I give you respect when I say that you are not the girl Mason will end up with. He will find someone who will fit with our life and his future. He is in high school. He has yet to enter the adult world, but when he does, you should prepare yourself. You will fall to the wayside.” She blinked now. Kindness seeped inside and she gave me a sympathetic look. “And you know it. You already know he’s more than you. It’s why I imagine you’re holding onto that other young man. Was his name Adam Quinn? I believe Mason mentioned something about him to me.”

I gave her my fuck-off smile and sat up straight. “It’s moments like this where I’m happy to tell you—” I paused. Her eyes narrowed. I spat out with a Cheshire grin, “Bella came back to town.”

Helen’s small grin vanished. She sucked in her own breath.

I leaned forward and whispered, “He wants to get back together with his wife and since she’s back, it looks like those two will reconcile.”

Her jaw clamped tight and I knew she blinked back tears.

I leaned close. “I might have to deal with you as a future mother-in-law, but I hope that you’ll never become my future stepmother.” I stood but I bent towards her again. “You’re a real bitch, do you know that?”

Then I swept out of the private box and hurried down the stairs and through the narrow hallway. As I entered the gym, the sounds doubled from what I had heard in the box, but I sighed in relief. I could breath. Then I twisted around and looked up. The plastic walls were clear and I saw her watching me. A somber expression was on her face, but I turned my back. I didn’t care.

The referee whistled, the ball hit the wall beside me, and I was jerked back to reality.

The game still went on.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I sat in a back corner on the opponents’ bleachers. I knew few of Mason and Logan’s friends and even fewer still that would want to sit with me. As the game progressed and Fallen Crest Public’s team won 32-24, I waited as everyone milled onto the open gym. When the team went back to the locker room, it was obvious their party crowd all waited around to figure out plans for the rest of the evening. It was just as obvious to see that Kate, Parker, Natalie, and Jasmine were the reigning Elite for their school. When they walked, everyone watched.

As I bypassed some of the opposing team’s fans, more than a few of them noticed the same. A group of girls grumbled at the FCP’s skanks, but when Natalie heard the comment, her head reared up and her eyes went feral.

She shoved through the crowd and stopped in front of their group. “Excuse me, bitch?”

Jasmine was the first to shove after her. She crossed her skinny arms and flared her nostrils. When a lock of her black hair got in her eyes, she flicked it back and looked annoyed. Kate and Parker followed suit but held back a step.

I felt Kate’s eyes on me but never moved. I was to the side and turned in a slow motion. For some reason I wanted to watch this.

The girl who had made the comment backed up a step. Her eyes got wide, but her friends rallied around her. They were all dressed in tight jeans and tight tops. Most of them wore pigtails that were loosely pulled back to look sexy.

Natalie smirked as she skimmed her up and down. “You call us skanks? You’re the Whores-R-Us of Nethlam. Who do you think you are?”

The girl’s mouth shut with a snap and she paled. Her friends giggled, but no one spoke against them. Natalie’s arm was hoisted to her hip in a dramatic pose. It was meant for intimidation, but I couldn’t hide my grin. Kate’s eyes narrowed as she saw it, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she shuffled closer to Natalie and shoved forward. As she stood in front, her arms were crossed and she stuck her head forward. Then her lips lifted in a snarl and her eyes turned murderous. “Leave before I bash your brains in.”

One of the girls snorted.

It was all they needed.

Both Kate and Natalie grabbed for her and pushed her through the crowd. They slammed her into the nearest wall and lifted her in the air. The girl was pale and shaking as they got in her face. Her lip trembled and I wondered if she would puke in their faces.

The girls’ friends scattered. Jasmine and Parker kicked at their heels as they did. One of the girls tripped. When she fell to the floor, she looked over her shoulder in horror. When she saw that Jasmine and Parker hadn’t descended on her, relief flooded her and she pushed herself back up. She ran after her friends.

“You think you’re funny?” Natalie glared at the girl, an inch from her face.