Jaded (35 page)

over, saw my eyes riveted, and trailed to a camera that had been placed in the garage. I was pressed against the wall by Denton. The camera saw everything. Denton’s jeans sagged, the thrusting, how I gasped against the quick onslaught, and then how Denton helped me finish. Just as the door closed behind him when he left, the image repeated again for us to watch the entire thing over and over again.

Bryce clenched his jaw, but turned back and snapped at the tech. to finish

working.

I met Corrigan’s gaze and saw sympathy in that moment. Any other time, any

other person, I would’ve lashed at them. I didn’t need anyone’s sympathy, but it was Corrigan. The sympathy was replaced with a hardening and I knew Corrigan wanted to beat this guy just as much as myself and Bryce.

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I left suddenly, ignored the sudden calls from Bryce and Corrigan and swept into my room.

I hurried to my nightstand, reached inside, and heaved a breath of relief as my fingers found the cold metal of the Colt.45.

Instead of leaving it, I tucked it into my pants and left again.

This time, I moved through the house and headed towards the garage.

A few of the guys tried to stop me, but I ignored them like I’d ignored Bryce and Corrigan. As I cleared the garage, Yerling, Mena, and a few other straightened abruptly at my sudden appearance.

Mena remained quiet, but Yerling smiled, smug, and threw the first taunt. “Come to beg, Sheldon?”

“Come to die, Yerling?” I threw back.

The frown was there, slightly, but it was replaced with malicious amusement and then…just wariness.

I tilted my head and mocked, cruelly, “This isn’t the Yerling that promised me it’d be you and me one of these nights.” I moved closer and pressed, taunting, “What happened to that brave little boy? Did he get beat up one too many times? Does he no longer have some balls? Or maybe you do, maybe you’re the one who’s doing all of this?” I wanted that. I wanted him right in front of me. I wanted a target, finally.

“You might want to watch it,” Yerling flashed a growl, but shook his head and moved a step back.

Mena stood just at my right, so I attacked her instead, “What happened to you? It seemed like you turned crazy overnight.”

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Mena smiled sadly and remarked, “You know, I actually just wanted to be your friend.” Mena added, not unkind, “That’s all I really wanted, but…I learned my lesson.

We all learned our lesson not to mess with you, Corrigan, and Bryce. You guys don’t need anyone else, just each other. It’s…sad, really.”

Everything she said wasn’t untrue.

“Bryce didn’t like me from the start because I could’ve been the best friend. I would’ve taken you away from him—or I’m sure that’s what he thought. And you know what pissed me off the most—you liked me, Sheldon. You actually did, but you listened to them even though they were so wrong about me.” She finished with a triumphant, bittersweet, arch to her eyebrow, “And you know it.”

“No,” I shook my head. “You gave up. That’s what you did and then you started hanging out with this crowd. You make it sound like we’re the crowned throne that reigns over the entire student body. It’s not like that at all.”

“Really?”

One of Yerling’s buddies grew disgusted and snarled, “We didn’t come to hash out girlfriend issues. We came to mess up your house, Jeneve.”

He wanted fear, but he got a laugh instead.

“Seems to be the theme,” I said easily. “I already trashed it. Bryce and Corrigan had a go today. You’re welcome to it.”

He flashed confusion and Chad chuckled, an ugly sound. He moved forward and

remarked, “This is what she does. She plays with your mind, laughs in your face, and then she taunts you with her body.”

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I arched an eyebrow, “Really? Did I tease you? Is that why you turned psycho too?”

“Seems to be the theme,” Mena mocked me, twisting my words.

“For all your show—you’re nothing, but a tease, Sheldon. Everyone hates a

tease,” Chad spoke again.

He stepped forward again and I cooed, “Oh—you’re getting more confident.

Now the real Chad is coming back, makes me wonder where you went?”

“You want to know? You really want to know?” He baited me, ruthlessly, but I didn’t care.

I followed the crumbs and took the hook, “Yeah, Chad, I want to know. It’s why I asked.”

“Your boys made it pretty clear that if I ever talked to you again, I’d end up in a body cast instead of a grave.”

That sounded like them.

I shrugged, “We’ll find out, won’t we?”

He barked out a laugh and shook his head in amazement, “I can’t believe you.

You’re outnumbered fifteen to one and you’re still flinging insults in our faces. When do you get real?”

“Are you serious? Do you think you’re my big problem?” I threw back, actually enjoying this. “You’re nothing. You’re just a guy trying to be bigger than who you are. If you were really who you say you are—you wouldn’t be crashing a high school party.” I stepped back and delivered, cruelly, “How sad is that?”

Mena finally reared her head and spat out, “I think you’re the sad one, Sheldon!”

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“Finally!” I exclaimed with a wide smile. “I’d like to meet the real Mena, not the façade that you’ve shown me this whole time.” I added, “I am not friends with weak people. If you want to be my friend, you have to prove you’ve got some spine behind you. That’s who I am, Mena. I respect nothing less.”

“I am not weak!” Mena cried out with tears that rolled down her face. She

hiccupped, “I just…Bryce was so mean. He—,”

“—because he thinks something’s wrong with you!” I shut her up. “Is something wrong with you?
Are
you fixated on me?”

The guys held their breaths and it was just me and Mena.

Mena finally broke when she bit out, “I never knew you could be so vindictive.”

I rolled my eyes and stepped back, suddenly disgusted and tired of weakness.

Another group of students turned the corner at that moment and I recognized the Barton siblings, alongside Teddy and two other guys. One was Darrell—the kid that Bryce and I had threatened to keep him from ratting on Corrigan. Teddy sent me a tentative grin, but he glanced towards Tim and Grace, who were captivated with Mena in that moment.

I stepped further back. This was no longer about myself, but Mena.

“Hi, Mena,” Grace said softly with a kind expression.

Mena saw it, twisted it, and sent it back snarling, “Hi, Gracey.”

Grace caught the infliction of tone and knew it wasn’t in warmth. She still held her head high and said calmly, not afflicted, “I was wondering how you were. You haven’t returned my phone calls.”

“Are you serious?” Mena laughed, caught my gaze, and stopped short.

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To tell the truth—I was mystified. I watched as Grace smiled, still, and

commented, “My mom really liked meeting you. She was wondering if you’d come for dinner Sunday evening?”

“Are you…demented?” Mena asked harshly.

Grace still stood before her and replied, “No. We’re having spaghetti. I know, I know. It’s kinda a lame meal, but I like to stir the noodles. If you come, we could watch a movie afterwards.”

“And brush each other’s hair?” Mena taunted.

“No,” Grace said simply. “I know you think I’m a nerd.”

“Mena!” A shout sounded across the yards and Mena groaned.

Denton darted across the separating lawns, frowning fiercely and he stopped just short of the crowd. Denton’s gaze traveled to me, stopped short, and his jaw clenched one more time before he spat out, “We’re going, Mena. Now!”

“No.”

“Yes.” And Denton grasped her arm, but she wrenched it away and scurried

towards Yerling.

“No! Go order Kari around. I’m tired of hearing your orders,” Mena said hotly.

“Mena. Now,” Denton clipped out.

“No!”

“I’m tired of this. If you don’t stop it, you’ll—”

“What?” The younger sister cut off her older overpowering brother, defiantly.

“What? You’ll do what? I’ll do what?”

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“You’ll go back,” he said quietly as the fight left him. “I’ve done what I could, but you’re spiraling out of control again. You’re off your—”

“My psychotic meds?” Mena provided for him, angrily.

“Where will you go back?” I asked and pushed from the wall. A path cleared for me and Mena bit her lip as she glanced towards me. “Where were you—really?”

Denton sighed and murmured, “Mena.”

“No!” She said sharply.

“Mena.

Please.”

She abruptly shrieked, “You didn’t want me to be friends with her because she was yours! You just didn’t want to share her.”

An ugly taste formed in my mouth as I heard her cries as she continued, “I just wanted to be her friend, but you couldn’t handle that. And, surprise surprise, when I’m not—you’re over here the first chance you got. And you were back here last night. I saw you. You showed up because you’re in love with her!”

Denton didn’t say anything, but he looked devastated as he heard his little sister’s illogical ramblings. It was almost as if his worst fear had come to life before his eyes, he’d fought so hard, and it had still happened.

“It wasn’t even like that, Mena,” I spoke up. “He just didn’t want you….to

become like me.”

“I…,” Denton spoke up. “You’d been fascinated with her for so long, Mena, and I knew that you wanted to be like Sheldon, but…you can’t handle her life. She’s tough, she’s…”

I stepped closer and added, “Not who your brother wants you to become.”

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Denton flashed a grateful look in my direction as he said further, “I just…wanted you to be you, Mena. You have a hard time doing that. With all the therapy and meds, I was just worried that you’d cling to someone’s world that wouldn’t be the most healthy for you.”

“I’m not sick, Denton.”

“Yes, you are!” He swallowed tightly, but said again, “You
are
sick and you have to go back to the group home.”

“Denton!” Mena cried out, horrified.

He’d spilled the secret. I saw the instant horror and regret that flashed in Denton, but it was already said. They were words he couldn’t take back.

Bryce rounded the corner that moment and quickly found me.

Denton shifted back a step.

And Chad instantly readied for a fight.

Mena didn’t see any of it. I could see that her brother’s voice still sounded in her head.

And then Bryce grasped my arm and said quietly, “Let’s go.”

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Bryce yanked me behind him and we slipped through the garage, through the

opened door that shouldn’t have been opened. Corrigan found us that instant and called out from the other doorway I usually took into the house, “Hey, we got something.”

Corrigan led the way, Bryce followed behind, and I was about to step through until I found myself blinking at Denton’s face.

He hauled me back, slammed the door, and locked it tight.

Bryce and Corrigan both shouted instantly and pounded at the door.

“Denton,” I said quietly.

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He ignored me and called through, “I just want to talk. That’s it. You can have her back in ten minutes, okay?”

The door that connected the garage to the door rattled and then the fists abruptly stopped.

“They’re going to my car to get my garage-door opener,” I murmured.

Denton swore and raked a hand through his movie star hairstyle.

“What is up with them? They’re so protective of you.”

“Mmm,” I cocked an eyebrow. “Kinda like an…older brother?” Except Bryce

wasn’t. And Corrigan wasn’t….not really.

I was going to stop thinking about that.

“Whatever. They’re obsessed,” Denton dismissed, irritated.

“They’re being my friends,” I pointed out.

“I get that Mohawk guy. Mena said that he’s your boyfriend or something like that.”

“He was not happy to see you last night.”

“I figured that out when I was shoved out the door.” Denton sighed and leaned beside me against my mom’s Chrysler.

“Well…to be fair…you did interrupt something pretty intense that night,” I mused with a small thrill as I remembered the rest of that night.

“Look…” And the reason for his sudden arrival was about to be announced.

I held on with no excitement, I had no room for that anymore. “What do you

want?” I asked flatly.

Denton grinned and ran another hand through his hair.

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“If you have a pretty gala for tonight, you’re going to have to call your hairstylist again. Your hair’s gone dead.”

Denton grinned again, but shook his head. “I didn’t come—you make it so easy to flirt and I just instinctually want to hit on you.”

“Free champagne, right?” I teased and I knew a sparkle shone in my eyes. I liked being called champagne. I made a note to remind Bryce of that fact, just not who made the reference.

“No, I came because of Mena.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s at home. I think most of their friends took off.”

Wow. They really
had
come to vandalize the house, not to kill anyone. Shocker, but not a relief.

Denton started, warily, exhausted, “I’m…the truth was that she left a group home because she turned eighteen. They thought she was good enough to come home, but I wasn’t too sure about that. I made the mistake of telling her about our neighbor, about the ‘free champagne’ that I got that night and…Mena just grabbed that, I don’t know. I don’t know why. She just…I mean, you and me—that happened awhile ago, you know, but Mena idolized you for so long. She thought you were cool, sophisticated, and suave. You name anything worth aspiring for and you were it for her. She got a picture of you and that sealed the deal. She was coming home and she was going to be friends with Sheldon Jeneve.”