Change of Possession (16 page)

“Tomorrow is Alison Porter’s funeral services. Those of you attending can make up any work we do in class. Also, don’t forget, on Friday we are having a class trip to the canyon.”

Most of the class groaned, but I was secretly a little excited. It would be good to get out and do something like a normal college student. I gathered my books and rushed outside. The air was crisp, like impending fall was closely approaching.

I brushed past a few other students trying to make my way to my next class when a large figure slammed into me, pushing me against the wall of the building I needed to enter.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” Brick assaulted in my ear. “I heard your little boyfriend will live.”

“You leave him alone,” I spat back.

“I wouldn’t dream of going after him, at least not now.”

His words froze my heart. “Why? What’s changed?”

“Let’s just say that the ball was dropped. Steve isn’t too happy when he doesn’t win a game, and now he’s hiding from the cops. He can’t even come to practice.”

“I’m not a game you, asshole!”

“Shhh… You don’t want people to stare, do you?”

I tried to wiggle away from him, but he pressed me harder against the wall. “I don’t care who sees.”

“You should care.” He dropped his hold on me and moved back, giving me some room. “Whatever you’ve done to Steve, you’re gonna regret.”

“Is that a threat? I haven’t done anything to him.”

“You lie. He hasn’t been the same since you showed up in town, and now he’s worse. Whatever happens to you, you deserve.” He didn’t leave room for further argument and walked away.

My heart raced. A few students glanced my way but quickly turned their attention elsewhere. I cried out in frustration and kicked the wall behind me. A couple passed me, whispering as their eyes roamed over me.

“What? Got something you want to say to me?”

They looked away and kept walking without answering. I rolled my eyes and hitched my backpack up higher.

“I know about Steve,” a voice behind me said.

I spun around to see John, with Tina hanging on to his arm. The last time I saw them was at the first party where I met them. John wasn’t one of the guys yesterday that attacked us. “Come on, we shouldn’t be talking to her,” she whispered, pleading with him as she pulled on his arm to move.

“No, Tina. You know as well as I do that what’s going on is wrong. How can we expect to live our lives knowing we didn’t at least try to stop it?”

I shifted my weight to one leg. He definitely had my attention. “I’m listening.”

“We can’t talk here. Someone will see us. Meet us at the old Silver place in one hour. No one ever goes out there and you know where that’s at.”

I nodded.  “How can I trust you that this isn’t a setup?”

John looked around before talking in a hushed tone. “Just trust me. Bring cops if you want. I promise it’ll just be me and Tina.”

I looked at Tina. She was shaking and her face was noticeably paler. “You okay? She doesn’t look like I should trust either of you.”

“No, I’m just scared. If you knew what we knew, you’d be scared too.” She gripped John’s arm tighter.

“Fine, I’ll be there.”

“Okay, meet us inside, right around dusk.”

They walked off before I could say anything. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, but I was at the bottom of the barrel and had to try something.

I couldn’t wait for class to be over so I could drive out to the wall. I decided not to tell Vahn about it because he would just worry and tell me not to go, and he was in no condition to come with me. I parked the car beside the wall and got out, fingering the cell phone in my pocket and watching everywhere at once. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck rise as the dry grass crunched underneath my weight as I walked toward the house.

I’d never even gone in the house with Vahn. Meeting John and Tina here made it creepy, almost like I was trespassing, along with possibly getting myself killed. The two-story house loomed over me as I walked up the porch steps. I hesitated before grasping the handle to open the door.

It was dark inside the house, but I could still see white sheets draped over everything. That did nothing to help settle my nerves. I had no idea of what or who was under them, and I clenched my phone even tighter.

“John,” I said, making myself jump with my own voice. It sounded so loud inside the eerily quiet home.

“In the kitchen.”

I found my way past the stairs and to the kitchen, where I saw only John and Tina, just like he promised, but I didn’t let my guard down. Steve and the rest of the team could jump out from behind me at any moment.

Tina sat on the island in the middle of the dusty kitchen and John leaned up against it next to her. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

I moistened my lips with my tongue and folded my arms. “Well, I wasn’t sure if I should.”

“I’m glad you did.”

I gave a curt nod. “So what can you tell me about Steve?”

John looked up at Tina before turning his attention to me. “I’m not sure where to start, so I’m just gonna start. You can ask questions if I lose you or something.”

“Alright.”

“It’s drugs. I hate saying it, but he even has me on them. I can’t go a day without needing something. I was never into drugs in high school. When I was accepted here, I didn’t know Steve. After so many times being around him, I noticed I was getting aggravated, irritated, even emotional to a point. I didn’t know what was going on until he told me that he’d been slipping drugs into my drinks. It was hard to realize that I was addicted, or at least becoming addicted. All I could think of was that I was here on a scholarship and I was going to lose it. I’d go back home because of drugs. I didn’t want to disappoint my parents that way.”

Well, that much I knew. I let myself relax just a bit. “But if you’re on a scholarship, then how do you get around drug testing? Why would Steve purposely drug you?”

“I don’t know, I mean I do, but… Steve is crazy. I think he’s taken too many drugs. He likes control. I think he has a few screws loose in the head. He’s not really there, you know? He becomes attached to people or things and then add drugs into the mix and you have a psychotic maniac. He doesn’t think, he just reacts.”

“Why drug you though? I don’t get it.”

“Like I said, he likes control. He has it in his head that he’s a king or some shit.  The more people he has to do his bidding the happier he gets. I think he gets off on it, honestly. Drugging people, making them play out his sickest thoughts, watching as he ruins lives around him, it’s all sick and twisted and I’m done with it.”

“What about the scholarships? I don’t understand how you get away with that.”

John ran his hands through his hair and let out a deep breath. “The whole team is basically addicted. The only one who isn’t is Jonah. Steve’s mom works in the clinic and when one of us has a drug test Steve goes in and gets it
fixed
.”

“Fixed? How?”

“I don’t know exactly, but his mom lets him have full access to the clinic. She doesn’t know he tampers with anything. At least not that she lets on.”

“So he switches the bad tests for clean ones and you’re off the hook.”

John nodded. “Yeah, and if we screw up he won’t fix it and we lose our scholarship.”

“What about the drugs? Where are you getting those?”

John took a deep breath and Tina lowered her head even more.

I threw my hands up. “Let me guess. From Steve?”

They both nodded.

I paced the dusty tiled floor. “So let me get this straight. Steve slips drugs into drinks long enough for people to become hooked, they want the drugs so bad that they do his bidding, and if they screw up he lets them get caught plus he stops giving them the drugs.”

“Pretty much. I mean, we have to pay for the stuff he gets, but I don’t know another way to get it. Like I said, I was never into drugs before.”

“I know. So, where does Steve get his drugs from?”

“I don’t know. He never lets anyone but Brick or Jonah go with him.”

I waved him off. “That’s okay. It’s probably not worth digging into that anyway. I don’t know how to bring down a whole drug organization, but maybe we can just take Steve down.”

John and Tina both looked at me with hopeful expressions. “Do you really think so?” It was the first thing I heard Tina say since I got there.

“Yeah, I do.”

John stuffed his hand in his pocket. “How?”

“I know someone that might be able to help, but it might take me a few days to get a hold of him. I think the police here are trying, but this other person might be able to help more.” What I refused to say was that I was chicken to call my contact because he was, in fact, my dad. I wasn’t sure what he would say about this situation or if he could even help.

“Alright, so, you’ll let us know if we can help, okay?”

I nodded. “Sure. But, I can’t promise that you’ll be safe from losing your scholarship after this is all said and done.”

“I know. I thought of that before, but this is more important. Maybe I can get clean again and, who knows, maybe find a good job somewhere.”

“You’re a good man, John. Thank you.”

He nodded then helped Tina off the counter and walked out of the kitchen. I waited there until I heard the front door shut. It was strange standing alone in that house, but my mind was running with so many things that I couldn’t focus on any of the beautiful fixtures or that fact that Vahn grew up there.

Everything John said about Steve being off in the head made sense. That would affect the way drugs worked in his body, maybe making him more aggressive, even more possessive.

I rubbed my upper arms as I felt a draft of cool air breeze across my bare skin. A T-shirt probably wasn’t the best choice for this time of year, but the day was still so warm compared to the afternoon and evening that a sweater would just be too hot.

I decided that I should get home to Vahn; he was probably wondering where I was. Not to mention that it didn’t feel right being in his house without his knowledge or permission. He was going to freak when he found out I met John here as it was.

I closed the front door behind me and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Spinning around, I faced the deserted front yard on the other side of Vahn’s beautiful wall. I scanned the dusky area but the sun was quickly setting, leaving shadows to play with my mind. The car was only about five yards away from the porch so I decided to take my chances and sprinted over to it, locking the doors behind me as soon as I hopped in. I grasped the steering wheel with white knuckles as I caught my breath.

A shadow moved that I saw out of the corner of my eye. I jumped, glancing over toward the house and searching the bushes, but didn’t see anything—or anyone—moving around. It was probably all in my head. I was just being paranoid.

Not wasting any time, I peeled out of there; rocks showered the deck and dead yard. Somewhere between home and the wall, my phone beeped continuously as texts flooded my inbox. My heart hammered against my chest as I swiped the screen to see who would be texting like that. I tried to swallow the large lump in my throat when I saw Steve’s name, but I couldn’t. I glanced from the road, to my phone, back to the road again as I read the first text.
I tried telling myself u aren’t worth it, but I know it’s a lie.
I ignored it only to have the next one pop up on my screen.
It’s 2 late now, I know u know.
Then:
Can’t wait to see u again. I have big plans 4 us.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? I tossed the phone in the passenger seat. Steve’s texts weren’t worth a response, but they would be great proof for the authorities. It beeped one more time. I gripped the steering wheel, trying to ignore the gross curiosity of what more he could possibly text. I pulled up along the curb next to my apartment and cut the engine. Grabbing my phone, I swiped the screen.
Ignoring me won’t change anything.
What was I supposed to do? Indulge his abnormal fantasy that he and I were supposed to be together?

I quickly texted back.
What do u want from me?
I released a long breath after pressing send. I didn’t want to engage in a conversation with Steve, but I was so done with this crap. I moved to Utah to start my life over, and this was not how I wanted to live.

My phone beeped.
I want u.

Furiously, I hit the screen texting back.
U can’t have me. I’m with Vahn. Leave me alone.

Beep.
Never. U’ll be with me or pay the consequences.

I tapped my phone against my leg as I anger boiled inside me. This was bullshit. I was not going to live scared.
Bring it
, I texted back.  Nothing. No more beeps, no more texts. I relaxed just a bit. I lowered the rearview mirror and made sure I looked calm and smoothed my hair before going inside. It was probably time to call my dad. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but within the next few days, I knew it was something I’d have to do.

I grabbed my backpack and climbed out of the car. I couldn’t get inside fast enough. The darkness played with my head and I saw shadows dance from the leaves on the trees, making me jump. I unlocked the front door and closed it quickly, making sure to lock it.

“Where have you been?” Vahn hollered from the couch.

“Jeesh, Dad, nice to see you too.”

“Keeley, no, Baby, it’s not like that. I was just worried.” His head was barely high enough to see over the couch for him to stare at me.

I crossed my arms and walked over to him, sitting down carefully so I didn’t bounce him around. “Yeah, I know. I’m just on edge.” Potato chip bags and empty soda cans lined the coffee table. “So it looks like you were well-nourished today. Feeling good enough to walk a bit, huh?”

He gave a sly grin. “Well, it was the chips and soda or nothing. I really think you need to eat more.”

My cheeks warmed. True, I hadn’t gone shopping for real food in forever. “How about I order something, like chicken or sub sandwiches?”

“I could’ve done that. I was just waiting for you.”