Simon Death High (3 page)

“
No...”
he beamed. “But, I can find out...if that's what you're
wondering.”

“
For how
much?”

“
For
you?” he paused, “I'll do it for free.”

Linda leaned closer in to
Tyler, “So, do you know anything suspicious about what's going on
with the Simon death case?”

“
You
mean the teenagers who were murdered from our school?” he snapped.
“I don't know anything, do you?”

“
Yeah,
maybe...I might even know who is involved,” she winked. “But, if I
tell you, you have to promise me that you'll help me
out.”

“
I told
you I would do anything for you,” he laughed. “I know too much to
tolerate.”

“
So,
then you know about these murders?” Linda said as she spotted the
biker boys coming into the school building late. She hated to admit
it, but she dazed off staring at them.

Tyler snapped his fingers
in front of Linda. “Ha, not yet, but I guarantee I'll know who did
it before these lame ass detectives. I'll give them a real case,
like figuring out that mystery meat. These Simon detectives are a
bunch of jokes.”

“
Ha, I
wouldn't know!” Linda laughed. “Why do I have the oddest feeling
that Hannah's disappearance is more serious than she is making it
out to be?”

“
Because
it is.”

“
What do
you know, bro?” she said as his eyes grew large.

Tyler stayed silent as
they watched Hannah leave Dr. Smith's office with a huge smile. She
flipped her hair like usual and shook Dr. Smith's hand. Linda’s
eyes narrowed at the hand shake, then she elbowed Tyler to look
closer.

“
Hey,
Linda,” Hannah said as she passed by her.

“
Um,
hey,” Linda said. “Something is going on with that girl...and I’m
going to find out,” she whispered to Tyler.

“
Uh,
yeah...me too,” Tyler said. “We should work together. My life is
way too boring right now.”

“
Touche.”

Linda grabbed Tyler to
walk with her outside. As if he were her boyfriend, she held his
hand. Some would say Linda may have had emotionally issues due to
her home living. She easily attached to guys in general. She may
have not been in love with them, but she did want them around her
all the time.

Tyler pulled Linda to sit
behind the school, with the only thing in sight were trees. He dug
around in his jacket with his eyes still on her. She didn't know if
she should run from him, because he was being suspicious or stay
because she thought he was cute. However, that was how dumb girls
died.

“What are you doing?”
Linda asked, with wide eyes.

Tyler beamed as he pulled
out a bottle of scotch. “Do you want some?”

“How the heck were you
hiding that in your jacket? Do you have magic powers or
something?”

“It's a
secret.”

Linda grabbed the bottle
and chugged have of it down. “Don't tell anyone but I sneak and
drink my dad's liquor collection all the time.”

“Ha,” he paused, “so, you
live over here?”

Hating the subject, she
rolled her eyes, “Nope, I live a little further down in the poor
area. You know where the crackheads live.”

“Me too...well...not
really...but yeah...”

“Where do you
live?”

“Um...I don't have one
place to stay.”

“Tough subject, huh?”
Linda said.

“Yeah, it is.”

“This is why I cannot
stand some people like Hannah because she has everything in life.
Some would say we are always in competition with each other, but we
are not. I just hate that she can go buy a four-hundred dollar
handbag and I can't even afford pants. I wear these same shorts
almost every day! She has a chef and I don't even have food to go
home to.”

Tyler sighed and rubbed
Linda’s back. “Yeah, I understand.”

“Thanks,” she whispered as
she drank some more liquor.

“So, um how did you meet
them?” he asked. “Your friends?”

“Well, I’ve lived in
Simon, Idaho all my life. I know, how lame. But, I’ve known Michael
since kindergarten. We've been friends ever since. When my dad was
sane, they were best friends. Then, we met Hannah in sixth grade.
She was the new girl and believe it or not but I was like the goth
girl. People stared at me all weird because I had red hair,” she
laughed. “Then, we barely met Lucy in the ninth grade of high
school. And we all remained friends.”

“That's nice though...to
have friends who you trust.”

Linda playfully smacked
Tyler, “Were you not listening how I do not trust
Hannah?”

“True, but at the end of
the day—you're all best friends. And at this point in your
relationship with them, if one goes down, you all go
down.”

“So, you're saying I
should leave Hannah alone?”

“No, I’m saying you should
stay on her case. You don't want to go down with her, do
you?”

“Hell no!”

“Then, do what you do
best. Get all in her business.”

3 | Bad Influences

Lucy wiggled her toes so
the nail polish would dry and Michael had his face to the window
trying to make out figures through the storm outside.

To get away from their
well hated lives, most of the gang spent their after school life at
Lucy's home. They were never downstairs because it reeked of a
smell like the sewer—they always stayed in her room.

Not only did she live in
the middle-class part of town, but she always had the home to
herself. She had parents old enough to be her
grandparents—literally. Apparently, Lucy said they were both
retired and spent their time traveling the world. Occasionally, she
claimed she got a postcard from them. She didn't mind it since she
was used to being alone.

They all tried to avoid
Linda’s house as much as possible because of her drunk dad. Her dad
lived off a check because of his mental disorder and he spent most
of his time on the porch. And Michael didn't want the girls over
for
obvious
reasons. As for Hannah, no one was ever allowed at her
home.

“
I'm
worried about them,” Michael said as he slid his face down the
window. “What if that Simon massacre got them?”

“
That is
so not funny,” Lucy whined. “I'm sure they are fine. Trust
me.”

Michael flipped on the
television and turned to the local news. Once again, the teen
murder was still headline news. “To think someone in our town is a
murderer. Doesn't that scare you?”

“
Can we
please not talk about this?” Lucy yanked the remote from his hands
and turned the TV off. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as
she blew on her toes.

Michael leaned his head
against the window again, trying to see through the fog. “I'll text
Linda. You text Hannah.”

“
Why
can't you just text them both?”

“
Because
Hannah won't answer me,” he sighed. “Linda didn't tell me she would
be late. She never came back to class after she went to the
restroom. What if she got kidnapped?”

“
She
didn't get kidnapped. The last time I saw her was after school and
she was flirting with creepy Tyler.”

“
Ew
creepy Tyler?” Michael acted as if he were gagging. “Well...he's
not bad looking...”

Lucy smiled and patted
Michael’s head with her foot. “Will you ever tell your dad the
truth?”

“
About
me?”

“
Yeah,
about you being gay—”

“
Shh,
Lucy, don't say that word. It's not easy to just come out like
that. No one knows but you girls and I want to keep it that way.
I'll tell him when I fall in love.” Michael lied back onto the bed
and held a fashion magazine to his face. “I'll tell him when a cute
guy asks me out.”

“
Ha,”
she laughed.

They both turned
frightened as they heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs.
Although they assumed it had to be Hannah or Linda because they
were the only others who had the keys to the home. However, the
footsteps didn't sound like the girls.

Linda slammed open the
bedroom door, with creepy Tyler behind her. He looked wasted like
always, with his eyebrows arched over his eyes—mysterious looking
for no reason.

“
Hey
guys!” Linda shouted, obviously drunk.

“
Linda?”
Lucy and Michael said as they stared at a bandana tied around her
head like a 80s rocker.

“
You
didn't drive here, did you?” Lucy said. “Or I hope
not...”

“
Well,
um...I forgot?” Linda said as she stumbled to the bed. “This is
Tyler.”

“
Yeah,
we know Tyler,” Michael said as he threw his magazine on the
bed.

Tyler didn't say anything,
but instead walked over to the foggy window and stared outside. He
shook the rain off his leather jacket a few times and looked back
at Lucy.

“
Do you
know if Hannah is coming?” Michael said.

“
Do I
look like Hannah’s keeper?” Linda snapped. “How the hell would I
know?”

“
Gosh,
she's so rude when she's drunk,” Lucy muttered to
Michael.

“
Besides, Hannah is a slut. She is having an affair with Dr.
Smith!” Linda slurred. “If anything, she deserves what happens to
her.”

“
What
does that mean?” Michael said, as he walked over to the window next
to Tyler.

“
I'm
not...sure...but it won't be good.”

Lucy stood up and pulled
Linda to her feet. “Okay, Michael go run a bath for Linda and I'll
get her some of my pajamas. She is obviously under the influence,”
she snapped as she stared at Tyler. “Maybe you should go,
Tyler.”

Tyler stayed silent like
usual and headed to the door. Lucy and Michael both listened as
Tyler dragged his feet out the front door and were relieved to see
him walking home instead of driving.

Lucy used all her strength
to take off Linda’s tight shorts. This wasn't the first time Linda
had passed out with them—they always stayed positive though and
would never talk about it the next day. They should have though,
since she would probably never believe she was that drunk in the
evening. Like father, like daughter.

Two hours after giving
Linda a shower and tucking her into the guest bedroom next door,
Michael and Lucy decided to try and contact Hannah.

They all knew Hannah was
always on her phone and she would never let a call go missed—unless
she was angry. And if Hannah was angry about something, she usually
started the fight. Like, back when they first started their senior
year, Lucy quit the dance team and Hannah didn't speak to her for
two weeks. They would sit at the same table, but Hannah wouldn't
dare talk to Lucy. She was good at things like that—acting as if
someone never existed, so her leaving for six weeks and being
silent—was no surprise.

Lucy threw her phone
across the room when Hannah finally answered on the tenth call—but
hung up as soon as Lucy said “hello.”

“
She
hung up on me!” Lucy snapped as she tightened her robe. “It sounded
as if she were at a club.”

Michael rolled his eyes,
“But, it's like seven at night. Why would she be at a club? And
with who? We are her only friends,” he said. “She is really
starting to piss me off.”

“
Pissing
you off? I feel like smacking her across her perfect face!” Lucy
snapped.

Michael tried not to make
eye contact with her, “Calm down!”

“
Sorry,
I just get so mad sometimes.”

“
Really?
I couldn't tell,” he joked. “Back to the club, who could she be
with?

“
I'm not
sure, but there was loud music in the background. Maybe she has bad
service where she's at.”

Michael began to chew on
his lip. “Or maybe she just doesn't want to be bothered with us.
What was so important that she had to tell us?”

“
I don't
know,” Lucy lied.

Michael jumped in fright
as the thunder seemed to shake the entire house. He jumped back
onto Lucy's bed and hid under her covers. “I hate to admit it, but
this weather scares me. You would think I would be used to it,
considering we never have summer in this town.”

“
Maybe
we should go check on Linda. I don't want her choking to death from
vomiting in her sleep.”

Michael and Lucy ran to
the bedroom next door. In fear, Michael turned on the lights to
witness her gone. Linda’s pajamas that they had put on her were
laying on the floor and there was a trail of wet drops leading
downstairs caused by her hair.