| |
––––––––
Beau counted down the seconds in his head. Then the blare of the last bell of the day echoed throughout the halls of St. Benedict High. He scurried from his uncomfortable desk and hauled ass from his English Lit class. In the halls, Beau fist-bumped other guys in red cougar jerseys and shared an enthusiastic whoop. The biggest game of his life was hours away.
You’re gonna wish you had stuck with me, Dawn.
Her brush off all week had been the only downer. He didn’t want to let go. Sure, she looked like Leslie—who he wanted more with every passing day—but Dawn had also helped sustain his good-boy image. The squeaky-clean daughter of John Moore gave him the respectability he craved. Corrupting her had been a satisfying fuck you to his parents, who had deemed her worthy to date, but the week without her at his side in the halls had sent the gossip fanatics into overtime. He had to win her back soon if only to lose her in a very public fight so he could walk away clean.
At his locker, Mitch and Josh greeted him with high fives.
“Are you guys ready for the big game against Covington High?”
“I’m more than ready.” Josh shifted his gaze to Mitch. “You ever call Lindsey to meet up after the game?”
Mitch nodded. “Yeah, she’s comin’ with Beverly. They’re gonna join us at the river.”
“Who’s Lindsey?” Beau asked.
“Lindsey, the girl from Covington High? You gave her a ride home?” Josh reminded him. “She was with her friend Beverly.”
He waved off the conversation. “Who cares about those girls? We got a big game ahead of us. Focus, guys!”
“Beau?”
Mrs. Evers, the stout, middle-aged head of the English department, came up to his locker.
He turned to her, putting on his standard teacher smile—the one he used whenever he spoke to the faculty.
“Yes, Mrs. Evers. How can I help you, ma’am?”
She nodded to Mitch and Josh. “I just wanted to thank you for all the extra work you put in on the school newspaper last week. We just put the issue to bed and it’s really wonderful.”
Damn right it is. Busted my ass on it.
“I’m so glad you’re pleased. I wanted to make it the best it could be.”
“Keep up the good work.” She leaned in and winked at him. “And good luck tonight. All the faculty is cheering for you to make a great show for the scout.”
He tilted his head in his best aww shucks, beguiling pose and deepened his smile. “That means so much, Mrs. Evers. Thank you and thank the other faculty members as well.” He gripped his fist, attempting to look invigorated and not pissed off. “Go, cougars.”
The most boring English teacher he had ever had to endure clenched her right hand and pumped it in the air, appearing comical.
“Go, cougars!”
After she walked away, Mitch patted his back. “Dude, you got them brainwashed.”
“No, not brainwashed.” Beau went back to his locker. “You keep asking me how I win people over.” He shoved a book in his locker. “That’s how. I kiss ass around here and do a ton of work I don’t need to do, but it pays off. Mrs. Evers is tight with my dad and gives him reports on my school work. I keep her happy; he stays off my back.”
Josh rubbed his chin, his eyes scrunched together. “And I thought it was just your sparkling personality. Dayum!”
Mitch ignored Josh and rested his shoulder on the locker next to Beau’s. “What’s goin’ on with you and Dawn? Haven’t seen you two hangin’ together all week. Word around school is she’s blowin’ you off.”
“That’s bullshit.” His entire body became wracked with tension. “We’re still together. Since when have the people around here gotten anything right? They don’t know me or my life.”
This was all he needed. He had more important things on his mind than Dawn, but he also didn’t like people thinking she had ended it. He would have to fix that ASAP.
Josh leaned in next to Mitch. “Shame you never scored with that girl the cops picked up. What was her name?”
“Kelly, wasn’t it?” Mitch added.
Images of Kelly’s tears and soft cries sent a fiery wave of lust crashing into his groin. Beau slammed his locker door.
“Guys, I need my mind on football, not on girls.”
“Dude, you need to chill.” Mitch slapped his back.
What he really needed was to find another girl and fast. He was jonesing for the sweet rush of power he’d gotten from taking Kelly. Every day, his need for more pain competed with his ability to keep up his well-practiced mask. He had never known such desire for anything in life, even football. How could something be so delicious and so devastating at the same time? He was like a heroin junkie hiding their addiction while struggling to show the world how normal they were.
“I have to concentrate.” He touched his head to the cool metal locker, hoping for some relief. “I have to focus.”
Mitch yanked him away from his locker and ushered him down the hall. “No, what you need is some hitting, yelling, running, and guy time. And there’s only one place to get it—on the football field.”
The corners of Beau’s mouth lifted into an evil grin.
If only they knew.
* * *
Slumped against the hood of her car, her toes warmed by streaks of sunlight heating up the blacktop, Dawn scrutinized the students walking on the grassy quad or passing her in the parking lot. She wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
This sucks.
The funny looks, curious glances, and ever-present murmur of others had followed her all week. She knew what they were gossiping about. Since the first day she had caught Beau at the cafeteria entrance with Sara, she’d avoided him in the halls, after school, and even skipped cheerleading practice so she didn’t have to see him at the football field. Staying away from him was popularity suicide, but she didn’t care about what people thought anymore.
Gawd! When did I turn into Leslie?
A shadow suddenly appeared. It stretched across the blacktop and stopped in front of her, blocking the sun from her tennis shoes. She raised her head and discovered her sister standing a few feet away, her book bag slung over her shoulder.
Dawn looked behind Leslie, wondering where her other half had disappeared to. “Where’s Derek?”
Leslie retrieved her keys from her bag. “He drove his mom’s truck today.” She arched an eyebrow at her. “I thought you were staying for cheerleading practice before the game?”
“Nope.” Dawn picked up her bag from the ground, cringing at the mention of the game. “I told the squad to be back in time for the game. We don’t need any more practice.”
Leslie went up to her, a skeptical gleam in her eyes. “Where did that come from? You’re always so anal about your squad being perfect.”
“Lately, I don’t feel like doing things so much. Like cheerleading. I wish I didn’t have to cheer tonight.”
Leslie folded her arms and directed a wicked stare at her, making Dawn uncomfortable. “It’s like you’ve been living under a rock for the past week. You hide in your room at home, your friends keep asking me where you are at school, and everyone is talking about you and Beau breaking up. On top of that, you aren’t wearing your cheerleading uniform on a game day—you used to love wearing it. You used to be so determined to be the most popular girl in school. What’s going on with you?”
Dawn searched the groups of kids around her, laughing and enjoying the late afternoon sun. She yearned to be one of them, without a care in the world, but her heart was too heavy.
“I don’t want to be around people and listen to all their questions about me and Beau. I don’t have the answers. All I know is I don’t want to talk to him. I can’t trust him anymore.”
Leslie hit the remote and opened the car doors. “Not wanting to speak to Beau, I can understand, but your friends and cheerleading ... I thought you loved cheerleading.”
Dawn hugged her book bag like a shield of armor. “I loved the attention it got me. Particularly, Beau’s attention. It was the big reason I joined. I didn’t think he would notice me until I was somebody. I was so desperate for attention I slept with him that night at the river, no matter how bad it made me feel. I wanted Beau, and I thought life would be perfect with him. But it wasn’t.”
The weight of her confession didn’t make her feel any better. Wasn’t it supposed to be good for the soul or something? What a crock.
She yanked open the passenger door, angry with how stupid she’d been. “I guess I just realized the whole time I was with Beau, I was still the same desperate girl on the inside, trying to please everyone else but me. I’m not strong like you, Leelee. Maybe that’s why Beau appealed to me so much. He could be strong for me.” Her lower lip trembled, but she tried to hide her pain by stuffing her books into the back seat. “People around here may think Beau is some kind of golden boy, but I’m seeing him as he really is.” She hesitated next to the car. “When I look at you and Derek, I realize how meaningless my relationship was.”
Leslie came around the car to her side, her slight smile encouraging. “Sounds to me like you’re growing up. I’m glad, but maybe take some time and discover who you are and what you want before you get involved with someone new. And keep cheering. You’re good at it, and I think you might find you enjoy it.”
“Then what?” Dawn shook her head as the riptide of all her future choices pulled her under. “I’ve been asking myself what I will do without cheering, Beau, my friends, or St. Benedict High. It’s all kind of overwhelming.”
Leslie stowed her bag in the back seat. “Yeah, we don’t have much time left here.” She rested her arm on the open passenger side door. “I’ve been thinking about next year at college. If I go to LSU and you go there, maybe we could room together for a semester or two. Might help us both adjust to all the big changes coming into our lives if we have each other.”
Leslie was right. The future wouldn’t be so scary if they could face it together. Six months ago, she would never have dreamed of rooming with her sister at college. Now, Dawn wanted nothing but.
“You’re on.” Dawn swiped the car keys from Leslie. “I’ll drive.”
Leslie grabbed for her keys but missed. “You hate to drive.”
“No, I just let you drive because it’s easier.” She went to the driver’s side door, her mood brightening. “I need to start doing things for myself. Don’t you agree?”
“Glad to hear it.” Leslie settled into the front passenger seat.
Dawn started the engine, eager to begin a new chapter in her life. She adjusted her rearview mirror and caught sight of a hulking red football jersey with a cougar in the center rushing up to the car.
“Oh no.”
Beau stood behind the car, his hands on the trunk.
“We need to talk, Dawn.”
She didn’t want to talk. Dawn feared if she did listen to him, she might get sucked back into his lies. Beau Devereaux was a drug; one she had to avoid at all costs.
While the car was still in park, Dawn hit the gas and gunned the engine.
“Dawn, you can’t run him over.” Leslie grabbed her seatbelt.
She nodded to the rearview mirror, a zing of satisfaction egging her on. “No, but I can scare him a little.”
Leslie spun around in her seat. “Just go. Don’t confront the jerk.”
Dawn put the car in reverse, backed up a few inches to clear the parking curb, and then put it in drive, making a hard turn to the left, avoiding coming in contact with Beau still waiting behind them.
Once she had a clear shot ahead, she hit the gas, a newfound sense of freedom coming alive as a stunned Beau was left behind.
He took off after them. Dawn drove through the parking lot, and he banged on the trunk, demanding her attention.
“Come on!”
He jogged behind them and motioned for them to stop, but Dawn kept going.
Leslie seemed to enjoy watching him struggle to keep up with the car gaining speed. She laughed and opened her window. “Better luck at the game, asshole!”
His figure grew smaller, but the fury in his face was unmistakable. A shiver ran through Dawn. She had pushed Beau too far, and he would seek his vengeance. Dawn had come to know his well-hidden bad side over the past few months, and she feared what he would do.
“You shouldn’t have taunted him like that.” Dawn kept a keen eye on the rearview mirror. “Beau has a real cruel streak, and never forgets a slight.”
Leslie brushed off her concern with a smart smirk. “He’s an idiot.”
Dawn didn’t like the apprehension tickling her chest. Beau appeared more like a guy about to lose control, and she needed to make sure none of the people she loved ended up in his line of fire.
