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Beau shouldered his way through patches of students clogging the halls. He stomped his tennis shoes on the tile floor, expressing his anger at being turned down by Coach Brewer for a chance to return to the team. All around him, excited voices jabbered about the coming football game against Beddico High Friday night. He wished he could smash all their heads into the lockers and turn the floors into rivers of blood.
“Marty will pull out a win,” one thick-shouldered running back on his team said as he walked past. “He’s turning into a good quarterback.”
“I heard the team doesn’t want him back.” A girl leaning against a locker blew a big bubble with her gum. “They do better without him.”
The wildfire in Beau’s stomach spread to every corner of his being. He was the quarterback of St. Benedict High, and he deserved his spot back on the team, but Coach Brewer had been adamant when he met with him in his office.
“Forget it, Devereaux. You have to complete your probation.”
“But the season will be over by then,” he had argued.
“Maybe you should have thought about that before you threw that ball at Kramer.”
Beau needed to get away from the noise, the students, the tight hallways closing in and cutting off his air. He longed to get in his car and take off, head to the river for some time to think and prepare his cell for Leslie, but his father would hear about his skipping class. It seemed no matter where he turned, Gage Devereaux’s chokehold on his life never let up.
He turned a corner, anxious to get outside when he came across Leslie at her locker.
She was a few feet away, but the jutting corner of the lockers kept her from spotting him. She looked beautiful in her sweater top and jeans. Her skin, perfectly white without an ounce of makeup, glowed and she had her lips pressed together in a classic Leslie scowl as she searched her locker.
Zoe, Dawn’s obnoxious cheerleading friend, was at Leslie’s side. The pretty girl was known around school for having a thing for gossip. What was she doing with Leslie? His Leslie was better than the pushy cheerleader.
“Dawn told me you and Derek got your costumes for this weekend.” Zoe hugged her chemistry book to her chest, grinning at Leslie.
“Yep, we’re all set.” Leslie shut her locker door. “We’ve got our sombreros, masks, fancy red sashes, black pants and white tops. It should be fun. What are you going as?”
Zoe hesitated, her smile slipping. “Is everything okay with Dawn?”
Leslie’s eyebrows came together. “Dawn? She’s fine. Why do you ask?”
His morning was looking up. Any juicy gossip to keep his ex in line was alright with him.
Zoe moved in closer to Leslie, casting a wary eye to those students passing by. “She seems out of sorts. Preoccupied, if you know what I mean. She mentioned the three amigos costumes you guys were wearing to the river—cute. And she let it slip you and Derek were planning a romantic evening. She seemed really upset about it. Said you wanted her to drive over early to surprise him with champagne in the cells. Ew, really?”
What? He stiffened. It can’t be? This was better than he’d hoped. She would come to him, to the cells. His prize was within his reach. His head swam with delight, picturing all the delicious things he would do to her. He envisioned the rush she would give him. It would be better than Taylor, Kelly, and Andrea combined.
Leslie’s scowl was back. “Dawn had no right to tell you about my plans.”
Zoe held up her hand. “Look, I know you two haven’t gotten along since she was with Beau but now that he’s history, I think she’s worried you will make the same mistake. I mean, the guy was a total douchebag.”
He clenched the grip on his book bag, ready to tear it apart. That bitch!
Leslie appeared appalled by the suggestion. “How can I be making a mistake with Derek? All we want to do this weekend is to spend some time together alone.”
“Doing what? Moon watching?” Zoe snickered.
It seemed things had progressed further with Leslie and the loser Foster than he realized.
“Oh, ha ha. Laugh all you want. But Dawn can’t possibly compare her time with Beau to my relationship to Derek. I know he cares for me and isn’t ready to rush into having sex.”
“But are you two ever going to have sex?” Zoe pressed her hand to the book against her chest. “Me? I would have jumped him after the third date.”
Leslie lowered her voice and he could barely hear her. “I want my first time to be special.”
“Special?” Zoe chuckled. “You’re in for a big surprise.” Zoe hooked her arm. “Come on, let’s get to class.”
Zoe’s eyes briefly connected with Beau. A wave of dread froze him to his spot. She didn’t say or do anything as she glided past. Leslie never saw him, thank goodness. He didn’t want her changing her plans. He wanted his prey to be calm and happy when she walked into his special place. It would make her final screams so much sweeter.
* * *
Dawn tugged at the red ribbon holding her ponytail in place while a brisk breeze blew by, sending a chill through her. The gravel in the parking lot next to the playing field crunched beneath her feet. She glanced ahead to her squad, getting ready for their last practice before the big game tomorrow night.
“Hey girl, you got a sec?”
Zoe pulled up next to her, sporting a sullen frown.
Dawn inwardly groaned. She knew that look. It went along with Zoe’s yearning to share some piece of gossip she’d picked up around school. The last thing Dawn needed was more gossip.
We need to get this new cheer right. Not spend the hour having a gabfest.
“When was the last time you talked to Beau?” Zoe asked.
Dawn hadn’t expected that question.
“I have no idea. Why?”
“He’s been acting funny. Have you noticed it?”
Dawn scrunched her brow, trying to recall his activities throughout the past few days. She had noticed some strange things.
“He hasn’t been hanging out with his buddies Mitch and Josh lately. They always go everywhere together.”
“Word in the halls is he and Josh had a fight.” Zoe shook her pompoms out. “I tried to talk to Mitch about it, but he shut me down. He’s such an asshole.”
Dawn peered ahead to her waiting squad. The girls were standing around, talking. Not a good sign. She needed to get them to work.
“Zoe, is there a point to this? Because, if you haven’t noticed, Beau isn’t my problem anymore.” She made a move to go to the field. “We gotta get to practice.”
Zoe rushed in front of her, her brow etched with concern. “Today I caught Beau staring at your sister from behind some lockers. Leslie was telling me about her weekend at the river with Derek. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was listening in.”
The chill in the air closed in around Dawn. Dread gripped her throat, tightening her airway, and making it hard to breathe.
“What did he hear, Zoe? I need you to remember everything you two talked about.”
Zoe’s brow furrowed. “What’s going on, Dawn?”
Dawn dropped her pompoms and held her friend’s arm. “What did Leslie say?”
Zoe shook her head, the maddening apprehension in her eyes persisting. “I don’t know. We talked about her sleeping with Derek. How she planned to make Saturday night special. You two going together early so she could go to the cells and how you weren’t happy—”
“He heard that. The part about the cells?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Zoe pried her fingers off her arm. “The way he was standing there was just plain freaky. He had this look in his eyes ...”
Dawn stepped back, her mind a blur. If he knew about Leslie’s plans, he might try and interfere, fight with Derek, or even Leslie. She had to find a way to stop anyone from getting hurt.
“Is everything okay?”
Zoe’s question brought her back. “Yeah. It’s fine.” Dawn took in the open field next to the gym where the football team was warming up. “Do me a favor, don’t mention this to Leslie. I don’t want her upset or ruin her night with Derek at the river. I hear you on Beau. He has been strange lately.”
“What are you going to do?”
Dawn bit her lower lip. “I’m going to find out what he’s up to.”
“Be careful with that boy.” Zoe picked up Dawn’s pompoms and handed them to her. “Something’s not right about him.”
Dawn gave her friend a reassuring smile. “Not to worry. Beau would never dare lay a finger on me.”
