by Greg Trine
“He’s not a member,” Jerry said, not taking his eyes off me.
“I invited him.” Sampson stepped between me and Jerry. “Is there a problem?”
No answer. Just the two of them standing eyeball to eyeball. Finally, Jerry turned around and walked away. “Whatever, man.”
I pulled Sampson to the side. “I shouldn’t have come. Jerry’s right. I don’t belong here.”
“Nonsense. Who died and left him in charge?” He gestured around the room. “There are a few jerks, but most of the people here are nice.” He nudged me with an elbow. “Especially the girls, Elroy. Go mingle. Talk to somebody.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be around,” he said, and disappeared into the crowd.
Great. I was just abandoned by the guy who’d invited me. I scanned the room. Sampson had joined a group of girls dancing together. Jerry was on the other side of the room, giving me his death stare. I looked away. And that’s when I saw a familiar face.
“Carol Ann!”
“Hey, Elroy. How’s it going?” She was in jeans and a fairly snug top. More makeup than usual. She still wasn’t a Marisa, but she was making a decent attempt at it.
“Pretty good,” I said. If ditching your best friend only to be ditched yourself could be considered good. “Have you been to one of these parties before?”
“Nope. First time.” She shrugged and looked around the room. “Looks like fun.”
“Yeah, we’ll see.”
“Nice to see you, Elroy.” She was about to move on.
“Sorry about the backwards dance,” I blurted out.
“No problem. I still had a good time. Just didn’t want to . . . you know.”
Yeah, I knew. That stiff-arm to my Adam’s apple was some kind of hint.
She gave me a wave and wandered off. I knew two people in a party of a hundred. It was a start, I figured. I meandered past a bunch of dancing bodies, Sampson no longer among them, and made my way into the kitchen. A beer keg sat in a huge container of ice. A Second Base Club member was filling cups and handing them to people, whether they wanted them or not.
I wasn’t much of a drinker but soon found myself holding a cup of beer. Oh well, I figured, taking a swig. If I was going to be expected to talk with the opposite sex, I needed to shed a few inhibitions.
“Bottoms up,” I said. Someone walking by banged cups with me, and I took another long drink. I wasn’t feeling anything yet, but it was just a matter of time before Elroy the introvert morphed into Elroy the extrovert.
A few minutes later, Sampson showed up. He held up two fingers. “Two, please.”
The guy pouring the drinks gave him two, then dropped something into one of them. “Right hand,” he said with a wink.
“Got it,” Sampson said, and went back into the living room.
I stood there staring at the spot where Sampson had been standing. Did I just see what I thought I saw? A little white pill dropped into one of the drinks? I tried to get my mind around the thought. Was that what the Second Base Club was all about? Scoring with girls because they couldn’t say no?
The guy pouring drinks saw my confusion and said, “Just stacking the deck in our favor, if you know what I mean.”
Stacking the deck? Holy crap!
I had to get out of there. Vern had said it best—I wasn’t one of them and I never would be. And now I knew I didn’t want to be. It was time to leave. But I was miles from Highmont, and my ride was in serious seduction mode.
I felt for my cell phone. Damn. My pockets were empty. In my rush to get away before my mom imposed a curfew, I’d left my phone behind.
I went back into the living room. It was more crowded than before, and new arrivals were still coming through the front entrance. The dance floor had expanded, with more guys joining in. And everywhere I looked I saw cups of beer. How many had been enhanced? I wondered.
I had to find Sampson. Maybe I could snap him out of seduction mode long enough to get him to drive me home. There was a hall leading away from the main room. I followed it to another large room, where a few guys were shooting pool and a couple more were lounging on couches. Sampson was there, heading outside through a set of sliding glass doors on the far side of the room.
He was not alone. Carol Ann was with him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“Hey, Sampson.”
He didn’t hear me. He’d already gone out and shut the door.
I had started across the room when one of the guys playing pool stood up, blocking my path.
“Looks like your protection has left the building.”
It was Hairy Jerry. The guy wasn’t just extra large, he was gigantic, and he was right. With Sampson gone, there was no one around to keep me from being pounded on. I tried to scoot past him, but he was surprisingly light on his feet.
“Where you going, man?” he said.
“I gotta talk to Sampson.”
“Sorry, he’s not around.” Jerry moved closer. I could smell the beer on his breath, and my heart lurched. “Tell you what”—he gestured to a pool table—“if you beat me in a game of pool, I won’t kick your ass. How does that sound?”
He put his huge hand around my neck and pulled me into the room, placing a cue stick in my hand. “Sound like a deal?”
“Do I have a choice?” I asked.
“Not really.”
The guy he’d been playing with laughed. So did a few others. They were all looking forward to seeing a double ass-kicking, in billiards and blood.
“I suck at pool,” I said.
“That makes one of us,” Jerry said. “Tell you what, I’ll let you break.”
I looked around at his cronies, who were still drooling in anticipation, and shook my head. “Nah, you break.”
I waited for Jerry to walk around to the far side of the table, then I bolted back down the hallway toward the party. Maybe there was safety in numbers. I jog-danced across the dance floor and ducked into the kitchen.
“Slow down,” one of the keg guys said, placing another beer in my hands.
Most of it sloshed onto the floor as I kept moving. I went out the kitchen door and tossed the beer aside. Now to find Sampson. I ran around the side of the house to the backyard, glancing behind me. No sign of Jerry. I hoped he’d moved on to other prey, or maybe was just too drunk to travel at more than a walking pace.
A huge lawn spread out before me. “Sampson!” I yelled. There was no sign of him. I ran to the back of the yard, which was lined with lemon trees. I cut between them and found myself on a dirt path that seemed to separate lemon trees from orange trees. Far ahead of me I could see two people walking. Sampson and Carol Ann, I figured. They were heading toward the barn.
“Hey!” I called. They didn’t turn around.
I went after them, closing fast, until I was able to make out their voices.
Sampson smacked cups with Carol Ann. “Let the party begin. Cheers.”
She raised the cup to her lips.
“Don’t, Carol Ann,” I yelled, moving closer.
They turned and faced me. Sampson said, “Elroy, I’m kind of busy here, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I know what you mean.” I looked at Carol Ann. “You don’t want to do this, trust me.”
“Do what?” she said.
“Do what?” Sampson repeated. “Conversation not allowed where you come from?”
Carol Ann laughed and Sampson joined her. They were laughing at me.
“You know what I’m talking about, Sampson.” I pointed to Carol Ann’s cup. “Do you want to tell her, or would you like me to?”
Sampson dropped the blanket he’d been holding and took a step toward me. “I invited you to this party, and this is how you repay me?” There was just enough moonlight for me to catch the glare in his eye. “Go back to the party, Elroy.” He took another step.
But there was no stopping me. All year I’d looked up to the Second Base Club. But no more.
Someone had to expose them for what they really were.
“Have you told her about your little secret organization, Sampson? The Second Base Club? Have you told her about the scoring system?” When he didn’t answer I said, “He put something in your drink, Carol Ann.”
“What?”
“Don’t listen to him, Carol Ann. Your drink is fine.” He glowered at me. “And Elroy was just leaving.”
He put his arm around her, and they turned away from me.
I’d be leaving soon, but not yet. “Wait!” I said. I moved forward and knocked the cup out of Carol Ann’s hand, spilling it on the ground. “You two have a good evening.”
My job was finished here. I’d find a ride home with someone else.
“That does it.” Sampson threw his drink aside and took a swing at me. I was just out of reach. He tried again, but I dodged it. One more try . . . and then I shot in on him, caught him clean in a double-leg takedown. He went down, and I landed on top of him. I brought my fist back to finish the job and—
A large hand grabbed me from behind, yanking me to my feet. I knew it was Jerry even before I turned and saw him, before I smelled his beer breath, before his fist connected with my jaw and sent me sprawling into the dirt. I sat up slowly, trying to clear my head. Sampson was sitting beside me, dusting himself off.
“He knows everything, Sampson.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
Carol Ann had her phone out. She dialed three numbers, then yelled for help and blurted out the location of the party. Jerry turned and smacked the phone from her hand.
“Get back to the house, Carol Ann,” I said.
“Yes,” Jerry agreed, both fists clenched. “Unless you want to see Elroy bleed.”
I got to my feet and went in low against Jerry, expecting him to go down like Sampson. But he was a brick wall. He tossed me to the side like I was a preschooler and came at me, cocking a fist. My heart jackhammered. Another shot at a takedown wouldn’t work against this guy. I had to find a different way, and fast.
Jerry turned his head toward Carol Ann. “Seriously. You don’t want to see this,” he told her.
I saw my chance. I was still on the ground, Jerry’s knee level with my eyes. Knees bend only one way, right? I mule-kicked as hard as I could. His knee gave, and he fell, howling in pain.
“Let’s get out of here,” I yelled. I jumped to my feet, grabbed Carol Ann’s hand, and ran into the orchard.
We raced through the trees, stumbling over roots and the occasional dark object in the night. I had no plan other than putting some distance between us and the Second Base Club.
After a while, we came to a low rock wall. We scrambled over it and looked back.
“Are you okay?” I asked, breathing hard.
She nodded. “So far.” I could see the fear in her eyes as we scanned the orchard and listened.
“There.” She pointed. Two figures were coming toward us, the bigger one limping and holding something.
I turned to Carol Ann. “Get back to the house. They want me, not you.”
“What if they see me?”
“I’ll distract them. Get back to the house and get help.”
She nodded and began moving along the wall to the left. When she was maybe thirty yards away, I stood up. “Hey, dickwads! You want a piece of me?”
I stood my ground until I was sure Sampson and Jerry had locked in on me. Then I ran, following the wall to the right. When the wall ended, I darted through a small patch of trees that opened into a clearing in front of the barn. One of the doors was ajar.
I sprinted across the clearing and went inside, closing the door behind me.
I didn’t have time to wait for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light. No telling how close Sampson and Jerry were. I banged my shin on some kind of farm vehicle and felt my way around it to the back. Not the best hiding place, but at least I was out of sight.
I squatted and waited, massaging my shin.
Minutes clicked by. I was about to move out from behind the vehicle when the door swung open. I flattened myself on the dirt floor of the barn, my heart pounding. Beneath the vehicle I could make out a pair of legs. Just one pair.
“Elroy, it’s Sampson.”
I didn’t move a muscle, barely breathed.
“This is ridiculous. Let’s get you back to the house, call it a night. Jerry’s a psycho. You’ll be safe with me.”
I wanted nothing more than to call it a night. But could I trust Sampson, now that I knew the truth? And now that he knew I knew?
“Come on, Elroy. Don’t make me look for you. Let’s get out of here. I’ll take you home.”
I stayed quiet. Was Sampson out to get me, or was he just a horny teenager who’d temporarily lost his way?
“Elroy.”
I believed it was the latter. He was a fool, not a psycho.
“I’m here,” I said. I stood up and stepped out from behind what I now realized was a tractor.
“It’s okay,” Sampson said. “Jerry’s gone. He’s probably passed out someplace, sleeping it off.”
But what if he’s lying? I told myself. We faced off on opposite sides of the tractor. The longer I stood there, the more I understood that this was just Sampson, the guy I lifted weights with, and something told me to trust him.
“You really did a number on his knee.”
“I had to,” I said, moving forward. I could feel my heartbeat getting back to normal.
“Yeah, like I said, Jerry’s not quite right in the head. Let’s get out of here.”
“Sounds good,” I said. I kept walking toward him.
When we were face to face, he smiled, then gestured to the door. “Brains before beauty.”
“You first,” I said. “Age before brains.”
“No problem.”
Sampson stepped through the doorway, and I followed.
But someone was there waiting for me. The two-by-four was in motion before I could even think of ducking. I caught a glimpse of Jerry’s snarl, then felt the wood crash against my skull, and I went down, Jerry standing over me. I tried to stay conscious, but I could feel myself slipping away. Strange lights flashed against the side of the barn.
“Hold it right there,” said a loud voice.
Then everything went black.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
I woke up with my mom’s face about an inch from mine.
“Can you hear me, Elroy?”
“I can hear you, Mom. I can also see you. But you’re a little blurry. Can you back up?”
She did, and I saw that Dad was standing behind her.
I looked around. “Where am I?”
“Highmont Community.” My mother’s eyes were full of tears. “We’re so proud of you, honey.”
They filled me in on what occurred after Jerry took a two-by-four to my skull. Apparently, Carol Ann made it back to the party and got help. But it was the 911 call she’d made with her cell phone that brought the police. The ambulance came and whisked me away. The police grabbed Jerry, who was still standing over me holding his weapon of choice when they arrived.
“How long am I in for?” I asked.
“Until tomorrow,” my dad said, “maybe the day after. Looks like there’s no internal bleeding or brain damage. They just want to watch you for a while to make sure.”
Mom was starting to get teary again, and I looked away.
Vern showed up a while later. “Hey,” he said. “How’s the noggin?”
“Only hurts when I’m conscious.”
He laughed. I did too, but it hurt too much, so I stopped.
“Don’t say anything funny,” I told him. I pointed to my head. “I can’t handle it.” I gestured to a chair by the window. “Take a load off.”
When he did I said, “I’m so sorry, Vern. I was such a jerk.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you were. But you’re also my best friend. Friends forgive each other.”
What a guy. I’d completely rejected him, and he was ready
to take me back. Vern was a true friend. Somehow I knew I’d never take that lightly, ever again.
“Thanks, man. Chalk it up to temporary insanity.”
“Yeah, kind of a high price to pay for second base.”
I nodded. “Talk about getting some sense knocked into me.” My head throbbed, but the rest of me felt good. It was nice to be back where I belonged.
After a while, Vern got up to leave. He held his fist out for me to bash.
“You’re a good friend, Vern,” I told him.
He told me not to flirt with the nursing staff, and was gone.
Mom and Dad left also, but said they’d be back bright and early in the morning.
“We’re so proud of you,” Mom said again.
I loved hearing that. “I should get my head bashed in more often.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Kidding. See you guys tomorrow.”
After they left, I closed my eyes and drifted off.
I felt a cold hand against my cheek and opened my eyes.
“So, Elroy, I understand chivalry is not dead.” Juana Maria was in civilian clothes, jeans and a light-blue jacket, hair down around her shoulders.
“Chivalry or stupidity. Not sure which.”
“It was totally chivalrous. But, frankly, I’d expect nothing less from a rock star. What was the name of your band again? Lonesome Highway?”
“Templin Highway.”
“That’s right.” She smiled, and even in my weakened state I was semi-dazzled.
She plopped herself in the chair next to the bed.
“Seriously, Juana Maria, it was nothing.”
She shook her head. “I’m sure there’s a girl out there who’d disagree with you. I know I do.” She opened her purse and pulled out an iPod. “I brought you something.”
“Please don’t tell me it’s country music.”
“Just listen and keep an open mind.” She fitted the ear buds in my ears. “Talk about a captive audience.”
“No fair. Nurse, help.”
“Shhhh! Listen, Elroy.” She pressed “play,” and suddenly my head was filled with music—acoustic guitar, mandolin, and bass. Nothing electric, no percussion.
I looked at her.
