Wicked Boys

by Nora Cobb

  Chapter Twenty

  Vicki

  The next day I hear voices again as I creep downstairs toward the first floor. Maya chased Dad away yesterday after putting on a show of threats with her sleazy lawyer. I’m worried about Dad as much as he’s worried about me. After he left, Maya demanded that I eat, but I can’t stomach it. So I agree to drink protein shakes to keep from wasting away. I’m not snooping as I head downstairs, but I freeze when I hear Talia’s voice.

  They don’t see me, so I slip outside and wait. If I try to confront Talia in front of Maya, she’ll chase her away.

  “Talia.”

  She jumps when she hears my voice. I walk around the corner of the house, avoiding the picture window in the living room. I can tell by Talia’s expression that she’s shocked by my appearance. I’m barely sleeping, and when I do wake up, I can’t remember falling asleep. I have no appetite, and my sweats are hanging off my hips.

  “Oh my God.” Talia can’t conceal her shock. She just stands there staring at me, but I say nothing to her. I want her to see what she’s doing to me. Besides, what can she say to me?

  “How am I? Is that what you’re thinking?” I ask her sarcastically. “Not well is the answer.”

  “Vicki, does your mother know?”

  I smile thinly. “She’s not the nurturing type. Maya excels at spending other people’s money rather than caring about the source.”

  “But she looked upset…” Talia’s voice trails off.

  “My mother has convinced herself that she’s right,” I explain, “and the rest of us are in her way.”

  “I…”

  My voice cuts her off again. “Did Rhys tell you I was in your dorm room? Did he rat on me?”

  Talia shakes her head furiously. “No. He didn’t say anything about you.” Her eyes widen. “Oh God. Did he know?” She looks away when I don’t answer. “He’s not speaking to me anymore. No one really is.”

  “Should I feel bad for you? It’s what you wanted.” I step closer so she can see the rage in my eyes. “For people to respect you. To know your name.”

  She teeters as she steps away from me, but I close the gap again.

  “How did you know I was in your room?” I ask again.

  “I didn’t know,” Talia explains. “We got to the restaurant and were seated. The waiter took our order, and I didn’t see her.”

  I frown. “Didn’t see who?”

  Talia looks me in the eye. “Hillary Benson. I leaked a story about how broke her family really is. She’s faking an influencer’s status. But her iPhone is just a prop, and her Gucci is secondhand,” Talia stammers. “She saw me, walked over, and dumped a plate of food on my head. I was covered in sesame chicken. And then she poured water on me too.

  “I was in shock, but Rhys smirked and took out his phone to take a picture. He looked at me and then said, ‘Something for you to post, sweetie.’ Then they both laughed. I think he knew she was going to be there.”

  Talia takes a breath, staring out into the distance as if she can see it all happening again. “Rhys called an Uber to take me home. He didn’t want me messing up his car.”

  “I don’t feel sorry for you.” My voice is cold, and she stiffens. “Not after all the trouble you’ve caused me and everybody else. You really hurt Chase. Marcy is sick, but now she’s the victim.”

  Talia sighs bitterly. “I feel sick. I thought I was getting even by knocking people down. I didn’t expect court cases and devastation.” Talia looks at my body and grimaces. “I’m sorry. What can I do…” she asks.

  I don’t want her feeling sorry for me—guilt but never pity.

  “It’s simple but hard,” I tell her. “Do the right thing, Talia. You know what’s on the video. Give the phone back to Jagan. And leave people the fuck alone.”

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chase

  The trial against the Evanses’ talent agency for being a front to illegally dupe unsuspecting aspiring actors and actresses into shooting porn has finally reached the San Fernando Courthouse. I want to hide under a rock, but I’m sure one of Jagan’s henchmen would find me and drag me out. Jagan has delayed my finals until after my parents’ trial. I’m getting a reprieve for a few weeks, maybe months, as I struggle to finish my film project. Redwood is losing students as Jagan comes under fire, questioned for covering up Marcy’s predatory behavior. Parents are showing up to claim their innocent children who have been duped by a Svengali. Mine haven’t even sent a text.

  Waiting in our best suits, Adrian and I sit outside the courtroom. A sharp pain starts between my eyes, and it’s making me nauseous as I wait for the courtroom door to open. I haven’t seen my parents in weeks, and I’m not sure how to react when I see them in front of the judge. Adrian tried to talk to Mom, but she doesn’t want to talk about any of it.

  I close my eyes and sigh loudly while we wait for the worst day of our lives to begin. Last night, I slept in Vicki’s bed, berating myself for not going into that girl’s room myself. I miss Vicki, and I could barely sleep, thinking about the shit she’s been through since coming to Redwood. This place was supposed to be her salvation, not her undoing. I rub my head in my hands, willing to do whatever I can to get her back. A lawyer comes out of the courtroom and glares at us as if we have something to say.

  “Have either of you spoken to your parents today?” he demands without explanation.

  Adrian looks at me then answers. “No, we haven’t.”

  “Where’s their lawyer?” he asks.

  Adrian sits up. “Isn’t that you?”

  The lawyer ignores us and returns to the courtroom. Adrian pulls his phone out of his pocket. “I’m calling Mom.” He tries, but no one picks up. He swipes his screen again. “Yes. I’m looking for Tracey Evans.” His eyes stare straight ahead as he listens. Adrian slips his phone back into his suit pocket.

  He rubs his face with his hands and starts laughing. I stare at him like he’s going insane, but over what?

  “Mom and Dad have jumped bail,” he explains. “The sheriff is seizing their assets while we’re sitting here like assholes.”

  “What about the trial?” I ask.

  “There will be a trial for Barton and Vaughn. They agreed to be tried with Mom and Dad. But not today.” Adrian stands up. “Come on. Anything we want in the house, we better get it today.”

  Silas

  I don’t sleep, worrying about Vicki, and can’t concentrate for shit on my exams. Lying in my bed, I open my eyes and can only think about her. How I failed her. I should’ve broken that window and yanked her out. I can’t stay in her suite without her, so I wait in mine. I know what she wants from me. What she wants from us. And now I’m seeing her point. We didn’t really work as a team that night, and if we had, things would have been different. They could be different. Her phone keeps going to voice mail, but I try it again anyway.

  The Evanses’ lawyer found a loophole, so Chase and Adrian wouldn’t have to testify against their parents if they had shown up. Rumor is they’re in Canada. Now the district attorney has lost a major witness in the state’s case. I’ve been asked to testify in a closed courtroom, in front of the judge and only the legal teams.

  In the morning, I spend an hour picking out a stupid tie.

  My fingers tap the binder as I decide if I should hand it over to the DA

  I’m sworn in and sit beside the judge. I keep my eyes on the DA, as if we’re having a private conversation.

  “I was pimped out by the Evanses to Mel Vaughn’s friends for his parties. I was drugged, and I’d wake up sore and alone in a king-size bed. Once I woke up and I saw them in the act. It wasn’t consensual, and I was underaged.”

  I glance at the camera filming my testimony. I’m still hesitant to talk about it though I offered to.

  “I was too young to understand what I was doing. What these adults were doing to me. And later, I thought it was normal. I thought it was part of the work. It took years for me to realize other kids didn
’t have to do those things. And it took many more years of counseling to accept it wasn’t my fault.”

  My voice cracks, but I keep my gaze on Dom and Chase, who have been allowed in as spectators. It gives me the strength to speak, knowing they’re not judging me for being abused. I keep my eyes locked on them, and it will be all right. Or so I think. In my peripheral vision, I see a woman grimacing in disgust as if I’m the depraved one. I wonder who she is and how she got in here.

  I clear my throat. “I kept records.”

  The judge looks up from his notes. “What kind of records?”

  “I have binders where I would record not just my encounters, but others.” I describe the strung-out women by the pool with vacant stares as they were violated by anyone who had an invite.

  “They didn’t leave?” asks the DA.

  “Not if they wanted a career,” I replied, “Many executives attended Mel’s parties. Many names you would know.”

  The opposing lawyer tries to trip me up by asking me when I last had a starring role. He implies I’m doing this for publicity.

  “No one wants this kind of publicity, sir,” I tell him, “Contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as bad publicity. I didn’t want to ever talk about this, but too many people have suffered. This is my fate. I was given success, but it’s tarnished.”

  When I’m done testifying, the woman leaves the courtroom quickly, and later, I learn that she’s a freelance reporter.

  I go back to my suite that night. I felt even lonelier being in Vicki’s suite without her. I’m not sure about the arrangement, the four of us together. But away from the others, I realize how lonely I’ve been. I think about the weeks we’ve spent together, and I will that feeling into my mind before I fall asleep.

  In the morning, I check my phone, and my name is trending. I’m back on the front page in an online article detailing my abuse as a child actor. My agent calls before I’m fully awake. He’s excited because the media wants to talk to me again. I shake my head. There’s no way I’ll ever escape fame.

  Dom

  How I get through finals, I don’t know. I do know that my humanities teachers keep the bar low for art students. I’d have to be fucking stupid to flunk an exam at Redwood. I earn fifty points for just spelling my name correctly.

  I had to buy a suit for court. Silas offers me one of his, but the pants are too long, and the jacket too tight in the shoulders. I have one perfect suit hanging in my closet in Malibu, and it’s going to stay there.

  I ask Jagan for help, and to his credit, with all the shit flying around him, he gets me a suit overnight. It’s in his best interest to help, no matter how annoying the task. Our fates are linked. If an outside entity can be blamed for the scandal at Redwood, Jagan will be vindicated. Vicki will also be vindicated.

  I am definitely doing this for her, not him. I want to do more for Vicki, and though I was floored by the idea of sharing her before, I’m changing my mind. Silas and Chase care for her as much as I do, and we all understand each other. It doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would, seeing Vicki with Chase or Silas. I know she loves me the same, and it isn’t going to change. I’m the only person who can change that by being a jerk. I’m going to tell her all this when she comes back. She has to come back.

  The sky is gray and flat; all the blue is gone as I walk into the courthouse in San Fernando. Mel glares as I walk up to the front of the courtroom. He’s in a lousy suit that hangs off his shoulders, and his spray tan has faded. I want to see his face when I tell the DA what he’s done. But I get a shivery feeling along my spine as I avoid looking to my right, where Mel sits with his lawyer. When the Evanses are caught, if they’re caught, I wonder if we’ll have to go to court again.

  Raquel refused to come to court, but she agreed to a taped testimony. She repeated her story, which reminds me of Luna. My hands clench into fists in my lap. Slowly, my gaze finds my father’s. Why am I ashamed to look him in the eye, like I did something wrong? I only blame myself for not talking sooner.

  After the preliminaries, I take a breath and launch into it. “I was there when he drugged women and took advantage of them.”

  “When you say ‘take advantage,’ what do you mean?” asks the DA

  “Raped.” The word hangs in the room and won’t go away no matter how hard Mel tries to deny it.

  “The boy’s lying!” shouts Mel. “He’s angry because I disowned him.”

  The judge cautions Mel. And the DA continues, “How old were you when you first saw this happen?”

  I shrug. “I don’t recall the first time, but by the time I turned thirteen, I knew something was wrong.”

  “How did you know?” she asks.

  “Afterward they would just lie there, crying.”

  “Fucking liar,” mutters Mel, “I raised a fucking liar.”

  I’m about to crumble, but my mind finds Vicki in my thoughts. I see her again as security takes her away. I looked back once but kept running into the woods with Silas’ backpack. We had switched, and then he ran off, playing bait. Silas could’ve outrun those guards, but then they would’ve kept looking.

  Chase stayed with me as I burned the papers. We decided to tell Silas that we lost them, but he never asked. We worked together that day like we’re doing now in court. I never spoke up before because no one was looking out for me or cared what would happen after I opened my mouth.

  “Were you aware of your father abusing Silas Vinson?”

  I look Silas in the eyes. “Later I knew something was wrong. I saw him there once, lying on the bed. He was drugged and naked. He was a kid. I was a kid. We really didn’t understand.”

  “How do you know he was drugged?” asked the DA

  “I know the difference.”

  “You saw him lying on whose bed?” she asks.

  I bend my head. “My father’s. And then I was taken out of the room. I wasn’t allowed out of the room during parties after that, or I’d get a beating. I wasn’t allowed to play with the other kids.”

  “I never touched him!” Mel shouts. “I keep telling you that boy is a fucking liar.” He points at me. “You tell the judge the truth…”

  “Or you’ll beat me? I have photos,” I reply calmly, “He just beat me a week ago, until my uncle stopped him. My uncle will testify that I’m telling the truth.”

  I see the fear in Mel’s eyes when he realizes he’s caught. And I see it again when the jury gives a verdict of guilty.

  When I step out of the courthouse, the sun is fighting to shine through the haze. I felt prepared for life until I realized I wasn’t. I feel the change this time, and I won’t backslide into dumbass ignorance. As corny as it might sound, I finally feel like a man.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Silas

  After court, we drive home from the Valley to the mountains. The farther we drive away, the more the day fades. The anger and bitterness I held onto like treasures are heavy in my heart. I’m tired of carrying them around.

  “Thanks for speaking up.” I look at Chase in the rear-view as he drives Dom’s car. He meets my gaze and nods, but Dom answers.

  “I should’ve said something sooner. I knew there was bad blood between us. But it was hard for me to face.”

  “For all of us to face,” adds Chase.

  “None of us wanted to face any of it,” I reply, “Until Vicki came along. At first, I really hated her for bringing those feelings out, questioning me, and demanding I admit there was something wrong. I don’t feel that way anymore.”

  “What about the future?” asks Chase. “With Vicki.”

  “We have to get her back first,” replies Dom, “and then what?”

  There’s a pause.

  “We’re already doing it,” Dom answers his question, “Why change? Look what we’ve done together this week.”

  “We have to fix this now.” I wish I was driving so I could speed straight to Palm Springs and just get her.

  “I searched that
drive file by file,” says Chase, “and I can’t find the complete video.”

  “Which means Talia may never have put it on the laptop,” replies Dom, “so she still might have the phone.”

  We heard about Talia and Rhys’ disaster of dinner from Theo. Dom threatened to beat Rhys up, but Theo saved his ass. He told us then what had happened.

  We skip the town house and head over to the dorms. Security is tight, but Dom manages to slip in when he tells the security guard he’s looking for his girlfriend, Talia Long. Surprisingly, she seems relieved when she sees us on the other side of the door.