Caught by the Bad Boys Series

by Raathi Chota

  ***

  Benny took me home, and it seemed like we were back to normal. He said I should come to his house later and I agreed since it was Friday. I got home and changed into comfy clothing that consisted of gray joggers, a red sweater, and my white Converse. Mom came home, so I took her car and drove to Benny’s house. By the time I got there, it was past five, and we chilled in Benny’s room. We laid on his bed and watched a movie, then eventually fell asleep. Although for once, I didn’t have the dream.

  I fluttered my eyes open and noticed a blanket was on me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Benny asleep on the other side of the bed. I slowly got up and stretched to see his mother’s back to us as she folded some laundry. I squinted my eyes and watched as she hummed a tune. She spun around and startled but waved it off as she smiled at me.

  “Hi, Lana, I’m sorry if I woke you.” She smiled.

  “It’s okay, Mrs. Nielson. I, err…” I trailed off as I put my glasses on.

  “Aww, it’s so cute that you just came over to sleep,” she cooed and looked at Benny.

  “Err…yeah, sleep,” I said as the corner of my mouth raised.

  “There’s dinner downstairs if you’re hungry,” she said, then took the laundry basket and walked out of the room.

  “Thank you,” I called out. I noticed Benny got up. I turned to him and bit my bottom lip because he looked cuddly. He smiled at me and opened his arms. I laid on his chest and wrapped my arms around him. Benny’s phone rang a few minutes later, and he groaned, then answered it.

  “Hey, Nick,” he greeted. “Whoa, yeah she’s here…all right, all right we’ll be there,” Benny said, then ended the call. I sat up and gave him a questioning look as he got up. He put on his shoes as I did the same.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nick’s at Liam’s apartment. They want us there.” Benny shrugged as he put on his jacket.

  “Okay, let’s go.” I put on my leather jacket, then walked out of his room. I drove since I’d go home from Liam’s apartment. While we drove close to downtown, I wondered why they wanted us there so urgently. Only one thing popped into my head.

  We arrived fifteen minutes later, and Benny led the way because Liam was on the top floor. We stood in front of the door, and I knocked. Nick opened the door. I raised a brow as he escorted us into the apartment. It looked very vivid with its different-colored furniture, yet it somehow matched.

  “What’s so urgent?” Benny asked Nick, who opened his mouth to answer but cut off when someone entered the room.

  “Oh! More guests. Welcome, welcome. Would you like some tea? I’m Liam’s grandma.” She gave us a kind smile.

  “That would be lovely, thank you,” Nick replied.

  “All right, come on in. I’m making cookies,” she said, then walked into the kitchen.

  “She’s been saying that every five minutes. She has Alzheimer’s,” Nick said as I slowly nodded. We walked into the kitchen, and she took out a tray from the oven. My eyes widened to see that they burned. Nick turned off the oven as she stared at the burned cookies.

  “I think they need a bit more time,” she said, then put the tray back in the oven.

  “Would you guys like some tea?” she asked, and Nick raised his hand.

  “We had some, thank you,” he said as she nodded, then walked out of the kitchen.

  “You guys, come on!” Liam yelled throughout the apartment. Nick let out a sigh as he walked down the hall and into Liam’s room. I entered his room, and I gaped at how full it was. His bed was in one corner as he sat opposite by his desk. Next to his desk was an open space but the wall was full of string and papers.

  “Liam, what is this?” I looked at the pictures of the industrial area and Jack.

  “We’re investigating!” he cheered, then pushed up his glasses.

  “Good for you, but why are we here?” Benny asked as he sat on the bed.

  “We’re just curious about this Jack August,” Nick said as he licked his lips.

  “Yeah, I’ve done research on him, and there’s nothing. No social media and not even on his family. You guys should see how many families there are with the last name of August,” Liam said.

  “Well, maybe because he’s a hobo,” I pointed out.

  “Yeah, but remember the first time he came on the news, and they had this whole background of him? Where he was born, his family, and even where he worked,” Liam said as his forehead creased.

  “My dad said the journalists could make up lies and stuff just to make it more dramatic.”

  “Yeah, but it says he was born at Provident Hospital of Cook County,” Liam said, then typed on his computer.

  “My mother works there,” I said, then looked at his screen.

  “Yeah, and I talked to her, then managed to figure out the password for their files,” Liam mumbled as my eyes widened.

  “Why would you do that?” Benny demanded.

  “We’re investigators!” Liam cheered, then raised his fist.

  “Just tell them what you found.” Nick sighed as he stared at us.

  “Nothing. Not a single thing about Jack August was mentioned in the last thirty years or ever.” Liam sighed.

  “Yeah, it just shows that the news reports false information,” I said.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Liam mumbled, then stood up as he walked over to the wall. He took a big marker and crossed out Provident Hospital.

  “Well, guess what else we found out?” Nick asked as he sat in the chair and typed. “On the news when they showed a picture of Jack August, don’t you think it’s funny that they had a picture of a hobo?”

  “Maybe it’s from his family,” Liam suggested.

  “Then his family would’ve given a picture of him before he became an alcoholic hobo,” Benny said as we looked at the picture that showed up on the news. Jack August kept a poker face as he stared at the camera. His face was pale yet hard to notice from his ginger hair. He had a strong jawline and a pointy nose with chocolate brown eyes. “Wait, zoom in on his neck,” Benny said as we stared at him. Nick did as told and my eyes widened when I noticed it.

  “Is that makeup?” Liam pointed to Jack’s face that was pale, but his neck was tanned. We exchanged looks as we took in the rest of his appearance. In the background was a sign that stated Route 28.

  “That looks familiar,” I said.

  “Yeah, it does. I’ll look it up,” Nick said, then typed. I straightened my posture and folded my arms as I looked at the wall again. There was so much stuff going on that I lost count of how many strings there were.

  “Don’t your parents question this?” I asked as Liam stood next to me.

  “Nah, they’re always working, so they don’t have time for me, but I got my grandma,” he said with a smile.

  “Holy shit,” Nick muttered as we turned to him.

  “What?” Liam asked.

  “That picture was taken at Route 28, and the sign is exactly opposite Ethan’s cottage,” Nick said as we looked at Google Maps.

  “What? There must be another Route 28,” I scoffed.

  “Nope, it’s identical to the image,” Nick said as he shook his head.

  “Then what the hell was Jack doing there?” Benny asked.

  “Do you think Ethan will know?” Liam asked.

  “Sure, he’d know when a random hobo had a photo shoot opposite his cottage,” Nick sarcastically replied.

  “I have a strange feeling that this Jack guy isn’t who he says he is,” Benny mumbled as he stared at the wall.

  “Maybe he’s a model who just dresses poorly and hasn’t shaved in days,” Liam guessed as my phone vibrated. Benny and Liam argued about who Jack was while I read the text. I let out a sigh because my mother needed her car.

  “Guys, I gotta go. My mom needs her car,” I mumbled as I shoved my phone in my pocket.

  “I’ll come with you,” Benny suggested as I slowly shook my head.

  “Then how are you gonna get home?” I asked as we
walked out of Liam’s room and to the living room.

  “True, I’ll just go with Nick, but call me when you get home,” he said, then kissed me.

  “I will.” I nodded, then walked out of the apartment. I strolled out of the building and to the car. It was already dark outside as I got into the car.

  I drove out of downtown and decided to take a shortcut. As I turned the corner, a few people came out of a bar. It seemed to be a fight, and I squinted my eyes when I noticed a familiar bald head. I parked next to the sidewalk and got out of the car to see men roughing up Keene. I ran toward him and yelled at the guys.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded as I stepped between them. Keene’s eye was swollen, and he had a bloody nose. I turned to the guys, who glared at me.

  “Get lost, bitch,” the one guy demanded as he shoved me out of the way. I kept my balance as I turned around and pulled on his shoulder. He turned to me with a glare as I whipped out the pepper spray Dad gave me. I sprayed him in the face as well as his friends. They cursed as the covered their faces.

  “Fuck off, assholes!” I yelled as they backed away. I watched as they walked back into the bar while rubbing their eyes. I spun around to see Keene wiping the blood from his face. I noticed he was drunk as he swayed and had a dazed look on his face. “Come on.” I sighed as I helped him to the car.

  ***

  We arrived at his apartment five minutes later, since he also had one downtown. I got out of the car, then walked to the passenger side to help him out. I swung his arm around my shoulder, and he gave me a sloppy grin as I kicked the door closed.

  “Lana, guess what? Guess what?” he asked as we walked upstairs.

  “What, Keene?” I asked as I pulled him up each step.

  “I got meat,” he breathed out, and I held my breath as the alcohol hit my nose.

  “Good for you,” I muttered.

  “Yeah, I heard you love meat.” He smirked as I raised a brow.

  “Err…yeah,” I mumbled as we reached his floor. “Where are your keys?”

  “You have to find them.” He poked my nose as he leaned against the door.

  “Keene, come on,” I whined as he smiled at me.

  “Lana, come on,” he mocked as he raised his arms so that I could find his keys. I huffed as I crouched down and searched his pockets. “You’re warm,” Keene hinted as I looked up at him. I moved my hands down, but he shook his head. I stood up straight as my hands moved to the middle of his belt buckle. He smirked at me as I raised his shirt and took out his keys from his belt. “You’re hot.” He stepped out of the way so I could open the door. I unlocked the door and pushed him in. He skipped into the kitchen as I turned on the light. A few seconds later, he came back with a can of beer, but I shook my head.

  “No, you had enough.” I snatched the can away from him. He lowered his head and pouted as he turned the light off.

  “I like it dark!” he exclaimed as I raised my arms. I cursed under my breath as we plopped down on the sofa. Out the corner of my eye, I saw him open the can and drink. I let out a sigh as I glanced around, but I barely saw anything since everything was dark. “Thank you, Lana.”

  “No problem. I thought you’d be at Blake’s house.”

  “You get annoyed when you hang out with them too much,” he said as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against my temple. I felt his heavy breaths on my cheek.

  “Err…Keene, what are you doing?” I asked as I tried to lean away, but he followed.

  “Lana, guess what, guess what?” he whispered as he placed his index finger on my cheek and turned my face to him so that our foreheads touched.

  “Wha-what?” I backed away, but he followed, which made me fall flat on the sofa. Keene hovered over me as he pressed his forehead against mine. He placed an arm on each side of me as I placed a hand on his chest. “Keene, what are you—”

  “He’s here,” Keene whispered as I raised a brow at him. I heard the rattle of keys and turned my head to the front door to see someone’s shadow underneath the door. I watched as the shadow moved underneath the door. The doorknob twisted. Keene collapsed on me. I let out a groan as I shuffled underneath him and off the sofa. I turned back to see that he had fallen asleep. I looked at the door again to see the person in front of it. He gave me a strange look as he shut the door. I gave him a once-over, and something about him seemed so familiar. He was tall with dark brown hair and chestnut eyes. He looked to be a few years older than me with his full structure and stubble.

  “Am I disturbing something?” His voice sounded deep as he glanced at Keene and me.

  “No, err…I was just helping him, found him at a bar,” I mumbled.

  “Okay. I’m Noel. I share an apartment with this idiot.” He pointed to Keene.

  “Wait, you’re Noel Brighton. As in Jennifer’s older brother,” I clarified.

  “Yeah. How do you know my sister?” he asked and sat on the armchair.

  “We go to the same school, and I remember you when I was a freshman,” I said.

  “So, if you’re in high school, what are you doing with an intoxicated twenty year old?” he pointed to Keene, who snored.

  “Oh, I was supposed to go ho—” I cut myself off as my eyes widened. I remembered that my mother needed her car to go to work. I quickly took out my phone and read the message she left.

  Mom: Never mind your dad’s taking me. Don’t stay out too late. Love you.

  I glanced up and noticed Noel had gone into the kitchen. I put my phone back in my jeans pocket, then turned to Keene.

  “Oh, just leave him. He’ll wake up soon enough, then walk to his room,” Noel said as he walked into the room with two glasses of water. I moved Keene’s legs so that I could sit by the coffee table. Noel placed the glass down and took a sip of his. I mumbled a thank you and took the glass and drank the water. “I would give you a beer or something, but my sobriety and all that shit.”

  “Oh, I understand.” I nodded.

  “You do?” he questioned, then laughed. “No, you don’t…no one does.”

  “Okay, then make me understand,” I blurted out as I set my glass on the table.

  “Well, what do you know?” he asked as he glanced at me, then the glass.

  “Well…all I know is you were in rehab for being a drug addict. Your dad put you in there because he didn’t want the family name going bad.”

  “Yeah, that’s what everyone knows. I’m not addicted. I swear!” Noel stated as he stared at me with a panicked look in his eyes. “He made me do it! Ugh, I was so stupid.”

  “Who made you do what?”

  “Do you really wanna know? Sorry if I’m bothering you. You probably want to go home.”

  “No, no, no. Remember? I want to understand,” I said as I leaned back in my seat to show that I wouldn’t go anywhere.

  “Okay, well, it was senior year, spring break. I was home alone and heard a knock on the door,” Noel began as he stared at the floor. “I answered it, and it was a few guys who told me they were there because they wanted to see my father, so I just told them to wait and that he’ll be here soon.

  “I was gone for a second, and when I came back, I saw them unloading stuff. That’s when I got suspicious, because it was parcels. When I went for my phone and tried to call my dad, one of the guys stopped me. He told me to do what he said or he’d hurt my family.” Noel whispered the last part as my eyes widened.

  “This guy who threatened you…what was he wearing?” I asked as I tried to put two and two together.

  “A suit, but the other three guys wore black,” Noel answered as my jaw dropped. Although James only had two guys when I saw him.

  “They must’ve talked. What were their names?” I asked.

  “I don’t know the guy in the suit, but I think one was named Mike and the other Christo,” he answered as I paled.

  “Oh. T-then what happened?”

  “It was probably about three hundred parcels. Our house was pretty bi
g, so he told me to keep them, and he’d contact me when he wanted them,” Noel mumbled.

  “So then how did you end up in rehab?” I asked as he looked at my glass again.

  “One night I was drunk with my friends, and one of them found a parcel in the basement, and we started…” He trailed off as I nodded. “One of them snitched about it, and my dad found out. He didn’t want the family name going bad, so he sent me to rehab when he found the other parcels.”

  “What happened to the parcels?” I asked, then slid my glass toward him, and he thanked me as he took a sip.

  “From what my sister told me, Mike and Christo broke in one night and took them. You could see they’d done it before because they were so fast in doing it,” Noel explained as I nodded.

  “So, if your house is big and stuff, why aren’t you living there?” I asked.

  “My dad only cares about money and what the public will think. When I came out of rehab, he let me stay for a few days, then kicked me out.” He shrugged and placed the empty glass down.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

  “It’s cool. My fault, I guess,” Noel responded with a shrug. We sat in silence as I thought over what Noel said. James used other people to hide his drugs. It’s like he wanted to get caught or something…

  “Well, I have to go. It’s getting late,” I said and rose to my feet. We stood up at the same time. Noel towered over me as he smiled. He honestly didn’t look like a drug addict; he seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

  “Yeah, err…I’ll tell Keene you dropped him off because I doubt he’d remember how he got home.” Noel chuckled as I followed him to the door. “Hey, I didn’t get your name.”

  “Oh, Lana Willson.” I smiled.

  “Nice to meet you, Lana. You’re the first person who doesn’t think I’m crazy after telling them that story,” he said as the corner of his mouth pulled up.