Karin looked at Lesley with a mixture of sorrow and anger. “I hate that Edgar molested you, Lesley, but I just can’t believe that you accused Reese, my boyfriend, of sexually assaulting you when he didn’t! That really makes me mad!” She was dumbfounded. “Why would you do that? What on earth were you thinking?”
“That’s just it, I wasn’t thinking,” Lesley admitted lowly. “Not clearly anyway. You’ve got to believe me, Karin. I never wanted Reese to get into trouble. I swear it. But when Mom called it a sexual assault and told the police, I felt locked in and didn’t know how to get out of it.”
“Couldn’t you have just told the truth?” Karin narrowed her eyes with disappointment. “How could you falsely accuse Reese, while letting Edgar get away with molesting you? Did you think he wouldn’t try it again and again?”
“I wanted to tell the truth,” Lesley insisted, “but I was afraid if I did, no one would believe me after saying it was Reese who assaulted me. Certainly not my mother who seemed to think Edgar walked on water, at least when she wasn’t annoyed with him. I just wanted the whole thing to go away.” She began to sob noisily. “I’m so sorry, Karin. I know you must hate me now.”
“I don’t hate you, Lesley,” Karin stressed. “I just hate that you put me in a position of having to decide who to believe between my best friend and my boyfriend. And I hate that Reese was taken into custody for something he didn’t do with half the school thinking he did. And I hate that I was caught in the middle even with my parents. You really did a stupid thing, Lesley!”
“I know, and I hate myself for it,” she sobbed. “The guilt for doing this to you and Reese was tearing me up. And I couldn’t stand being around my Mom and Edgar any longer, knowing what a creep he was. I should have talked to you about this right from the beginning, but I was afraid of what he might do. Then I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted the truth to come out and deal with it.” Lesley wiped away more tears with her sleeve. “Am I gonna get into trouble for filing a false report or something?”
“I don’t know,” Karin answered honestly. “Maybe once you explain everything...”
“But how do I explain it to my Mom without her totally freaking out? What if she takes Edgar’s side over mine?”
“You explain it the same way you just explained it to me. She loves you, no matter what you did. Or didn’t do.” Karin took her hand. “Edgar’s got to pay for what he did. That wasn’t your fault and you have nothing to be ashamed of, insofar as being a victim and intimidated into keeping quiet.”
Lesley sniffled. “Yeah, but I’m ashamed for what I’ve put Reese and you through. How will I ever be able to make it up to Reese? See Marcus? Or show my face in school again?”
These were questions that Karin had no solid answers to, especially where it concerned Reese. How could one totally erase something that just by implication had been so harmful to another person, even if no charges had been filed? Lesley would have to face Reese some way, somehow and try to make amends. Karin realized Reese had been innocent all along, as he’d insisted. She had tried not to take sides, for fear of being on the wrong one. Now she could only hope that through this ordeal they could somehow pick up the pieces of their relationship and learn to trust one another again.
With tears in her eyes, Karin gazed at Lesley and wrapped her arms around her supportively. This was a time when friendship could definitely be tested, and Karin knew that no matter what wrong Lesley had done and how unforgivable it was, if she were to abandon her now neither of them might ever recover.
“Let’s go home, Lesley,” she told her. “I think it’s time to talk to my father, then your mother. That creep Edgar’s never going to hurt you again. As for Reese, it’s going to take some time to undo the damage you’ve caused. I think we both have a lot of kissing up to him to do, but we’ll just have to take it one day at a time.”
Though there were still tough challenges ahead for them, somehow Karin knew they would be able to deal with them and keep their friendship alive.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Two weeks later, Karin was sitting in the bleachers beside Lesley as the Elmwood High Spartans were trying to advance in the playoffs. The atmosphere was feverish and the noise meter sky high. Karin kept her emotions in check and hoped that the team came away with a victory. In truth, she was just happy to see the team still had a chance to win the championship.
Karin glanced at Lesley, whose mind seemed to be anywhere but on the game. She could only imagine what her friend must have been thinking. Edgar had been charged with child molestation and attempted rape and was currently in jail, unable to post bail. The police had declined to file charges against Lesley for making a false claim, as they took into consideration mitigating circumstances. They had, however, admonished her for what they called reckless behavior and failure to consider the impact of her actions.
Lesley’s heartfelt apology to Reese had initially been rejected, but seemed to be gaining traction as time passed, with Karin trying her best to smooth the waters between them as much as possible while hoping they could all somehow get past this. Karin’s strained friendship with Lesley was back on the right track, but she still felt it would take time before things could get back to the way they were and for Lesley to regain her trust.
For the most part, the student body of Elmwood High had gone about their business, sympathetic to the issue of child sexual abuse and its effects on the victim. But some had ridiculed Lesley and made her the butt of jokes for falsely accusing Reese of a sexual assault. Lesley had dealt with it and tried to fit back in with her friends.
Shelly and Lesley were going to family counseling for sexual abuse and Lesley was seeing a substance abuse therapist.
“My shrink says that my ‘problems’ are a manifestation of still trying to cope with the loss of my Dad,” Lesley muttered skeptically.
“Maybe they are,” Karin suggested, though admittedly she considered it a stretch to connect his death with everything that had happened. “Things affect different people in different ways.”
“Oh, pleeease!” scoffed Lesley. “Yeah, I really miss him and miss seeing my Dad and Mom living together to a ripe old age, but that had nothing to do with my Mom being attracted to a child molester or my making Reese out to be something he wasn’t. Let’s face it. What I did was a really stupid thing and not a crazy in the head one!”
“I know,” agreed Karin sympathetically. “At least you came clean before things got any worse.”
“Yeah, I should pat myself on the back for doing the right thing.” Lesley rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Maybe if I had used my head instead of letting Edgar intimidate me, I would never have done the wrong thing.”
Karin patted her knee. “You did something right, Lesley. We both did. We knew we weren’t ready for sex and didn’t let Reese or Marcus convince us otherwise.”
“True,” Lesley said. “But that didn’t stop Edgar from trying.” She paused. “Mom made me take a pregnancy and HIV test, even though he never got in and she’d slept with him. She said they’d always used condoms. Thank goodness there was no pregnancy and the HIV test has been negative so far.”
“Hopefully that won’t change,” Karin said, the thought of AIDS terrifying to her, especially if someone close to her got it.
“Yeah.” Lesley made a face.
The girls turned their attention back to the game as Marcus drove down the lane and scored.
“Oh, he’s still soooo cute,” cooed Lesley, cheering for him.
Things had cooled off between Lesley and Marcus ever since Jayne’s party, neither suggesting it had anything to do with what happened afterwards.
“So why don’t you guys settle your differences?” questioned Karin. After all, she and Reese had. Or at least they had agreed to disagree on certain matters, while respecting each other’s point of view, and trying to focus on the good things that made them work.
“The problem is we’re just way too much alike,” Lesley said. “A
nd that could only end up getting us into hot water down the line. I think some people are just better off as friends.”
And some are better off as girlfriend and boyfriend, Karin thought. She believed that she and Reese fit into that category. Only time would tell whether or not they had staying power.
She thrust to her feet, along with just about everyone else in the bleachers, as Reese nailed another buzzer beater from the top of the key and the Spartans were victorious.
* * *
Karin waited outside the boys’ locker room for the game’s hero to emerge. The Spartans had lived to see another day and were within one game of the championship. But their next challenger would be the toughest test yet. No one was making any predictions, though everyone believed the Spartans had what it took to go all the way.
When she saw Reese, Karin beamed. He looked a bit weary, but happy to be on the winning side.
“Hey, you,” he said with a half smile.
“Hey, Mr. Clutch Shot!”
“Just doing my job, baby.”
“And you do it very well,” she declared.
“Sometimes.” Reese leaned down and kissed her on the lips. “Nice,” he said, tasting the kiss.
Karin agreed as he held her hand, their fingers entwined. They began walking down the hall, ignoring the other players mingling about.
“Where’s Lesley?”
“She had to go straight home after the game. She’s still grounded outside of school events for a while.”
“Yeah, right.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Karin squeezed his hand a little tighter. She knew he was still struggling with Lesley’s false accusation and how too many people were quick to believe Reese was guilty before the facts came out. It had even nearly derailed their attempt to get back together, even if Karin had never allowed herself to believe wholeheartedly that Reese was guilty of anything. She believed that everything they had gone through had only made them stronger as a couple.
They came upon Coach Cleaver, who was surrounded by reporters in an impromptu news conference. He saw them and immediately sidestepped the others. “That’s all for now,” he said as he brushed the media aside.
“Coach,” Reese greeted him.
The coach patted him on the back. “McKenzie, I don’t know if we could’ve pulled through without you.”
“I think we would’ve won no matter who took the last shot,” said Reese unconvincingly.
Coach Cleaver grinned. “You just keep believing that, son.”
Karin waited for him to look at her. When he did, she felt tongue-tied, but determined to take a big step forward.
“Ms. Blanch,” he spoke from the side of his mouth. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been avoiding me.”
She chuckled, embarrassed, while knowing it was true. “Actually, Coach Cleaver, I wanted to ask you if it was too late to try out for the girls’ track team.”
Reese looked at her with surprise. Karin hadn’t told him of her decision, as it was only now that she felt totally comfortable with it.
The coach responded, “It’s never too late to try out, Karin. We’re always looking for natural runners year round.”
She smiled. “Then I’d like to try out.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Karin answered.
He touched her shoulder and crinkled his eyes. “Good. Why don’t you come to my office tomorrow morning and we’ll schedule a time for you to show me what you’ve got?”
“Will do,” she promised.
Coach Cleaver turned his face to Reese. “Looks like that winning attitude you instill is catching, McKenzie.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” he grinned, looking at Karin and back again.
Once the coach had gone, Reese put his arm around Karin’s shoulder and said as they resumed walking, “You’re just full of surprises.”
“Isn’t that better than being too predictable?” she teased.
“Much better.”
“Thought so.” Karin lifted her chin and kissed him. “Not all things are unpredictable.”
He laughed. “You won’t see me complaining.”
“You’d better not.”
This time Reese leaned down and kissed her, which Karin warmly received.
“Do you want to go get something to eat?” Karin asked once they were outside. Spring was definitely in the night air and she wasn’t ready to go home yet.
“Yeah, that sounds good,” Reese said. “Especially to my stomach.”
“Where to?”
“You pick.”
Karin smiled. Her parents had backed off a little for now in wanting them to end things, but she remained on an eleven o’clock weekday curfew and was still subject to twenty questions from her mother. But it was small price to pay to be with the boy she loved today.
Tomorrow she fully expected to feel the same way.
# # #
Following is a bonus excerpt of Devon Vaughn Archer's novel, HIS TEEN DREAM. Now available in Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and Smashwords
ONE
Lex Haskell stared vacantly out the window as his mom drove him to school. It was like the third time they had moved in five years and he wasn't very happy about it. This time it was to some place called Lake Charmanie in Northern California. His stepdad had gotten a new job there as district sales manager for a software firm, forcing them to leave San Bernardino behind, along with his friends. Though his mom swore this was the last time they would move before he went off to college, Lex had heard it all before. And since he was only sixteen, it could be agonizing waiting to see if he would be pulled out of another school for who knew where.
"I know it will take some time, but you'll like it here," his mom, Linda Montoya, promised, as though reading his mind.
"Yeah, whatever." He wasn't sure he would like living anywhere that didn't include his real dad. But since his parents had divorced two years ago, and were both remarried now, Lex had pretty much given up hope they could put their problems behind them and get back together.
"All I'm asking is that you give it a chance."
"And what if I hate it?" Lex challenged her. "Can we move back to San Bernardino? Or San Jose?" The latter was where he'd grown up and had the most fun, even if it seemed like a lifetime ago.
"You know we can't do that," Linda said, frowning.
"So what difference does it make whether I like it here or not, since my vote doesn't seem to count for much?"
"Because I love you and want you to be happy. Will you at least try for me?"
Lex said nothing as she pulled up in front of the school. "I have to go."
"I'll pick you up this afternoon."
"Don't. I'll walk home," he said.
"It's a pretty good walk."
Lex shrugged. "It's no big deal." In fact, he'd walked farther when they lived in San Jose. This would give him a better chance to get used to his surroundings, for better or worse.
He got out of the Subaru Legacy his mom had bought last month and watched briefly as she drove off.
Carrying his backpack, Lex looked at the sign on the main building: Charmanie Hills High School. It was smaller than his last school, but had a more modern look about it.
He passed by other students, trying not to stand out too much as the new kid in school. But he imagined that would be difficult, given that he seemed to stand out wherever he was. Probably because he wore his short dark hair parted on the side and had slightly crooked brows. Or maybe it was his height, since he was already six-two. Even his clothes, which weren't always the most trendy, set him apart.
Still, he just wanted to fit in as much as possible. He stepped inside the assistant principal's office.
The red-haired woman in her forties stood. "Hi, you must be Lex Haskell."
"Yeah," he acknowledged.
"I'm Mrs. Perone, the assistant principal and academic liaison for freshman and sophomores. I'll help you with your schedule, and I'm also avai
lable for counseling."
Lex cracked a grin. "Looks like you do everything."
She laughed. "Pretty much."
He got a quick orientation, having missed the formal one, then picked up his student identification card and schedule, got his locker information, and was ready to give it a go.
"If you have any problems, I'm always here," Mrs. Perone told him.
He didn't anticipate needing her for anything. "Okay."
In the hall, things had picked up with students freely moving about in both directions. Lex easily joined the flow and went to look for his locker.
He was stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a girl approaching who looked an awful lot like Taylor Clawson, a girl he used to know in elementary school. But that was like what, six years ago, when he last saw her. They were both in fifth grade and he was crazy about her, having shared two kisses and lots of hand holding when no one else was looking.
But that all came to an end when he and his parents moved, leaving behind Lex's first love, whom he never saw again. So was this her? In Lake Charmanie, of all places?
If so, she had changed a lot and all for the better. She was beautiful. He guessed she was around five-six, definitely shapely, and had long black hair. Was it really his Taylor?
Or just a pretty good imitation of what she might have looked like after six years?
Only one way to find out...
He veered off course to step in front of her. "Excuse me, but are you Taylor Clawson?"
She batted curly lashes at him above big sable eyes, showing no sign of recognition. "Yes, who are you?"
"It's me—Lex Haskell. We were in grade school together."
She cocked a brow. "Sorry, I don't remember you."
Lex found that hard to believe. Yes, he looked different from when he was ten, but not that much different. And his name hadn't changed. He was just about to try to jar her memory when a guy about his height, but more muscular, with a shaved head, walked up to them and put his arm around her shoulders.
Her Teen Dream Page 16
