Bouncing

by Jaime Maddox

  Unless they stopped it now. If Alex confronted him, would it piss him off and put Kelsey in danger? Or would he walk away, not wanting to risk trouble himself?

  “I don’t know what to do, Coach.”

  Alex had no clue, either. “Let me think about this, okay? I’d like to discuss this with Coach Dodge. She’s pretty smart, and two heads are better than one.”

  Kelsey turned pale and her voice cracked. “Please, don’t.”

  Alex frowned. Brit would help her put this in perspective and find the best answer to the problem. “Are you sure? You two are so close. I know how much she cares about you. She’s been worried about you and she’ll want to help.”

  “I can’t face her, Coach. I’ve let her down. After all she’s done for me—helping me with my game, helping me study—I just can’t.”

  “Kelsey, Coach Dodge is a good person. She’ll forgive you.”

  “Do you still think she’ll forgive me when she finds out I was buying her exams?”

  Alex’s jaw dropped. “Oh. Shit.”

  “Yeah, that about sums it up.”

  Kelsey reached into her backpack and pulled out a white envelope and handed it to Alex. It was business size, white, and had two words printed on the front. Dodge / Bio.

  Alex set the envelope on her desk and stared at it. She was almost afraid to touch it, for all the power it held. If she opened it, there was no turning back. Perhaps there was no turning back anyway.

  “So this is tomorrow’s exam?” she asked. How the hell did this happen? Brit had just finished it the night before.

  “Yes.”

  “How did you get it?”

  “I meet the guy after school, usually before practice.”

  “He comes in the school?”

  “Yeah. He’s a student.”

  Alex was dumbfounded. A high-school student fixing her games and blackmailing her player. What next? Somehow, though, it made Alex feel a little bit better to think she was dealing with a student, a small-time criminal rather than some sinister citizen at large. She had plenty of experience handling students.

  “We have to confront him, Kelz. After practice. You and me.” Alex decided Kelsey was right about telling Brit. It was a bad idea. Brit would be crushed by this news, and with the stress she’d been under about her mom, this might push her over the edge.

  Kelsey nodded. “Okay.”

  “Do you know where he lives?”

  “Yeah. Near Mountain Meadows. He usually sells exams after school, so he might not be home until later.”

  “How about eight?”

  “Okay.”

  “Go practice.”

  She closed the door behind her, and Alex crumpled into her desk chair, closing her eyes. This was the worst day of her career. Possibly the worst day of her life. “Fuck, what now?” she mumbled as her phone rang and an unfamiliar number flashed on the screen. Hoping that maybe she’d just won the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, she answered it.

  “Coach Dalton, this is Troy Rittenhouse from Florida. I’m calling to see if you’re interested in coaching here. And, of course, we’d like you to bring Kelsey with you. What do you think?”

  This was about the twentieth call from Rittenhouse. Clearly, he was interested in Kelsey. And her. How quickly would that interest fade if he heard the news Kelsey had just shared? Alex breathed deeply through her mouth as her entire body started shaking. Fortunately, she was still sitting, because she wasn’t certain her legs would hold her at the moment. “Oh, hi!” she said in greeting, feigning a delight that was so removed from her real feelings it was almost comical. “It’s looking pretty good, Coach.”

  *

  “How are you? I didn’t see you all day, and I’m personally going through withdrawal.” Brit’s eyes twinkled as she smiled at Alex.

  Alex hung up her coat and turned to Brit. In spite of her miserable day, her return smile was genuine. Brit had that power over her. And just maybe, Brit was coming out of her funk.

  She still wouldn’t tell Brit her plans, though. The news about the exams would crush Brit. And quite probably, Brit would try to stop her from doing what she needed to do.

  Alex needed to solve this problem, and she needed a few hours on her own to do it. But how to get away from the woman you love without raising suspicion?

  She decided to borrow a page from Brit’s book to do it. “I’m feeling a little under the weather,” she lied.

  “Oh, no! Is it the flu? I heard there were a ton of students out of school because it’s going around.”

  “I don’t know. I want to run down to the urgent care to get checked. I don’t like to take any chances.”

  Concern was written all over Brit’s face, and it made Alex feel like shit to worry her. Brit’s bright eyes narrowed just a little as they studied Alex. “You don’t look too bad, but yes, you should get checked. I’ll go with you.”

  Shit! Alex thought. Of course Brit would want to go with her. “No, you don’t have to do that. I want to rest for a little while, and then I’ll head down there in a couple of hours, after the crowd clears out.”

  “Do you want to rest here?” Brit asked.

  “Yeah,” Alex said.

  They had leftovers for dinner, and then Alex crawled into Brit’s bed. She wasn’t sick, but the stress of everything was getting to her, and exhaustion quickly overcame her and she dozed off. An hour later, she was surprised when Brit gently shook her shoulder to awaken her.

  She brushed the gunk from her teeth, guiltily kissed Brit good-bye, and met Kelsey as planned near the golf course. Kelsey directed her to a newer development near her parents’ house, into a hidden drive of a large house built in the mature woods on a mountainside. Lights were on, and two cars were parked in a driveway that had room for eight.

  “That’s his car,” Kelsey said.

  Alex parked and hopped out without speaking. The closer she got to this moment, the angrier she became. She wasted no time ringing the doorbell, and by the time someone answered the door, she was ready to lock horns.

  She was shocked when she saw the face of the young man who opened the door.

  “Miss Dalton!” he said.

  “Wes. Hi!” She’d taught Wes the year before.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, but before she could answer, the boy she’d come to see appeared behind him.

  “I think she’s here for me,” P.J. announced.

  Alex met his gaze. “Are you P.J?”

  He nodded.

  “Are your parents home? I think it’s time I talk to them.”

  Wes answered. “No, they’re both at work. Why? What’s going on?” The concern in his voice was evident even as he eyed his brother suspiciously. “P., are you in some kind of trouble?”

  “Let’s sit down,” he said, showing a composure Alex envied at the moment. She was ready to pass out from the stress of the day.

  “Yes, please come in,” Wes said, and Alex introduced Kelsey.

  “P.J.! What’s going on?” Wes demanded before they’d had a chance to sit in the formal sitting room just off the main entrance hall.

  “The Man is blackmailing Kelsey,” he said simply.

  “What? Why? Why didn’t you tell me?” Wes looked confused.

  “He’s blackmailing her ’cause she bought some exams. He thinks she’s going to be a big WNBA star one day, so he wants to get his hooks into her now.”

  “Fuck!”

  Alex looked at Kelsey. She looked just as confused as Alex felt. “Would you two mind telling us what you’re talking about? And do your parents know what you’re doing?”

  Suddenly, P.J. stood and pointed at Alex. “You can’t tell my parents, Coach. You don’t understand. The Man is not a nice guy. I don’t know what he’d do, and it scares me to even think about it.”

  Alex looked at both of them. “Who’s The Man?”

  “The guy I work for. I sell exams and collect sports bets for him.” He laughed at Alex, who didn’t
hide her surprise. “What, you think I thought of this racket all by myself? Nah, I’m not that smart. I’m just the courier.”

  Alex’s mouth was dry as her mind raced. It couldn’t be, could it?

  “P.J., what’s this guy’s name?” she asked, fearing the answer.

  He stared mutely in response.

  “It’s Greg Merck, isn’t it?”

  “You can’t talk to him, Coach! He’ll kill me. He’ll think I told you.”

  “No, he won’t. Everyone knows Greg runs the gambling.”

  Alex’s mind was spinning. How could it be that someone from such a reputable family had sunk so low? That someone she considered a friend was fixing her games? Then she realized the novelty of her position. She might have felt less offended if a stranger had been behind this, but she wouldn’t have felt as confident that she could handle it. She’d been beating Greg since they were kids—first at kickball and tag and later at tennis and golf. She could handle him now, too.

  “Are you sure?” Wes asked.

  “I know Greg. I’ll take care of this.”

  P.J. looked at her with a hopeful expression. “Really? ’Cuz he usually doesn’t take no for an answer.”

  “Trust me.”

  Minutes later, Alex dropped Kelsey off at the club. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she drove back the way she came, into the same development where P.J. lived, and into the last driveway on the quiet street. The house was a big modern brick structure, boasting of its owner’s wealth and prestige. She knew Greg had purchased it just a few years before, and it infuriated her to think how he’d come up with the money. She jumped on him when he answered the door.

  “What the fuck are you doing, selling tests and fixing my games?”

  Alex was nearly as tall as Greg, but he outweighed her by at least fifty pounds, and as he pushed her aside and slammed the door behind her, she felt suddenly small beside him. It hadn’t occurred to her that she might be inviting danger by confronting him, but as she stood next to him, she felt the vulnerability of her situation. She stood tall anyway and met his gaze.

  “This isn’t your business, Alex!” he said, and the fire in his eyes and bright-red shade of his face caused Alex to step back. She didn’t back down, though. She was mad, too.

  “The hell it isn’t! This is my school and my player we’re dealing with! My team you want to bring down.”

  He held his arms out and his palms up. “Who cares about cheating? Everyone cheats. And no one gives a shit about your little high-school team.”

  “No? What about education, Greg? Students are there to learn something, to prepare for their futures. And they shouldn’t be gambling at their age. That’s how they become addicted and ruin their lives.”

  “I want them to gamble, Alex. That’s how I make money. And education is overrated.”

  “You make me sick.” She spat the words.

  “Who cares?”

  “Greg, I’m telling you to stop this. Get out of the exam business, take your gambling out of the high school, and leave these kids alone. Leave Kelsey alone.”

  He glared at her, and she could see the pulse beating in his neck. “That’s not gonna happen. But because we’re friends, I’ll let your girl off the hook. Now get the fuck outta my house and don’t you ever interfere in my business again.”

  Alex shook her head in disgust. “Does your dad know about this? He built the bakery from nothing, and you’re risking it all for this? To corrupt kids?”

  “The bakery hasn’t made money since Wegmans opened twenty years ago! All the money’s in gambling. And now in exams. And as far as my dad goes—he turned this business over to me. I’m in charge now, and I’m doing this my way.”

  Alex shook her head, pleading. “This is wrong, Greg.”

  “Yeah, well, thanks for stopping by, Alex. I’ll see you around.”

  With one hand on her back guiding her, he practically threw her through the front door. Suddenly anxious to get as far away from Greg as she could, Alex practically ran to the car, and when she tried to key the ignition, she realized how badly her hands were shaking. Minutes later, she had to force her legs to carry her from the parking lot to Brit’s apartment. She wanted to call Kelsey, but she didn’t think she could dial the phone. Her encounter with Greg had rattled her that badly.

  “What did the doctor say?” a worried Brit asked her as she helped Alex out of her coat and kissed her cheek.

  “Everything’s fine,” Alex lied as she wrapped her arms tightly around Brit and tried hard not to tremble.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Nothing but Trouble

  Alex was surprised by how well she slept after all that had happened, but she awakened feeling refreshed. That was good, because she had a million things to deal with. She wished she’d never have to see Greg again, and even though it’d be impossible to avoid him totally, she’d minimize contact until the desire to punch him faded. She had to deal with Kelsey, and she wasn’t sure what to do. There was no official school policy on buying exams and shaving points, so Alex could really manage the situation as she saw fit. She hoped to use that flexibility to her advantage.

  And Brit seemed to be doing better. Alex kissed her good morning, then good-bye, and headed home for her shower. She dressed and was walking into her kitchen for a yogurt when the sight of her brother sitting on her couch startled her.

  Alex stopped, her heart pounding in her throat. This couldn’t be good. “What’s wrong?”

  “What the hell’s wrong with you? Why would you do that to Greg?”

  Andrew didn’t raise his voice; they might as well have been talking about the weather. She did, though.

  “How can you defend him? Do you know he’s trying to fix my games? Pushing gambling in school? And selling tests to kids?”

  “Grow up, Alex. He’s not pushing anything. He’s giving them what they want. And if he doesn’t, someone else will.”

  “Andrew, this is wrong, and it’s illegal, and he should stop.”

  He stood and turned toward the door. “I’m warning you, Alex. Mind your own business.”

  Alex didn’t get it. Why the hell would her brother care about Greg’s illegal activities? It wasn’t like they were close friends. Sure, they knew each other—all the kids who’d grown up at the club did. And then a sick feeling overcame her. Just as he reached for the doorknob she spoke. “What the hell are you doing? You have a good job with Dad. Why get messed up in something like this?”

  He turned his head. “You think I have a good job? Huh, that’s a joke. Try living on the sixty grand a year Dad pays me!”

  “Hey, that’s more than I make and I’m doing fine.”

  “You live above a garage. For free! I have a wife, and a house, and—unlike you—one day I’ll have a family to support. The dry-cleaning business isn’t going to do it. And as far as Dad’s dream about the liquor licenses—it’s pie in the sky. Lots of guys with money contribute to political campaigns. There’s no guarantee we’ll get a license. I need to take care of me!”

  “Then get a job. Start a business, like Grampa did. Don’t become a hoodlum!”

  “I never thought you were such a prude,” he said as he walked through the door.

  Her day didn’t get any better. Most of the students seemed to linger in snow-day mode, with minds unfocused on class. Every player on the team made her way to Alex’s classroom to talk strategy for that night’s game, increasing Alex’s anxiety about benching her star. Fortunately, the opposition wasn’t one of the better teams in the league, and Alex hoped she could pull off a win even if she decided to bench Kelsey.

  Before she left for the day, a text caught her attention. It was from Wes. He needed to talk.

  What now? Alex agreed to meet him at the coffee shop.

  The coffee and pastry she purchased held no appeal, but for the sake of appearances, Alex took a sip as she slipped into a corner booth. “What’s up?” she asked.

  Wes shook his head, and Alex sa
w fire in his eyes. “We have to stop this guy, Coach.”

  “Who?”

  “Greg Merck.”

  “What? He agreed to back off.”

  “Maybe he backed off on your player, but he’s putting the heat on my brother. I thought P. was done with the exams. That’s what he told me, anyway. He only got into selling them because he owed Merck money from gambling. When he paid his debt, he was supposed to be free. Then Merck changed the plan, and what could P.J. do? He had to go along. But that’s not bad enough. He graduates in May, and he thought he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Your friend Merck just snuffed it out.”

  “How so?”

  “P.J.’s been planning to go to Penn State. It’s always been his dream, and he got accepted into the engineering program at the main campus in State College. But today Greg ‘suggested’ P. go to Pocono Mountains University so he can work for him. Greg wants to expand his gambling and exam racket to the local colleges and wants him to run the operation.”

  “Fuck.” Alex thought she’d convinced Greg to lay off the students—and maybe he had. Maybe he’d shift his business to the colleges instead. Either way it wasn’t good for P.J.

  “You have to help me. Help P.J. Help these kids. They’re stealing to get money for gambling. They’re getting hooked. They’re jeopardizing their futures.”

  Alex studied him. He looked so much older than she remembered him, but she supposed he’d aged in the past months. Hell, she felt like she’d aged overnight. Knowing Wes spoke the truth, Alex bit her lip and sucked in a breath. Before confronting Greg she’d Googled teenage gambling and was dumbfounded when she learned about the enormity of the problem. Not only were kids getting into trouble, but they were much more likely to become addicted gamblers if they started young. Trouble with gambling would cause them to lose their homes and their jobs and sometimes their lives. Her childhood friend was helping them get started.

  Greg had always been a decent guy. Sure, he’d been collecting bets for his dad since he was big enough to walk, but it’d always been an innocent sort of illegal activity. Nobody pressured anyone to bet or had trouble collecting—everyone put their money up front. A five-dollar bet on college football games could win you fifty if all your teams came out on top. Gambling made the games more interesting, and winning was fun. Why did he have to push this into the schools and get kids involved? And selling the exams was completely wrong. While Alex could bend her ethics to defend the gambling—at least where adults were concerned—no amount of magic or smoke and mirrors could change her view on selling exams. Or trying to fix her games.