8: Tyler (1/2)
8. Tyler
Once drama class is over, I walk quickly out of the cafeteria, heading for my locker. I'm inches—mere seconds—away from my locker when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
I turn around and stagger back on instinct to get away from the unknown presence.
Coach Artegon holds his hands up, leaning back a little to give me some space. He gives me a welcoming smile. I haven't seen that smile in almost an entire year.
”Sorry to startle you,” he says.
”It's okay,” I murmur.
Coach Artegon stares at me for a moment. ”Football season's started,” he says
”Yeah, I know.”
”Well I just wanted to tell you that we'll still accept you if you decide to try out late. We're not meant to, but . . . you had potential, Tyler. Huge potential. You were the captain.”
”Yeah, well, I don't think I'll be trying out this year, but thanks for the offer,” I say.
He just shakes his head and is about to walk away but he stops. ”If you need help getting through something, Tyler, there are people you can talk to. If you can't talk to your parents, then you can talk to me or someone else in the school. You're not . . . you're not as alone as you think.”
”Is that all?” I ask.
Coach nods, and lets out a long breath. He's disappointed. I watch as he turns and walks away. There are people walking around in the hallways but fewer than before. I look away and reach for my locker.
As I turn the dial, something catches my eye at the end of the hallway and I look up. Ethan stands, leaning against a wall where there are no people. He meets my eyes and tilts his head back, indicating for me to come over.
I let go of my lock. I walk quickly towards Ethan and stop right in front of him, leaning against the same wall, mainly to hide him from anyone that might come around.
”What are doing here?” I ask.
”Did you steal money?” Ethan asks, his face void of any emotion.
He does this often—his face will be blank and completely calm but inside a war will be raging.
”What do you mean?” I ask. ”From you?”
”No, Carl,” Ethan clarifies and then runs a hand down his face, glancing around the school hallways nervously. ”Come on, let's talk outside.”
He turns and takes the stairs two at a time until he reaches the top and walks out of the school's back door without even a glance back at me. I follow, his words going round in my head. Steal money? Why would he immediately suspect me?
Ethan leans against the brick wall of the school and I stand in front of him, feeling the sun glare down on my back.
”Why do you think I have anything to do with it?” I ask. ”It's probably just a mix-up with numbers.”
”Tyler.” Ethan sighs and rolls his head back until it hits the wall behind him. ”He's missing two grand.” A dark look covers his face. ”That much money doesn't just go missing.”
”Well, why are you telling me this?” I ask. ”I had nothing to do with it, Ethan. You should know that. I'm not into playing dirty or fucking around with Carl's cash. I just want out.”
”That's the thing,” Ethan says and then shakes his head with a humorless chuckle. ”You're an easy target. I told you, Tyler. I told you that anyone would be stupid to not use you as an easy way to back out of a problem.”
”What do you mean? You think that someone took Carl's money and framed me?”
”I know that someone took Carl's money and framed you, idiot,” Ethan growls. ”Someone was bound to do it. You want out of the circuit, Carl doesn't let you, so you take some of his money and run. Convincing story.”
My face pales. ”And does Carl believe it?”
”I don't know,” he says. ”But others do. They think you made a runner.”
”It's not their business,” I say. ”What does it have to do with me?”
”That two grand would pay the others if they win a fight,” Ethan explains. ”Now Carl's down two grand, someone doesn't get paid. And that someone will want to blame someone. And that someone is you.”
”But it wasn't me!” I exclaim.
”That doesn't matter!” Ethan surges forward, his face looming over mine. ”They think you took the money. It doesn't matter if you show up with evidence that you didn't. They have a target and it's a reasonable one. They'll kill you for this, Tyler.”
”Well, then, who framed me?” I ask.
Ethan shrugs. ”It could be any of them. That isn't your concern right now. Your concern is making sure that you're not easily in their line of fire. They think you took the boss's money, Tyler. As a result, they think you took their paycheck. You're dead to them.”
”They wouldn't really kill me, would they?” I ask.
Ethan looks at me for a moment and then shrugs, taking a cigarette out of a packet from his pocket and lighting it up. ”I don't know. You're the one that fights them on a daily basis. You think they're capable of killing?”
They're more than capable of killing.
***
When the last bell rings for the day, I slam my locker door shut and nearly jump out my skin when I see a ginger girl standing in the place where my open door had been. I close my eyes and breathe for a few moments before opening them back up, glaring at the girl.
”What?” I ask with obvious hostility.