33. Tyler
33
Tyler
Lizzy’s death hit Rory like a freight train. It affected each of us in different ways. I may have only lived with the Giordano family for a few weeks now, but I could see the paradigm shift in the house. Carmen and Lizzy always bickered over frivolous things. They enjoyed pushing each other’s buttons, especially sharing a bedroom. Rory was a good big sister, and always kept the peace and was the rock whenever her little sisters needed her. Franco and Lorenzo seemed dedicated to their job and enjoyed playing video games or watching sports at home. Sofia was a strong-willed woman who didn’t take anyone’s crap. All her kids worshipped her, and I never heard anyone give her any sass.
Rory was sweet, tough, and beautiful. In a way, Rory was like marble, so mesmerizing with its different patterns and almost Supergirl-like strength.
The Giordano family felt like they were going through troubled waters sometimes. When I walked into a room, there would be whispers and silence. Maybe it was a need to know, but it felt strange nonetheless.
Now, everything was different. With Lizzy gone, Carmen glued herself to their mother’s side. Sofia turned into a broken shell, refusing to go to work.
At first, I thought this was a funk that would slowly change over time, but it lasted after Lizzy’s funeral. The Giordano family had become a family of zombies.
When my father died, I felt guilty for not being there for him. It was scary watching life leave the body. Lizzy, more so, after all the blood loss, but to see a body without their soul inside, without the light in their eyes, it was something that would haunt a person forever.
Rory has been avoiding me since I found the gun in her glovebox. She talked to a handful of people at the wake and slipped out before I could question her. It never occurred to me that she could do something reckless or dangerous, but I also never thought a little girl would get shot in her front yard.
Tonight's dinner was spaghetti, but everyone moved their food around without tasting a bite. I didn't feel comfortable eating so I took my plate and excused myself from the table.
Rory was already locked inside her room. While passing by, I heard her talking to someone. She sounded angry, saying something like, “I know I’m right about this. Why can’t you stand with me?”
Who is she talking to? What is she involved in?
Abandoning my plate on my dresser, I sat on the floor and pressed my ear against the wall we shared.
“Okay, I’m listening. Who else could’ve done it?” Rory demanded. I could hear her pacing in her room. Her footsteps were heavy, like she had on boots, and her breaths quick like she was running for her life.
It was silent as the person on the other end spoke.
“The Russians? Come on, they know better than to do this.”
Russians? What would they have to do with anything?
She spoke again, “The Chinese and Irish don’t make sense. It’s been years since they’ve done business in Arizona.”
Chinese? Irish? Is she talking about restaurants? Languages? Cultures?
A cold chill ran down my back.
Could she be talking about gangs? No worse, mobs? The mafia? Crime families? I saw the Godfather . They were Italian, and they did shifty and shady things.
“The Mexican cartel is a maybe, but driving by in the morning to shoot a child doesn’t sound like their style. They’re more about cutting off heads.” She took a breath. “So that leaves my theory—”
She punched the wall I had my ear pressed to, scaring the shit out of me. I blinked and covered my mouth to keep myself quiet as I resumed eavesdropping.
“Don’t talk over me, Chloe! You know I hate that. I’m right about this. I need proof then you’ll understand.” Her voice was haunting, like a warning before the real storm hit.
I’ve never heard Rory so angry and dismissive of her friends like that. Who was this girl on the other side of the wall?
Rory sighed and hit the wall again. It wasn’t as loud this time. It sounded like she banged her head against it. “I know. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
A couple of moments went by and Rory broke down crying. I wanted to speak up and say something encouraging or share a joke to lift her spirits, but then she’d know I listened to her conversion.
Why was she so short with Chloe? Why did she have a gun? What was Rory capable of? At what lengths would Rory stop to get the answers she needed?
I moved away from the wall. I couldn’t listen to her whimper and not help or comfort her in some small way.
My appetite died. I tossed the spaghetti into the trash can next to my desk. To escape my thoughts, I laid on my bed and listened to music through my headphones, trying to drown out all the questions flooding my brain. I needed to quiet the voices linking Rory to crime families, to mobsters, to the mafia.
Rory couldn’t be involved in a mafia.
A good girl.
A good girl with a golden heart.
A good girl with a broken heart.
A lost girl with a lot of dark secrets.
A troubled girl with a taste for danger.
Maybe I didn’t know anything about Aurora. Maybe I never did.
The new routine in the house left a foul taste in my mouth. Rory drove herself to school. Sofia dropped off Carmen and then went to work, taking Franco and Lorenzo with her. I was always the last one to leave. Sometimes, I’d stop and look at the spot where Lizzy was shot. All the evidence washed away, but I could still see her lying there helpless when I closed my eyes.
James hit the side of my back. “Are you looking forward to tonight?”
I closed my locker and tried to remember what tonight was. “Yeah?” I answered, having no clue what we were talking about.
He tapped the side of his temple. “Don’t you remember we’re playin’ Lincoln High, bro? Where’s your head?”
“That’s tonight? Shit.” I shook my head and hit myself on the forehead with a closed fist. “Life’s been a blur since Lizzy passed.”
James squeezed my shoulder. “I bet, man. I can’t believe the shit you’ve been through.”
Rory walked by her with friends. I stared after her, hoping she’d turn and look back. She kept moving like I was nothing but another face in the crowd.
James must’ve watched her pass by as well. “The pain she must be goin’ through has to be indescribable.”
I tugged on my earlobe. “Yeah. It’s been rough. I’ll see you at practice?” This conversation needed to be over.
“Hell yeah! We’re hitting the court as soon as school’s over to score some extra hoops before Lincoln rolls in with their losing asses. For the first time, South Ridge will win a championship!” We bumped fists and pulled in for a quick side hug. “Get your head screwed on right, aite man? We need you to win this.”
“For the gold trophy,” I said, forcing a smile onto my face. It felt more like a coat hook stuck in my mouth.
“For that trophy!” James hollered, running down the hall, chanting like a lunatic.
“Just what I need, more stress,” I muttered, walking toward my next class.
I knew the game with Lincoln was coming up and I had stomach ulcers to prove my angst. Sometimes, I woke up in a cold sweat after dreaming about losing to Lincoln and Quincy mocking me, saying I’d never achieve anything now that I was a Mustang.
With everything that’s happened, I spaced the game. I forgot about the state championship, and that was something I thought about every day back in Scottsdale.
I couldn’t focus on anything my teachers said; it all sounded like the adults in those Peanuts cartoons.
Soon enough, the final bell rang, and I slipped into the boys’ restroom to splash cool water onto my face before I went to practice. The toilet on the far end by the wall flushed. Shit. I’m not alone.
The stall door flung open and out walked Paolo. He wiped the side of his nose with his thumb and stood beside me as he washed his hands. He had this sick, morbid smirk and a murderous glee in his eyes. We stared at each other for a long moment in the mirror.
“Shame what happened to Aurora’s baby sister,” he said in a tone cold as death.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood. It felt like evil was standing beside me.
I moved to grab a couple of paper towels, drying off my face and hands. “Yes. It is. She was a sweet little girl.”
“It’s a pity some people pay for crimes others commit.” He grabbed a paper towel and shouldered past me toward the door.
“Excuse me?” I said, clenching my teeth.
“Forget it.” He tossed the paper towel and leaned his shoulder against the tiled wall. “Tonight’s the big game against Lincoln. You think you’re going to pussy out in front of your old teammates? Don’t they know all your signature moves?”
First, this asshole dared to bring up Lizzy, and now he’s trying to psyche me out about the game? Screw this dickwad.
“Nah. You got it wrong, man. I know all their moves. Tonight should be easy.”
“Guess we’ll see. They did make it this far without ya, didn’t they?” He chuckled as he pulled open the door and walked out.
I cursed under my breath. I’m not going to let that asshole get under my skin. I had enough problems with the voices in my head.
After popping my neck and rolling my shoulders, I was ready for practice. Lincoln was going to fall, and so was every former teammate who overlooked me because I moved to a different zip code. It was time they all saw what Tyler Winston was made of.
“Yo, Ty! It’s time we tear the court up one last time before we put Lincoln in their place,” James called out, smacking the brick wall as he half-hung in the locker room’s doorway. We had ten minutes to warm up, as did Lincoln, before the gym opened for the crowd, and this party finally started.
I gave him a forced smile and hit my fist to the palm of my hand. “Right. Let’s hit it.”
We warmed up with stretches and jogging in place to get our blood pumping, then moved on to running in a line, tossing the ball to each other to shoot a basket before passing it to the next guy. I missed my shot from only inches away.
Bryce hit my shoulder as I ran to rejoin the line. “What planet are you on, Ty?”
Not this one, obviously. I hated to admit it, but I was worried about seeing Quincy and everyone else. Afraid of who might make an appearance in the crowd. Like a girl I once called mine in a different life.
The Lincoln High Mountain Lions poured out of their locker room, and we shared the court for last-minute exercises. They stayed on their half of the court, and we stayed on ours. We didn’t say anything to each other. It was as if there was an invisible wall separating us. Well, maybe for the other Mustangs. As for me, I glanced at Lincoln and saw Quincy pounding fists with some of the guys. They were all smiles. I remembered the shit we’d say with those devilish grins. We swore up and down we had the game in the bag, and in some ways, we were already celebrating.
Quincy must’ve felt my gaze because he turned his head and stopped short, almost tripping over his giant feet. If we were in a cartoon, his jaw would’ve hit the floor. There were two options, I could play it off like I was a badass or a coward. I didn’t want to be ashamed of being a Mustang. We needed this win. I needed to know I had a purpose without all the bells and whistles of being a senator’s son.
Quincy looked away first. I cracked my knuckles and joined my team on the floor for pushups. The hairs on my arms rose. I knew Quincy whispered to everyone and pointed at me. The traitor. The best player who flipped. The guy who fell from grace and ended up here.
Bryce hit me on the back. “C’mon, man. Let’s go to the locker room.”
I followed and refused to look behind me. It would hurt too much to see the evil glares or whatever hateful hand signals my former teammates wanted to send my way.
Christian caught up with me in the locker room. “How you doin’, man?”
I shrugged. “I’m good. Why?”
He sat on the bench, retying his shoelaces. “I know Lincoln is getting to ya. That was your school. Those were your boys. It’s different seeing them in person than thinking about facing them. Are you sure you’re gonna be okay to play?”
My teammates were worried and thought I needed to be benched from the biggest game of my high school career. Could this get any worse?
I took a deep breath. “I'll admit it’s weird to see them as the opposing team.” I pinched my jersey. “But I’m a Mustang now, and I’m not letting any of you down.”
Christian’s eyebrow dipped and his mouth drew into a line as a serious look came over his face. “Don’t let them talk shit. They want you to screw up. They know you’re a good player and know all their moves. The only chance they have trippin’ you up and make you miss. You gotta show ‘em you don’t need those damn Mountain Lions anymore. Now you’re a wild Mustang!” He stood, and we bumped fists.
I let out a ragged breath. “No pressure, right?”
He patted my shoulder. “Yeah, man. I know. Just focus and keep your head straight. I’ll make sure that ball makes it into the hoop every time. Don’t ya worry.”
James came by and gave me a water bottle. “You good?”
I nodded, accepting the water.
He looked at Christian as if to have it confirmed. “He’s good,” Christian said.
James looked at me for a second. “Alright. Let’s win this. That trophy is screaming our names!”
Everyone in the locker room howled and banged their locker doors. It’s time my head was in this game. I pounded on my locker and joined in.
We jogged in place, waiting for the South Ridge Mustangs to be called out onto the court. The doors opened fifteen minutes ago. Fans were ready to watch a make-or-break game.
Our team was called. We all ran out in a single file line. Christian stopped me from leaving by holding his arm up. “If you don’t feel like you’re in the right headspace, I get it. Just pass the ball. Don’t try to be a hero and screw this up. Got it?”
The band played our fight song. “I’m good.” Christian nodded and hit my arm. We ran out onto the court. I looked at the bleachers and couldn’t find Rory with the band. Her seat was empty.
The bleachers were full, and excitement radiated from the crowd. A few people were standing by the back walls to get a peek at the game. The gym was divided by colors: black and gold for Lincoln on one side and purple and white for South Ridge on the other. People held banners and posters sporting their school pride. Right off the court were the TV crews.
I scanned the side where Lincoln had their fans and found Iris on the first bleacher in a gold dress with her long legs crossed. In her hands was a glittery sign reading: I love #52 . That number belonged to Malik. They deserved each other. They were both backstabbing assholes. Iris leaned over to whisper something into Anne’s ear. Her eyes found me, and she froze. Anne glanced over her shoulder, and she, too, stared at me like I had a second head, but I turned my back on them.
I did a quick scan of South Ridge’s side and found Rory sitting on the bleachers next to her friends. She wore a purple shirt, but that’s where her school spirit ended. Chloe held her hand, but it was more like she was holding a leash, keeping Rory from getting up and running away. Rory looked enraged with her forehead pushed together, a sharp glare that could kill a man, and her lips pulled down into a frown. We locked eyes for a moment. She looked away, using her hair to shield her face.
I couldn’t worry about her right now. I needed to keep my focus on the game.
Lincoln High came out, and South Ridge’s fans booed and someone threw popcorn onto the court. A teacher got up and shouted at the troublemaker.
All I heard was my heart pounding as we stood in our positions. I refused to choke on my pride. I needed to win this for my team and myself so I could prove to the world I wasn’t broken or defeated.
By the flip of a coin, Lincoln got the ball first. The referee took center court and blew his whistle, starting the game. Malik tossed Quincy the ball, and he ducked and weaved his way to the hoop, making the shot.
Damn, that happened fast.
When I got the ball, Quincy blocked me, matching every move I made like he was my shadow. “You’re a damn Mustang now? Fuck, you really have fallen, playing with these trailer trash kids.”
I licked my lips and side-eyed Christian. He was open. “Like being a Mountain Lion is any better? At least here I know who my friends are, and my girl doesn’t cheat on me.”
Quincy looked doubtful. He snorted and continued his jab, “You slingin’ dope now, too?”
I faked moving to the left and leaped to the right, tossing the ball over Quincy’s head to Christian. He caught it and ran down the court, making the perfect shot, nothing but net.
Quincy flared his nostrils, and I laughed, saying, “Dude, you’re off your game. You’re getting rusty.”
Moments later, Quincy hit my shoulder with his hand, trying to steal the ball. The referee blew his whistle, calling it a foul.
Christian hit my arm, nodding toward the basket. “This is where you show them.”
I nodded, walking over to the free-throw line. Lincoln booed, and I heard Iris scream, “Winston, you’re nothing now! Give it up!”
I licked my lips and tuned them out; it was nothing but me and the ball. I jumped up and shot, scoring two points.
It wasn’t long until I was facing off with Malik. He bounced the ball between his hands and spat at me, “Who did you beg to join this crappy team? This school won’t get you into college ball. You’ll be giving me fries when I cruise by McDonald’s.”
I blocked out his voice and watched the rhythm of the basketball bouncing from Malik’s hand back to the floor. I found the flaw and took advantage, stealing the ball, I ran down to the net, scoring more points.
The crowd cheered, chanting, “Go Mustangs!” and “South Ridge!”
I shouldered past Malik. “You forget I’m the best, and South Ridge is in the finals right now if you haven’t noticed. Maybe you should take that foot out of your mouth.”
He stared daggers at me, muttering as he jogged back to join his team.
Now, we were tied twenty-seven to twenty-seven at halftime.
I glanced at Rory, but she wouldn’t look at me. Chloe gave me a small smile and flashed me a thumbs-up. I bit back my disappointment and joined my team in the locker room. I needed to chug ice-cold water, and we needed a battle plan for the rest of the game.
Coach Grant clapped his hands, grabbing our attention. “This game is tough, but we’re tougher! We’ve been through a lot this season and now here we stand at state. Let’s take a moment to absorb this.”
We stood in silence, listening to the crowd chant our name.
“Now, let’s go kick some ass!” Coach Grant cheered, gesturing for the door.
My teammates ran out hollering, and Coach blocked me from following.
“Everything alright?” I asked, eyeing my teammates around the corner.
“You’re doing great, son. Don’t let those Lincoln guys in. You’re Mustang strong now. You’re one of us. Make us proud!” He hit me on the shoulder.
“Will do, Coach!” I said, running to catch up with everyone else.
The second half started, and the fans weren’t cheering for just the Mustangs anymore. They were also shouting my name. That was all the adrenaline I needed to visualize winning the game and sending Lincoln home empty-handed, and their tail between their legs.
We were a well-oiled machine. If we weren’t scoring points, we were blocking Lincoln from going anywhere near their basket. They never scored again. Quincy couldn’t even make a free throw shot. We stole the show, winning the game forty-three to twenty-seven.
“South Ridge wins the state championships! Go Mustangs!” the announcer boomed with pride.
Lincoln stared daggers at me, but Christian stood at my side, blowing kisses at Quincy. I couldn’t help but laugh as Quincy scowled at Christian and dragged his losing ass into the locker room. The Mountain Lions had nothing on me.
James and Bryce jogged over with giant smiles.
“I love you, man!” James said as we bumped fists.
“Thanks,” I said. The smile on my face couldn’t be ruined by anything.
That was until I turned around. Iris was face-to-face with me. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and her cheeks flushed. She looked to be between anger and sorrow. “What the hell, Tyler? Do you know what you’ve done? You’re a traitor! You’ve ruined Lincoln!” she seethed. If she was a viper, she would’ve bit me.
“Lincoln only won games because of me.” It was a smart-ass thing to say, but I was high on adrenaline.
“This is our senior year—” Iris was on the verge of tears.
Rory shoved Iris back and stood in front of me. “Please. You ditched him because he didn’t fit your expensive mold anymore. Just go get a boob job or whatever and cry into your feather pillows.”
Chloe blew a giant bubble with her gum and snapped it. “Not feeling the team spirit?” she mockingly asked Iris.
Iris flicked her long braids behind her back. “Whatever. It’s not like Lincoln needed this. I guess you deserve a pity win.” Iris stomped away.
Chloe smiled after Iris. “She’s the real deal, isn’t she?”
“I’m sorry?” I lifted an eyebrow.
“That girl. You can tell she’s from Snobbsdale . But anyway…” She bumped Rory with her arm. “Rory wanted to say somethin’ to you.”
Rory blew a piece of hair out of her face. “Congrats on winning. I knew you had it in you.” She gave me a ghost of a smile. The light in her was gone, and it killed me to see her running on fumes. A shell of herself.
I rubbed the back of my neck. It was awkward having Rory come to my rescue and be cold as ice. “Thanks. Are you going to the after-party?”
Chloe wrinkled her nose. “I think we’re going to stay in.”
Rory’s eyes were glued on the exit doors. She was like a wild animal looking for a way out.
“With that gun I found, I thought you girls joined a shooting club,” I tried to joke.
I needed to know why Rory had that gun. Maybe her best friend knew.
Rory stared at me, and if she had the power, I would’ve turned to stone.
Chloe whistled, wrapping an arm around Rory’s hips. “Nah. We’re city girls at heart.” Chloe looked at me with wide eyes as if she was trying to tell me something.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” Rory said, worming away from her friend.
“I got to go change.” I pinched my jersey. “I’ll see you around?” I moved to touch Rory’s shoulder, but she took a step back.
Chloe pickpocketed Rory’s keys out of her purse and held them in her fist. “Go to the restroom. I’ll catch up.”
Rory side-eyed Chloe and walked off toward the women’s restroom.
I moved forward to go to the locker room when Chloe body blocked me. “How much do you know?” she asked softly.
“About what?”
“About Rory. About her family.” Chloe stared me right in the eye. I felt like she was interrogating me.
I shrugged. “I know less now than ever before. Rory sneaks off and keeps secrets like the gun I found in her glovebox. I hear her making phone calls in her room. Her entire family has become zombies.”
Chloe looked around, making sure we were alone before she closed the distance between us. My heart pounded in my ears as I thought she wanted to kiss me out of the blue.
“I shouldn’t tell you this, but I am anyway. Rory will not listen to me, and her family is too shocked and heartbroken to see the destructive path she is on.” She inhaled a deep breath, licking her lips. “The Giordano family is tied up with the Italian mafia. They have been for decades.”
Blood whooshed in my ears. I couldn’t have heard her right. I thought my crazy theories were from watching too many movies.
“Come again?” I choked out.
She looked around us again before she continued. “I know this is a lot to take in. Rory’s mom is a fixer and cleans up crime scenes. Her brothers are involved as well. Rory helps sometimes.”
“How do you know this?” I felt my face paling. This had to be a sick joke.
Chloe twisted her fingers into the ends of her long hair. “My mom is part of the mafia as well, and so am I. Rory never wanted to be a part of it, but after Lizzy, I fear she’s gone off the deep end. She has a suspect in mind, and I’m worried what she’ll do to him.”
My tongue stuck to the back of my front teeth. I ran a hand down my sweaty face. “And what am I supposed to do about this?”
“I need you to find a way to talk to her. To get her off this ledge. You said she had a gun?”
“Yeah.” I pulled the collar of my jersey away from my neck. “I found it after Lizzy’s funeral.”
“Shit,” Chloe muttered, looking off to the restrooms. “I don’t want to lose her.”
A drop of sweat fell into my eye. I rubbed it too hard. “Rory isn’t talking to me anymore. Hell, she won’t even look at me.”
Chloe kept an eye on the restroom. “That’s a good thing.”
I wrinkled my forehead. “Come again?”
Chloe toyed with Rory’s keys in her hand. “That means what you think of her matters. If it didn’t, she wouldn’t give a damn what you knew about her. What she was involved in. What she’s capable of.”
“And you think I can talk her out of whatever crazy plan she has?”
Chloe placed her hands on my shoulders. “You’re all I have, all-star. I can’t get her to listen to reason. I’m desperate.” A tear ran down her cheek. Staring into her hazel eyes, I realized how serious this situation was.
“I’ll try my best.” My sneaker squeaked as I kicked the floor.
I didn’t want to piss her off. Who knew what kind of skeletons this girl was hiding, I didn’t want to become one of them.
Chloe gave me a dazzling smile and hugged me. “Great! Talk to her tonight. What’s your number?” She whipped out her phone.
I cleared my throat. “Why?”
“So we can text. We need to be united.”
Makes sense. I told her, and she added me to her contacts.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead. “What about the party?”
Chloe finally stepped back, glancing at the time on her phone. “Rory can’t go. I need to keep her out of trouble so she doesn’t do anything she’ll regret. I had to drag her here. I thought seeing you play would liven her up.”
Rory appeared out of the bathroom, coming our way. “Why wasn’t she sitting with the band?”
Chloe flashed a smile to Rory and muttered, “She quit.”
“Okay. I’ll make an appearance at the party for my teammates, but I’ll be home early so I can try to coax Rory into talking. I can’t make any promises, though.”
“I get it,” Chloe said before embracing Rory. “I missed you, girl.”
Rory rolled her eyes. “I was barely gone, and you stole my keys.”
Chloe nudged Rory with her elbow. “You know me.”
Rory gave Chloe and me the stink eye. “What were you two talking about while I was gone?”
Chloe laughed nervously. “Nothing, just the game. Tyler’s going pro. You know that?”
“Mmm-hmm.” Rory looked me up and down and turned her back on me. “Can we go now?”
“Totally. See ya around, Ty!” Chloe shouted, waving at me.
“See you,” I called back.
I shook my head, finally making my way to the locker room.
What the hell was my life becoming?
As soon as I entered, everyone clapped. “You’re the man,” Christian said.
Bryce fist-bumped me. “I knew it was right getting you on the team.”
James put a hand on my shoulder. “A true Mustang. You ready to party?”
My head spun with what Chloe had told me. Rory and her family were involved in the mafia. They have been for a long time now and this all happened under my nose without me knowing. How blind was I? How could I help Rory when I didn’t see this?
“Hell yeah,” I answered, hoping cheer rang through my voice.
The locker room roared with excited energy as everyone showered and/or changed into their street clothes.
Part of me wanted to say screw it and get drunk after playing Lincoln and having to face Quincy and the others on the court. To forget about Rory. To not be me for a while. But Chloe needed me to hold up my side of the deal, and I couldn’t watch Rory spiral down this dark path. I couldn’t lose another person I cared about.