Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
KINSLEY
The day had been a lot more low-key at school than I thought it was going to be.
The whispers that I killed the girl from the party died down after the thrill I think everyone got from them.
The reality is that it was insane for anyone to think I did.
It was now all over the school that she OD’d.
Everyone thinks it’s a typical drug that you hear about all the time.
“Hey.” Blair pops up next to me in the hallway out of nowhere.
“Hey to you too.” I shut my locker door. “Where the hell have you been?”
I hadn’t seen her all day at school. I was really starting to worry. Jax said after football practice that we could go to her place and check on her if she didn’t show up.
“I had crap to deal with today and a doctor’s appointment.” Blair shrugs it off. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine; it’s you that I’ve been worried about.”
Her nose scrunches slightly. “Why?” Her expression is one of confusion.
“What do you mean, why? I haven’t heard from you since Friday night.”
“Kins, it’s not like we hung out all the time before.”
"Ouch." I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head.
"I didn't mean it that way." Her face softens. "I guess I'm not used to people checking in. I normally do my own thing."
"I get that." We are both kind of loners, which I know can be hard, but now I have the Marino family and more people than I know how to deal with on the daily.
Even Jax's mom was fussing over me this morning.
I had to choke down my emotions to not cry over my French toast. "But now we’re besties," I tease, but it's not really a joke. I do love hanging out with Blair.
"Besties." She lets out a small huff. "Fine, I guess I can be your bestie."
“Why, thank you.” I laugh.
“So what’s popping off?”
“Not much.” I truly wish I could tell her more. “People seem to be pulling back from the rumor that I killed the Annie girl.”
“Damn, that was kind of fun.”
“Okay, maybe it was a little.” But I don’t want people scared of me. That won’t help me get information from them. Well, actually, maybe it would.
“So what’s the story you’re working on now?” I really wish I could talk to her about this, but I see no reason to involve her in this mess. “Did you ever find out what happened between those two?” Blair nods down the hallway to where Alice is standing at her locker.
“Shouldn't she be at practice?” Football and cheer practice are right after school.
“She’s off the team? Their beef got that bad?”
“Let’s go find out,” I suggest.
We make our way down the hallway. When she spots us coming towards her, Alice’s lips purse.
“What do you two want?” She rolls her eyes as she shuts her locker. There is a noticeable redness under her eyes and on her nose. She’s been crying.
“You okay?” I ask.
“What do you care?”
“Alice, I’m serious. Are you okay?” We might not be tight, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have compassion for her.
“It doesn’t matter. There isn’t anything anyone can do,” she responds, tucking a blond lock of hair behind her ear.
“Is this about Celia?” Alice glances down at my question. “You two still haven't made up?”
“We’re not going to make up.”
“She fucked a guy you were seeing?” Blair asks.
“I would rather she had done that.” Alice shakes her head, but I can see the worry laced with concern in her expression.
“Drugs?” I throw it out there to gauge her reaction. Alice slightly flinches at the word. Bingo. “The girl that died Friday.”
“I have no part in it!” Alice puts her hands up. “I told her it was a bad idea to get wrapped up in all this, but Celia is a sucker for a man she shouldn’t fuck around with.”
“What man?” I push. Alice glances up and down the hallway. It’s empty right now. Everyone is gone for the day or at practice or a club.
"I can't. First Lisa and now this other girl." Lisa, that name hits. It was one of the names Mac pulled up for new enrollees, but she dropped out. There had been a handful of names we were looking into. It wasn't a shock for someone to drop.
With private schools, you can be trying to get into all different ones. A spot may have become available at another school, prompting the student to switch.
"This Lisa is…" I let it hang. I'm guessing since she paired her with the girl from Friday.
"Gone, but maybe she took off." Alice again glances down the hallway. She's scared.
"You have another name, don't you? A person that got you wrapped up in this. Are they selling?" I can see Blair's eyes widen a fraction from beside me, just taking this all in.
"I can't," she whispers.
"Alice, people are dying. Trent."
"Did he die?" she gasps.
"Still in a coma, but if we can’t figure this out—"
"Trent's in a coma?" Blair asks. I just nod.
"If he finds out, then I might be next." Alice wrings her fingers together in front of herself.
"Just a name. That's all I need," I push.
"Are you really dating Jax?"
"Yes, we're together." Alice chews on her bottom lip.
"Check out the new teacher."
"Which?" There are a few.
"Yours." Alice tightens her hold on her bag strap. "That's all I got. Please don't say my name around any of this."
"I won't," I reassure her. She nods before taking off.
"The hell is going on, Kins?" Blair asks when Alice is far enough away not to hear us.
“There is a drug going around. A new one. It’s extremely dangerous, and we’re trying to figure out the source.”
“Oh shit,” Blair whispers.
“My new teacher is Jim McIntyre.”
“Wait, what are you saying here? That there is a new drug going around, and this new teacher is connected? That’s insane.”
“But not impossible?” I’m starting to think nothing is at this point.
“Let’s go then.” Blair hooks her arm into mine, heading in the direction of the media department.
“You don’t have to get mixed up in this,” I tell her. Blair really doesn’t know how deep this goes with the missing police reports and that dead girl in the warehouse, who I have now confirmed was Lisa. She hadn’t OD’d. That girl was flat-out murdered.
“Oh, I’m in this,” Blair says. We slow down when we get to the media room.
I pull out my phone and send a text to Jax.
I’m sure he won’t see it till after practice.
He hadn’t wanted to go at all, but I pushed him, promising I’d stay put in the school until he was done.
I also sent a text in the group chat with the girls.
Mac can start to dig into both Jim and Lisa.
When we enter the media room, it's empty. Before I can think better of it, I'm behind the teacher's desk, pulling open drawers. Blair hesitates for half a second before she joins me.
"Oh shit." I spin around to see her with a clear bag in hand. Inside it are a bunch of tiny bags with blue powder in each of them.
"Holy crap." I take the bag from her. She grabs another out of the bottom desk drawer, unzipping it.
Inside is a stack of cash. I pull my phone back out to take a picture before I steal one of the small bags out of the bigger one.
I don't want to tip Jim off that we're on to him.
We need to put everything back exactly as we found it.
"Can I help you ladies with something?" My stomach drops. I slowly turn to see Mr. McIntyre standing there, a gun pointed at both of us.
Shit. I’m not sure who is in more trouble at this point, us or Mr. Jim McIntyre. Little does he know he just signed his own death warrant.