Chapter 16 #2
“Okay, I’m leaving.” I race to the door, but Briggs grabs me around the waist and sets me on his lap. “You’ll leave when we say you can.”
“Let me go.”
“Did you not just hear me?”
“Yeah. I heard you. I meant let me go sit on my chair.”
He lets me up and I give Finn and Parker evil looks as I return to my seat.
“About tomorrow,” Briggs says. “If anyone at school asks where we were Saturday night, the three of us hung out at Finn’s house and Ella sat in her room alone, like she always does.”
“I do not!” I say, although I usually do spend Saturday nights in my room.
“Nobody even mentions us being out on that road,” Briggs says. “Got it?”
Parker, Finn, and I nod.
“If anyone gets asked something and doesn’t know what to say, call me and I’ll figure something out. Don’t be putting anything in a text that could end up getting us in trouble. If the cops ever came after us for this, they could use our texts as evidence.”
“I still don’t know why you get to decide this shit,” Finn says, sounding annoyed.
“You want to take this on?” Briggs says. “Be in charge of this?”
“No,” he mutters, looking down.
“How about you, Parker? You want to be in charge?”
He shakes his head.
“I didn’t think so.”
“What about me?” I ask. “I’m not even considered? Because I’m a girl?”
“Because you’ve never been in trouble,” Briggs says. “You don’t know how to cover shit up because you’ve never had to.”
“What have you had to cover up?”
“None of your fucking business.”
“Of course not.” I roll my eyes. “I just have to trust you and do what you say.”
“Exactly.”
“Asshole,” I mutter.
Briggs stands up and moves his chair away from the door. “Finn. Parker. Get out of here.”
“Why?” Parker gets up.
“I want to talk to her alone.”
“Whatever,” Finn mumbles as he swipes through his phone on his way out the door. Parker follows, and I hear Finn say, “I bet he’s gonna fuck her.”
“He’s not gonna fuck her, you idiot,” Parker says.
Briggs closes the door. “Ignore them.”
“You’re not going to fuck me?” I say in a high-pitched voice. “And here I was getting all excited.” I roll my eyes.
Briggs walks over to me. “I need you to get on board with this.”
“On board with what?”
“The hierarchy of power. I need you to get in line. Not challenge me. If you do, it’ll make it harder for me to keep Finn and Parker in line.”
“I’m not just going to do whatever you tell me. My entire future is at stake. If we get charged for this, I won’t be going to college or getting a job or—”
“I know all that. It’s the same for all of us.
Our lives are shit if someone finds out about this, which is why I need to keep Finn and Parker in line.
They’re unpredictable, especially Finn. When he drinks, he says shit he shouldn’t.
And Parker can’t be trusted to keep a secret. He talks before he thinks.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
“You let me be in charge. If you want to challenge me, do it when it’s just you and me, not in front of Parker and Finn.
If they see you trying to challenge me, they’ll start challenging me too, and then we’ll lose control of the situation.
Trust me, I know those two, and if I don’t keep them on a short leash, this secret will be out in a few days, if not sooner. ”
“You’re just saying that because you want to be in charge. You don’t want anyone telling you what to do.”
He leans down to me, his eyes locking on mine. “I’m saying it because I don’t want to end up in jail for this. I don’t want a fucking criminal record. You think you’re the only one with plans for after graduation?”
“No, but—”
“Then do as I say and don’t challenge me in front of them.”
“What if I don’t agree with you?”
“Call me and we’ll meet, without Finn and Parker around.”
I don’t trust him. I don’t trust any of the A’s, but I believe what Briggs says about Finn and Parker being the most likely to tell our secret. I would’ve said just Finn, but Parker talks a lot, so I could see him being unable to keep a secret.
This is so messed up. I can’t believe my future is in the hands of my three biggest enemies. What if they go to the cops and say that I was the one driving that night, or the one who convinced them to leave the scene? They have no reason to protect me. I’m not their friend.
“How do I know you guys won’t turn against me?” I ask.
“You don’t. Just like I don’t know if you’ll turn against me . None of us are safe. We could all turn against each other.”
“You’ve been friends with Parker and Finn forever. They’re not going to turn against you. But there’s a good chance the three of you will turn against me.”
“Guess you’ll find out. But I guarantee things won’t turn out well for any of us if I don’t keep Finn and Parker in line, and the only way I’ll do that is by taking the lead.
Making the decisions. If you don’t believe me, try it your way.
Challenge me in front of them and see what happens.
But I can tell you right now you’re not going to like the outcome. ”
I take a moment to consider it. I hate giving Briggs control, but it might be the only way to keep Finn and Parker from telling our secret.
“You’ll listen to me if I disagree?” I ask.
“If it’s in private, yes.”
I chew on my lip, my eyes lifting to Briggs. “Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll support you in front of them, but you better not make me regret it.”
He smiles. “There’s never regrets with me.”