Chapter 7 #2
Jackson lets out a humorless laugh. “She told you that too, huh? That Braden and I used to be friends? Fucking Peyton just can’t keep her mouth shut. How’d you even start talking about me?”
“We were talking about the game. She said you used to be their best player.”
“People said that, but personally, I thought Jason was better than me. You know about Jason?”
I nod. “Yeah. His parents donated money to have one of the rooms at school named after him.”
His brows rise. “Is that what they told you?”
“Yeah. Why?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing.” He glances at the house. “We should get out of here. If we replace too much of the camera footage it’ll be obvious it was tampered with.” He takes my hand. “Let’s go.”
I follow him down the steps to the beach. “Wait, do I need to bring anything?”
“Depends on how long you’re staying.”
“How long will you let me?”
“You can stay as long as you want. Is Brock coming back tomorrow?”
“I don’t know but he’s at least gone for tonight.”
We walk hand in hand down the dark beach, the only light coming from the moon and the few houses that have lights on inside.
“Were you friends with Jason?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Jackson says in a quiet voice.
“Better friends than you were with Braden?”
“No.” He glances at me. “I don’t want to talk about this. It’s the past, and not something I want to remember.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you used to be friends with Braden?”
“I thought it would affect what you thought of me. I didn’t want you thinking I was like him just because we were friends.”
“I wouldn’t think that. You’re nothing like him, except for you both being good at football.”
“That’s why we were friends. We started on the team together freshman year.
We’d both come from private schools where sports weren’t that important.
When we got to Twisted Pine, they were starting to take sports seriously, especially football.
They were hiring the best trainers, best coaches.
They were treating it more like a college sport than high school.
Braden and I were determined to rise to the top.
To be the best players the school had ever had. ”
“But you were better than him.”
“Because I’d been training for longer. I’ve had to spend time in the gym since I was a kid, so I’d look good on camera.
Once I quit acting, I hired a trainer who worked with college football players.
I asked him to train me like one. Let me do the drills.
I even went to some team practices with him.
Braden didn’t have any of that. He worked out in the gym, but he didn’t have the football training that I did. ”
“What about Jason?”
“Jason was recruited.”
“What do you mean?
“He wasn’t one of us. He wasn’t rich. He grew up poor in LA. The coach saw him play on his high school team and offered him a scholarship. The guy was amazing. He could’ve skipped high school and played at the college level. He was that good.”
“So they paid him to come to Twisted Pine? I thought they only wanted kids who came from money. The principal even told me that when I met him.”
“They made an exception for Jason. They needed him to win games. But then he died and they haven’t had a recruit since. I’m sure they’ll do it again. They’re probably already looking for the next Jason.”
“You think Braden did it,” I say. My statement is just a guess, but I want to see what he says.
“Did what?”
I get in front of him, stopping him. “You think Braden killed Jason.”
He goes around me and keeps walking. “Jason had a heart problem.”
“That’s what they told people, but what if it’s not true?”
“He had a heart problem. End of story.” He walks faster down the beach.
“You don’t believe that.”
“I just said I did.”
“Yeah, but before you made it sound like you didn’t. When I told you about his parents donating money for a room in his name, you made it sound like that was a lie.”
“Of course it’s a lie. His parents are poor. Where would they get money to pay to have his name on a room?”
“So what’s the real story?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it.”
I grab his arm. “Jackson, wait.”
“We have to keep walking. We can’t just stand here. It’s private property. We shouldn’t even be back here.”
We continue in silence down the beach. When we reach his house, we go up the stairs to the patio. I stop him before we go inside.
“Jackson, just tell me. What do you think happened to Jason?”
He hesitates. “Why do you care?”
“I want to know. I keep hearing all these stories and I’m starting to freak out.”
“Why?”
“Because all the stories have something in common. Someone in common.”
“Braden.”
“Yeah. And since I’m living with him, I’d really like to know the truth.”
“I don’t know the truth. I wasn’t there when Andrea died, and I wasn’t there when Jason died. I know as much as you do.”
“You know way more than me. You were here when all this happened. People said you were questioned by the police.”
“Not about Jason. I had nothing to do with that. I was at Legion when Jason died.”
“Who paid to have his name on the room? If his parents couldn’t afford it, then who paid for it?”
“My guess is the school.”
“Twisted Pine did it? But it’d be free for them. They just put his name on a plaque and hang it on the door.”
“Exactly. It didn’t cost them anything, but by doing it they got away with whatever happened. I’m thinking they paid his parents to keep quiet and threw in naming a room after him as part of the deal.”
“Got away with what? You’re saying the school killed Jason?”
“I don’t think the school was directly involved but I think they covered up whatever happened.”
“So you don’t believe the heart condition story?”
“I want to, but I can’t. They put everyone through a complete physical before the season starts, including heart tests. If there was something wrong with his heart, they would’ve known.”
“Do his parents know this?”
“They only know what Twisted Pine told them, and what the team doctor told them, which is that he had an undiagnosed heart condition. Rumor, I don’t want to talk about this. Let’s go inside.”
I follow him to the door. “What about Braden? Do you think he was involved?”
“He had motive, but I don’t know if he was involved.”
Jackson unlocks the door, and we go inside.
“By motive, you mean Braden wanted Jason’s position? To be quarterback?”
“Wait.” Jackson puts his hand up, blocking me from moving, and lifts his head like he’s listening for something.
“What’s going on?” I whisper.
A noise comes from the hall that leads to his bedroom. The sound of footsteps, and then a thud, like something dropped on the wood floor.
Jackson turns to me, grabbing my shoulders. “Go wait outside. Don’t make a sound.”
“What? I’m not leaving you.”
“Rumor, I mean it. Wait outside.” He slowly walks over to the end table by the couch.
I hear the footsteps again. Someone’s definitely in the house. Jackson opens the narrow drawer of the table.
And pulls out a gun.