44. The Demilitarized Zone #2
“She might be taking something.” Ashley looks thoughtful. “We’d need to be sure, but a surprise drug test would mean she can’t have someone pee for her.”
“Just do the whole team. That way she knows she isn’t being singled out.” Jack snaps his fingers. “We could probably get the whole school tested.”
Caden snorts. “Bad idea. There are plenty of kids using in the school. We don’t need everyone to hate us.”
“Just the athletic programs then.” Luke smirks. “Might get a few basketball players kicked off too.”
“Not if they enter a program and complete it.” Ashley tucks a stray hair behind her ear. “But a program would also get Sidney out of the school. It might work. We just have to be careful about someone alerting her.”
“Or someone covering for her.” Caden nods.
“I can talk to Coach Turner about it tomorrow,” Jack says.
My gaze collides with his, and he gives me an easy smile. We’re good, but everyone seems to want something from us. I’m not sure what Coach Turner wants. He seems happy to have the guys help him with the kids’ football league. But what will he want this time?
“He would be able to go to the superintendent and give his concerns without making it sound like a kid told him to do it.” Jack shrugs. “He’s a good guy. Besides, we see him off campus and without phones tomorrow.”
Eli holds up the phone without looking away from the screen. “Burner. Bought it today.”
“Do I even want to know?” Ashley rolls her eyes.
I don’t think anyone is going to let Ashley into our parental drama. Or the fact someone is listening to us. Sure, Zach is rich, but I don’t think he’s the bug/track everyone type. It definitely feels like something the original horsemen would do.
If Sidney truly believes Luke’s father will make Luke do anything for her, then we can’t let William Foster know our plans to take her down. He would step in and we need him as far away from this as possible.
Eli sets his phone to the side and looks over at me. “They’re out.”
My breath catches.
“Not surprised.” Ashley shakes her head. “I should have called in my dad.”
“Your dad works for William Foster. How would that help?” Eli asks.
“William Foster doesn’t own my dad. Yes, my dad works with William Foster, but he’s not in his pocket.
Just like your dad works for William and doesn’t let him rule him.
” Ashley stretches her long body. “If we had your dad and mine in the room, they would have made sure everyone stayed under lock and key for the weekend.”
Eli shakes his head. “They’re claiming it’s a prank gone wrong. That the breaker should have only been for the school, not everything. Sidney was in on the joke, so she made sure they didn’t arrive when everyone was naked.”
“Not allowed anywhere near the dance?” Ashley cocks her head.
“Not until the board can meet to discuss them.” Eli checks his phone. “Which will be on Monday. They tried to call an emergency session, but with so many alumni in town and reunions, they couldn’t get the full board in.”
“Good.” Luke takes a breath. “Do you know what Sidney had planned for the dance?”
Ashley meets Eli’s eyes. “Are we set for after the dance?”
Eli nods. “Yeah, code words are delivered. If anything goes wrong, let me know and we’ll take him down.”
Ashley nods. “The original plan was to make Harper queen and then humiliate her at the dance. I don’t think Sidney was planning pig’s blood or anything, but she had something she was working on. But she couldn’t get to the ballot boxes to manipulate the results.”
“Small favors,” I mumble. I couldn’t imagine becoming Homecoming Queen. The world would have to turn upside down for that to happen.
“That doesn’t mean Zach didn’t have something planned.
” Ashley stands and paces away and then back.
“The guy is skeezy. I have standards, and unless I wanted to have a threesome with Sidney—no thank you—I wasn’t getting into that inner circle.
Maybe if you guys figure out what you did to him, you’ll at least know why he’s coming after Harper. ”
“Do you have any ideas?” I ask.
She shakes her head and drops into the chair. “Zach’s been happy in his own little corner of the world. He leads the basketball guys. Has a scholarship to a Division I school lined up. His world seems pretty complete.”
“Except for the fact he’s a rapist.” I can’t hold back.
Ashley’s eyes meet mine. “There have been rumors.”
Izzy comes to mind. She doesn’t know for sure that Zach raped her. But his brother got the drugs from somewhere. The guys say there’s been talk. But is Zach untouchable?
“Look, what he has planned is awful and not something you want to go through.” Ashley looks at each of the guys. “Your best bet is to not go. Then nothing will happen and he’ll have to regroup. Maybe by then we can have him in rehab.”
“Zach doesn’t do drugs.” Nico shakes his head. “I’ve watched hours of video of him and his friends. His friends partake. He doesn’t.”
Ashley’s gaze falls on me. “If I can help again, I will, but there are no guarantees. Sidney wasn’t expecting us to help you this time. They’ll be prepared for it next time.”
I swallow. Next time. Fuck.