Chapter #26The Article that Never Was by: Nostrum   You’re making your way to the Reyes’ household, using the pin Jessica sent you back then and your own memories of the trip, on Mr. Miller’s car. Though Claire wanted to drive – claiming “she” borrowed it from Mr. Miller – you remind her she lacks an actual license and no skills.
Though she didn’t fight your choice, she rebels nonetheless. Having a cheerleader beside you already makes you uneasy, her choice to fondle her breasts makes you explode. “Stop it, Claire-bear!”
“Why!?”
“Because...” You stop mid-way, showing the neighborhood. “People could be seeing!”
“And?” she responds in a childish, cocky tone. “It’s gonna be only for a while – might as well get as much satisfaction as I can.”
“What if someone sees us and starts commenting?”
“Your friend’s gonna see us,” she retorts. “And that kid’s gonna see us too.”
“I mean, what if someone else sees us and starts commenting things at school? Claire, try to treat this a bit more responsibly!” You cut her reaction before she cuts you as you resume the road. “Look - I’m not against having fun, alright? I’d be a hypocrite if I did. But I don’t want you to get obsessed with it like Katie did.”
That reaches your sister, as she calms down despite her frustration. “Fiiiiine...” However, as you’re approaching, you notice she takes her phone – her's, not Kelly’s - and takes a picture of herself showing her cleavage.
“Claire!”
“Fondling with boobs isn’t alright, but don’t tell me girls don’t take photos of themselves to send to their boyfriends every time. Sometimes, even in public.”
“But that’s not your body!”
“You said it – it's only borrowed time, so might as well make the best of it. And that means getting a souvenir of the time I was a big-tittied cheerleader.” As you stop near the Reyes’ household, she checks on the mirror and takes another shot, trying to accent Kelly’s smile. “This is gonna be a good one.”
“What if Katie takes your phone?”
That stupefies her deeply. “I’ll... Store it on my computer. Secret file. Somewhere she won’t suspect.”
“See why I need you to treat this responsibly?” You turn off the engine and step out, taking a deep breath. “Now, here’s the plan. I’ll deal with Mikey’s mother, ask her if she allows him to step out. We meet with my editor, do the interviews, then bring him back. Once that’s done, you take her off. Deal?”
“Sure.” She holsters Kelly’s purse, strutting up. “But take all the time in the world, alright?”
She flanks you as you knock on the door, only to be met by Mikey’s father. “Something I can help you?”
“Hello,” you say in your most courteous tone. “My name’s David, and I’m with the school newspaper. I was wondering if your son was available.”
“Sure!” Mr. Reyes looks over his shoulder, then lowers his voice. “There’s just a little problem.”
He’s grounded, you predict.
“Seems my kid had more than his share of fun yesterday and the missus isn’t too happy with it. She doesn’t let the kid have too much fun.”
“Miguel?” You hear Mrs. Reyes blaring from the distance, slowly approaching. “Who you talking to?”
“Some kids from Mikey’s school, baby! They wanna talk to him.”
“As long as they do it here,” she warns, “and they behave.” His mother introduces herself to you while instantly recognizing Kelly. “I know you. You’re one of Mikey’s friends, right?”
“Yes!” your sister replies as she extends her hand. “Kelly--”
“You’re the one that took my kid to that party?”
“Baby,” Mr. Reyes says, trying to cool things down. “I told you – he needs to get out a bit more! He’s already doing good on classes, but he’s still a kid!”
“If he doesn’t work hard, he won’t get to Tynemouth and will have to start from scratch! The scholarship--”
“I was hoping to interview him about the Tynemouth scholarship,” you say, bluffing your way through. “I heard he’s going to study Political Sciences or something?”
“Yes, at the prestigious Van Buren Institute of International Affairs. But as you can see,” Mrs. Reyes says as she shows her humble shack, “we couldn’t even afford sending him to MTSU. He needs the scholarship – not socializing!”
“You do know diplomacy involves good social skills, right?” You gulp hard as Claire confronts Mikey’s mother. “What good will do for him to be smart but socially awkward? Besides – a good part of his life will be attending to parties.”
“True, but ones with class!”
“Class or not, ma’am, he needs to socialize. If he can’t face a newspaper interview, what about when he’s interviewed once he’s an ambassador!?”
“They’ll teach him how to do that in Tynemouth.”
“Ma’am, have you read what the Tynemouth scholarships require? Besides extracurricular work?”
Your hairs are spooked straight as you see Claire duking it out with Mrs. Reyes, but it seems her gambit proved fruitful. “Yes. I know.”
“If he can show how he deals with an interview on a school newspaper, the people there will consider him over others.”
“That would be useful if he was trying to enter, but he was already approved.”
“But I’m sure you wouldn’t want him to remain just with the bare minimum, right? Ma’am, let him do the interview – on his own, without someone watching over him. He needs the experience.”
“She’s got a point,” Mr. Reyes adds, fully on your side.
Mrs. Reyes rubs her forehead, finally relenting. “Alright. But I want to see that article, and it better not be slander.” She turns around and shouts. “MIKEY! Get your ass out here! Some kid from your school wants to interview you!”
“What?” Soon, you see Mikey emerge from his cave, with a puzzled and even scared look. He sighs with relief as he sees your sister. “Kelly?”
“Hey. I’m here because this guy wants to interview you. Say, ma’am - you don’t mind if he goes with the patched-up jacket?”
“Why?”
“He looks good in it.”
As Mrs. Reyes is about to burst, Mikey slides into his room and steps out sliding the jacket, strutting his way towards you. “Mom, let me handle this, alright?”
“Sure.”
“By myself, Mom.”
Though startled, Mrs. Reyes is reasonable enough to step back. “Alright, my dear. But if they’re bothering you, tell me.”
He steps out and closes the door, giving you a furtive look. “This isn’t about the scholarship, right?”
“Not really.” You extend your hand, trying to act professional. “I’m David, and I’m with the Edgefield Informer. I wanted to clarify a few things about some reports involving yesterday’s party--”
“Listen,” he tells you between gritted teeth. “I don’t know how I got there, but it got me into big trouble.”
“I wanna help you set the story straight,” you tell him. “Because Kelly here says she saw you.”
“I even introduced you to Lindsey,” she says. “You really make a nice couple.”
“You could say so,” he tells, but his tone says otherwise. “Look - that was stupid and I don’t wanna talk about it anymore, alright? I think Mom told you I’m grounded, so I can’t get out anyways.”
“Again - I’m just here to help you set the story straight.” You realize you’ll need to use all your inventive to make everything work. “But you’ll need to come with us – and say you’ll be talking about your scholarship. Heck – we are gonna talk about your scholarship.”
“We are?”
“Yeah,” you insist, proud of yourself. “Kelly, what if there’s someone who looks exactly like him, and that was the one you saw?”
“But I saw that...” You look straight at Claire’s borrowed eyes – a clearer green than hers or yours – and she nods. “Wait. Yeah – makes sense. We should clear things out – maybe even help you get ungrounded!”
Mikey seems baffled by your crazy idea, but agrees. “Let me tell Mom about it, alright?”
“Great! And you can leave the jacket – I don’t think we’re gonna need it.”
--
You call Ashley and tell her Kelly allowed you to borrow her dad’s car, so you agree to meet at the McDonald’s on the strip mall bordering the highway connecting Tyneside with the neighboring county. You pass near the local Save-Mart, snorting as you realize this is where Allison might work.
And this gets confirmed as you see her, in a Save-Mart uniform, recognizing Mikey. “Hey,” she says, grinning at him. “Did you have a good time with the cheerleader?”
“Uh...” He shirks, and Kelly steps to his defense.
“He had a lot to drink and doesn’t remember much.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot.” She looks at her phone, tapping Mikey’s shoulder as she leaves. “Well, nice to see you again, kid. You really make a good couple.”
That weirds Mikey out immensely, which magnifies as Mackenzie also recognizes him. “Hey... Thanks for the warning – things could’ve gone worse.”
“Actually...” Claire stands in for him. “Look - we’re here to set things straight. I think Mikey here was another victim of the prank at your party.”
Ashley and Mackenzie bug out as you follow them to their table. “What’s that all about?”
“You know how they found the guys drunk?” you tell, using what Ashley told you about the aftermath. “Well, it seems they spiked him and let him loose.”
“But I saw him,” Mackenzie countered, “and he was fine. Scared, just like now, but fine.”
“Well, I don’t remember anything that happened. I was at school, and all of a sudden, I wake up in a weird room, and Lindsey White is right there alongside me.”
“Yeah,” Claire says, startling you. “You know how I had to leave early? If you don’t, it was ‘cos I was feeling kinda sick. I woke up at school, and it was David, his girlfriend and his little sister that helped me out.”
“Shit.” Mackenzie rubs her head, deeply startled. “This is worse than I thought.”
“If you tell us what happened,” your editor Ashley said, “we might clear everything. How about starting with you?” she tells Mikey.  You have the following choice: 1. Continue |
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