CHAPTER 50
1200 Words
"Thanks so much, Vincent. You're only, what? Two weeks too late? I had to
hear the news from Stephanie. "
Vincent said nothing. He hunched his shoulders, as if Gareth's words were physical
blows.
While he grappled with his demons, Cooper wrestled with a very different
realization. Stephanie. She'd blown the whistle on Vincent's affair with Astrid twice
now. Once to Rachel and Calla, a secret whispered over a dining room table. And
now to Gareth, the man of the hour.
And it wasn't an isolated incident.
Some yearbook twerp thought it'd be funny to take a picture of me and Calla. I guess
Astrid got her hands on it somehow.
Cooper had thought nothing of the exchange between Vincent and Astrid for quite
some time. It felt so long ago. A different lifetime. Astrid's hurt pride seemed
inconsequential in the face of everything else. But now that he thought of it—now
that he stared the ugly truth in the eye—he could see the connection, a golden
thread connecting two separate moments in time.
And Stephanie, there in the middle of it all.
"You could see the pity in her eyes," Gareth continued with a wild, deranged laugh,
unaware of Cooper's epiphany. His mouth twisted from one side to the other. "She
said I deserved to know. Blah, blah, blah. The usual sympathy parade. And I thought,
geez. How long has this been going on? A couple of weeks?" His expression
darkened. "Come to find out...nah. Not a couple weeks. More like a couple
months. "
Cooper tried to cut in. "It was a mistake, dude—"
"Stay in your lane, Daniels." Gareth's mouth twitched again. "I don't want to hear it.
Honestly, Vinny? I'm just surprised you're not denying it. I expected as much. But
I've got evidence. Proof that you and Astrid are perfect for each other." He sneered.
"You're both lying, pathetic sacks of shit."
"Evidence?" Vincent whispered, dazed.
"Steph really knows her stuff. She caught you two under the bleachers after the
rivalry game." He held up his hands, miming the click of a camera. "Gotcha,
asshole."
As he'd thought, Stephanie had not come to the table with rumors and gossip. She'd
come with proof. But it was worse than Cooper had anticipated. Much worse.
The rivalry game. That was the night of Jacob's murder. Stephanie followed them.
I wonder who else she followed.
"I'm sorry," Vincent rasped, splaying his hands. "I'm sorry I ever did it—"
"Why? Because it didn't work out?" Gareth smirked. "Or because you got caught?"
"I was confused," Vincent choked out. "And I am sorry. It's over. I ended things. We
haven't been speaking—"
"Oh!" He threw up his hands, shouting now. "He ended things! Someone give this
guy a gold star!"
Vincent's face burned with embarrassment. Cooper pursed his lips. He wanted to
defend his friend, but he had no idea where to begin. Vincent had made this bed all
by himself, and now the time had come to lay in it.
But he wasn't the only one here who had made mistakes.
"So we're just going to ignore the fact that you cheated on Astrid for over a year?"
Cooper interjected, well aware that he would probably regret the words in about
thirty seconds—if he survived that long. "Seriously? You're a hypocrite. The way you
feel right now is exactly how you made Astrid feel. So stop blowing up your guilt in
Vincent's face."
Vincent turned to give him a wide-eyed look that screamed stop, please stop.
Gareth's face turned a dangerous shade of purple. "What did you just say?"
Don't get started with me, you overgrown sewer rat. Your prints are all over a murder
weapon, and I have half a mind to tell Calla that you're guilty just so she can wipe your
shit stain off the face of this town.
He was surprised by the venom in his thoughts. He hadn't realized he had such a
bone to pick with the guy; then again, he'd probably have an issue with any
hypocrite who belittled one of the few people in his life who mattered to him.
Cooper kept that thought to himself. He valued his well being too much to step out
of line a second time.
Vincent spoke quickly, trying to regain control of the conversation—as if he'd ever
had any control to begin with. "If I could take it back, I would. Gareth, please. What
do I have to do to make this right?"
The look in Gareth's eyes told Cooper that he'd been waiting for this moment. He
hadn't come to trade words and make amends.
He'd come to settle a score.
"Go to hell," Gareth snapped. He lunged forward, seizing his opportunity.
Vincent didn't react, not even when Gareth's fist connected with his nose, a
sickening crunch causing Cooper to flinch. Vincent stumbled back, using the lockers
for support. A halfhearted effort. Gareth advanced, unappeased. Meeting no
resistance, he slammed Vincent's head into the nearest locker.
He winced, but took the brutal blow in silence.
"Hey!" Cooper lurched forward and grabbed the back of Gareth's shirt.
In hindsight, it wasn't the brightest idea he'd ever come up with. He should have hit
the back of Gareth's head, or maybe gone for his legs, or really done anything
besides grab his shirt and expect nothing bad to follow.
Which is how he ended up on the floor. His lower lip throbbed. It took several
moments for the pain to fully register, and when it did Cooper hissed. The taste of
blood filled his mouth.
The pain gave him an unexpected advantage with a burst of adrenaline. He
launched back to his feet. Gareth had Vincent pinned against the lockers. He rained
one punch after another into his gut, growing frustrated when Vincent did not
retaliate.
Cooper expected Gareth to tire. To realize that he'd done enough damage. But it
soon became clear that he had no intention of letting Vincent off the hook. Not until
his body was broken...or worse.
Desperate, Cooper threw his weight into Gareth's side, hoping to throw the much
larger boy off balance. He was surprised when his strategy worked. They both hit
the ground; Gareth landed unceremoniously on his ass, while Cooper caught himself
before he could face-plant.
"You—" Blind with rage, Gareth reached for Cooper—and instead got a face full of
leather.
Cooper took advantage of the distraction and regained his footing. Gareth hunched
over, cradling his nose and letting fly a string of curses. Cooper turned to thank
Vincent for saving his life, but his friend still slumped against the lockers, holding his
own nose in defeat.
"Gareth! Chill out."
Ryan wrapped Gareth's arms behind his back, restraining him as the other boy went
berserk.
"It's none of your f*****g business!" he shouted, straining against an iron grip.
Ryan's face flushed from the effort of holding him back.
"Seriously, dude! Let it go. You already broke the guy's nose." Ryan grunted as they
continued to struggle, Gareth yelling at the top of his lungs, spittle flying from his
mouth.
- Writer
