Rumors (A Lingering Echoes Prequel)

  ***

  That night, we crept along the fence of an apartment building, hoping to gain access to the community hot tub. Tara and Austin led the way, followed by Ben and Landon, and a girl named Kate. She was better friends with Ben than with any of us. Shane and I brought up the rear. As suspected, since it was just past ten PM, the gate was locked and the pool area empty.

  A part of me hoped we would just call it a night. We had already stayed after school for the boys’ basketball game. After showers, we met up at Shane’s house for dinner and a movie in his home-theater room. With the basement designed in stadium seating and a projector, it’d been nice to sink into his thick leather couches and relax. Now, however, I was anxious about getting caught breaking into the apartment complex—but I also didn’t want to be the first to bail. Everyone had given me a hard time at lunch today while we ate pizza in the quad, talking about how I had pretty much ditched them all week.

  “Looks like we’ll have to jump the fence after all,” Austin said, assessing the height.

  “It’s only seven-feet high or so.” Ben tested the strength of the iron fence by jumping and applying some of his weight. It seemed sturdy enough. One by one, we took turns hopping over the fence, us girls utilizing someone’s knee for extra height and stability. The sharp, pointed ends at the top of the fence were a little trickier to hurdle, but with help, we all managed to jump over unscathed.

  We had to rely on the nearby street lamps to provide dim lighting around the hot tub, but it was enough. We stripped our sweats and T-shirts down to our swimsuits and slipped into the hot tub. Fortunately, the water was still warm. Kate hit the switch for the jets, blasting us with a spray of bubbles.

  “Man, this was the best idea ever,” Shane said, sinking up to his chin.

  “Yeah, no kidding,” Austin agreed. “Not a bad way to celebrate our win today.” There was a chorus of approval from our group. My nerves aside, I had to admit that the hot tub soothed my aching muscles like magic.

  “Well,” Landon said, leaning over the edge of the hot tub to grab his duffle bag. “Time for the essentials.” He unzipped it and pulled out a six-pack. He popped the cans off the plastic rings and handed them out.

  I shook my head and turned down Landon’s offer, hearing Shane’s can crack open with a hiss beside me. I watched Tara accept the beer, though her eyes flicked towards me for just an instant before she pulled back on the metal tab. Shane took a gulp and slipped his arm around my shoulders. “What? You’re not gonna drink tonight?”

  “Not any night,” I corrected, ignoring the smirks from Kate and Landon. Shane chuckled before taking another sip.

  “All right, all right,” he said in a patronizing tone. His wide smile showed he was humored by my statement. I wasn’t sure what he thought was so funny. “Just checking if you had changed your mind yet.”

  “Come on. Lighten up, Allie.” Austin complained, nuzzling Tara’s neck. She laughed, pulling away like it tickled, though her eyes caught mine with a touch of apprehension.

  “Hey, ease up, man,” Shane said to his friend, sitting up against the hot tub. “She doesn’t want a drink right now. Big deal.”

  I directed my words at Austin. “If you cared about your position on the basketball team as much as you appear, I’d be more cautious if I were you. If any of you get caught,” my eyes darted to Tara, “you’re going to be kicked off the team, or at least suspended from a game or two. Are you really willing to jeopardize that?” As wrestlers, this could affect Ben and Landon, too.

  Tara blindsided me with her comment. She almost said the words under her breath, but not quite. “What’s it to you? It’s not like you care about our team anyway.”

  My mouth opened, reflecting on the grueling training I’d endured five days a week for over a month. “It was one practice, Tara. I missed one practice.” I couldn’t believe Tara was ganging up on me with Austin. She had a tendency to be outspoken, but there was something more scornful about her words tonight, and they were aimed at me.

  “You’re totally off your game,” Tara said, placing her beer on the side of the hot tub.

  “What are you talking about? I kill myself during practice!” I could feel a rush of heat touch my face, fueled by disbelief and hurt. I may not be doing a lot of things right this year, but I knew how to push myself.

  Tara shook her head. “Sure, you’re training, but when it comes to the team—to the game—you’re still stuck in your own little world. Take Wednesday’s game, for instance. You were out there on the court, but it’s like you were just going through the motions. Yes, we won, but where’s that fire and drive you used to have? I mean, seriously, did that part of you drown with your cousin?”

  Tara’s hand slapped over her mouth, her eyes wide. She obviously hadn’t meant to say those words, but with how fast they slipped from her lips, she’d had them locked and loaded. “I—I mean…” Her words stuttered, her voice soft and uncertain.

  I clenched my jaw, refusing to let the sting of her words show on my face. Still, I had to swallow the lump in my throat, praying the burning in my eyes wouldn’t result in tears. I watched Tara’s face crumple, an apology forming in her gaze.

  The expressions on everyone’s face showed their discomfort, their eyes looking back and forth between Tara and me. I couldn’t believe she’d said that to me, even if there was some truth to her words. She was right, of course. Even I could tell that my love for the game—the passion that had fueled my adrenaline for years—was lacking this season. I was trying, I really was. But a person could only fake that devotion and intensity for so long. Still, Tara didn’t need to point it out to everyone, not like this.

  I stood up and stepped out of the hot tub, wrapping my towel around my torso as I stalked off towards the fence with my clothes in hand.

  “Allie—Allie, wait!” Tara called out. From the sounds of water splashing behind me, I knew she, and perhaps Shane, were scrambling out of the hot tub, too. I didn’t know where I was going—it wasn’t like I had keys to either of the two cars we had carpooled in.

  “Hold on, Allie!” Shane’s voice also called. I reached the fence and dropped my towel long enough to slip my clothes back on. By the time I finished dressing, Tara and Shane had caught up to me.

  “I didn’t mean it,” Tara said. “Really, I—” Her words were cut off when we heard a short siren on the other side of the fence behind us. Red and blue lights flashed in our eyes.

  “Cops!” Austin shouted. All of them leaped out of the tub, ditching their beer cans but snatching their clothes. They sprinted to the far side of the fence. Tara, Shane, and I followed suit, ignoring the cop who stepped out of his vehicle.

  “Hey, you kids there!” he hollered. “Hold it!”

  Oh, crap!

  My heart thumped in my chest as I took off after the others. The cop yelled at us again. I chanced a look over my shoulder, seeing him running along the fence towards us.

  Kate, Ben, and Landon had already scaled the fence and were far down the road. Austin was on the other side of the fence, waiting for Tara. Shane lifted her enough so she could pull herself up and over, letting Austin catch her. Then Shane gave me a boost. I swung my leg over the top, intending for my jump to carry me through. But my sweatpants caught on the sharp, pointed edge, grazing my thigh. The unexpected jolt threw off my landing, and I twisted my right ankle. I grimaced in pain just before Shane landed next to me. He pulled me to my feet while I hobbled after him for a few steps.

  “Stop!” The cop was fifty feet away, pointing his flashlight at us as he drew near. Shane swore under his breath, holding my bicep as he tugged me alongside him. Adrenaline kicked in, providing a low anesthetic for the pain. I ignored my body’s attempts to slow me down, warning me of my injured ankle.

  I shook Shane off. “I’m fine! I can run!”

  We had no idea which direction everyone else had escaped. We cut across the road, aiming to lodge ourselves between the close-knit houses a
long the street—and to escape the cop’s view. Glancing over my shoulder, my face fell in dismay. He had seen where we’d turned and was gaining on us! Whatever happened to the overweight, donut-eating cops everyone stereotyped? We could have really used one of them at the moment, instead of this guy, who was fit and chasing us like he had something to prove.

  Just let us go already! I wanted to shout. I hoped he’d consider us good and scared and surrender the pursuit, but fortune was not on our side. Not only that, but we could also hear him on his radio, calling for backup.

  Really? You need backup?

  “Come on, come on!” Shane’s hushed voice called to me as we leaped over bushes and slipped passed trees. A wave of familiarity hit me, realizing it had only been a few weeks since we’d been chased on the golf course for our paintballing stunt. I wondered if we’d be so lucky this time.

  We stumbled back onto another street, running at a diagonal to hide between another row of houses. As we crossed the curb, my damaged ankle finally gave out and I fell to my knees with a grunt. Shane had already made it between the houses before he looked back and saw me struggling. Just up the road, a cop car flashed its lights, heading my way—and not fifteen feet behind me was Hero-cop.

  “Shane, run! Get out of here!” I cried. He hesitated until I shouted again. “Go!” On my feet once more, I turned right. My crippled run slowed me down, but at least I was drawing the cop on foot in my direction, away from Shane. I knew that if someone were to get caught tonight, it was better that it be me.

  Not thirty seconds later, Hero-cop wrapped his large hand around my bicep, whipping me to a halt. Without even giving me a chance to face him, he ordered me to my knees.

  “Put your hands behind your back,” he commanded, his voice booming with authority. His handcuffs clanked together with anticipation. I kneeled on the curb, my eyes catching the curious onlookers driving by and a woman peeking through her blinds. I tried to ignore their stares, my face flushed and my breaths heaving in my chest. Some teenagers driving by hollered at me with laughter, mocking my arrest. I kept my eyes down, anger and adrenaline keeping me heated, despite the cold weather wrapping its icy breath around me.

  With the handcuffs locked in place, the cop pulled me to my feet, turning me around to face him and his unwarranted “backup”. This cop was definitely younger—probably new in his career, which explained his zealous chase.

  “What have we got here, Jared?” the second cop said, assessing my appearance. He looked more seasoned and didn’t strut the way Hero-cop did. “They gave you a pretty decent chase, huh?”

  Hero-cop shook his head with a laugh. His chest puffed out as he spoke, highlighting his muscled frame. “Nah, it was nothin’.”

  I rolled my eyes at his ego. I couldn’t help myself from speaking. “Yeah, good for you for catching an injured seventeen-year-old girl.” I didn’t break away from his glare. “Fantastic job.” His frown hardened, while the other cop suppressed a smile behind one hand. I knew I shouldn’t have said it. It certainly wouldn’t help my situation, but the anger I’d felt at my so-called friends needed to be redirected somewhere.

  “Have a seat,” Hero-cop said, gripping my arm and yanking me backwards. I landed on my rear, seated on the edge of the curb.

  Whatever. I probably deserved that.

  The other cop winked at me with a grin. Confused but happy for a possible ally, I let a smile slip in return, while Hero-cop flipped through a notepad.

  “Caught this one and a few of her friends drinking inside Jordan Apartments. The ol’ hot tub break in again,” Hero-cop said, glancing at me like I was being scolded.

  “For what it’s worth, I wasn’t drinking.” I tossed my head to knock strands of hair away from my eyes.

  “We’ll see about that,” Hero-cop said. “Evan, I need to grab the Breathalyzer from your car. Be right back.”

  Officer Evan nodded. Turning to me, he asked, “So what’s your name?”

  “Allie Collins.”

  “You have ID on you, Allie?”

  “No, I don’t.” I’d left my purse, with my wallet and phone, inside Shane’s car. I wondered how those guys were doing, assuming they had made their way back to the cars by now.

  “Well,” Officer Evan started.

  Hero-cop cut him off. “Guess that means you’ll be under arrest so your parents can come and claim you from jail—if they want.”

  I suppressed the urge to retort with another rude remark. I knew at this point I shouldn’t press my luck, even if this cop thought he was hardcore or something. It was obviously a slow night for actual criminals if he was willing to take the pursuit this far.

  “Breathe into this,” he instructed. I blew into the tube with zero hesitancy, knowing I’d pass the test. Hero-cop seemed disappointed with the results. Bringing me to my feet, Officer Evan escorted me into the back of his police car. I’d never sat in one before. The doors slammed shut. I felt claustrophobic, staring at the caged wall that barred me from the front seats.

  How did I get myself into this mess? I wondered, watching the two cops getting into a discussion outside my window. Reflecting on the recent scares over the past few weeks, I couldn’t help but realize that Shane and my new friends were the common factor in these repeat scenarios.

  Both cops situated themselves in the front seat. Hero-cop’s frown deepened, but he didn’t say anything more to me—not even when Officer Evan dropped him off at his car. I did a quick scan of the streets but didn’t see Shane or Austin’s cars.

  Once we were alone, the officer turned his head towards me and said, “I convinced Officer Harmon to let me take you home. You obviously weren’t drinking. Consider this a warning.”

  I nodded my head. “Thanks. I appreciate that.” I gave him my home address. After a minute of driving, Officer Evan broke the silence.

  “So let me guess. You’re a senior?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You thinking about college?”

  “Of course,” I answered. “I’m still just doing applications and all that.” I could feel his next question. “Fresno State, maybe.”

  “Northern California. Nice choice. So what high school do you attend?”

  I closed my mouth, eying the back of the police officer’s head. If he wasn’t arresting me, he didn’t need my personal details. I folded my arms. “Is this the whole ‘good cop-bad cop’ scenario where you convince me to give up my friends? Because I’m not going to do that.”

  A moment of silence—then he let out a laugh. “Relax. It’s called making small talk.” He looked over his shoulder at me through the grate, his expression humored. “I’m beginning to think kids these days don’t know how to do that anymore if it doesn’t involve texting.” He returned his eyes to the road.

  I let out a sound of contempt. “I can handle small talk. I just don’t like being tricked.”

  “No tricks here,” Officer Evans said. “But I can understand you being cautious. It’s the ‘stranger-danger’ concept we try and ingrain in little kids. Besides, we all have things we’d rather keep to ourselves. Right?”

  I stopped talking after that.