Death Screams (18 page)

She didn't say the obvious thing. Last year, Jade's loser dad had flung his drunken ass at the house, manhandled Mom and hit Jade. I could kinda see her point. Clyde had come in and cleaned things up. Been thorough about it too.

Gramps stabbed the fire with a metal stick, twisted and smooth with age, having roasted a thousand marshmallows. He looked up at her, all the teens eyes on him. "Listen up Peanut. Caleb is a good boy, but he's got a streak of bad in him," he swiveled to look at me.
Just the truth
, that look told me. Then his attention came back to Mom. "He will do what needs doin'. He doesn't need me, or you, or Kyle. He's got a battalion at his disposal. Didn't you tell me on the phone that Clyde has been hanging around the house?"

I could see Mom gulp by the firelight. "Yes," she said reluctantly.

Helen's brows arched. "Are you kidding me, Ali? You have a corpse, what... as part of the family?"

"It's complicated, Helen," Dad interjected.

This was so uncomfortable. My friends all looked at me. Jade already knew and squeezed my side where her arm rested.

"I'll put him back!" I said loudly, defensive.

"Hey man, far be it from me to discourage you from having a pet corpse around," Jonesy said, his hand over his heart in sincerity.

Brother, gee thanks for that.

I sighed loudly. "He's not a pet, Jones."

"He's something," John said and Alex nodded, rubbing his shoulder where it hurt from grappling with the dorks.

"He's like a bodyguard," Bry said and Gramps smiled like,
exactly
.

Gramps slapped his knee and Jade jumped with a squeak.

"Jumpy," Tiff said, popping another bubble and Mom gave her The Look. Tiff saw and chucked the gum into the fire. "Fine. It was gettin' old anyway."

Amused, Gramps continued with his thoughts, "You know, maybe Caleb shouldn't... put Clyde back. Ever."

"Wait a second, Mac," Dad said. "That's not even a remote possibility."

Gramps' eyes narrowed. "Is there a law, Kyle?"

Dad paused, not answering immediately and I saw John's eyebrows shoot up. Dad was usually pretty glib on the rebuttal.

"No. But it doesn't make it right."

"Right for who?" Sophie said. "As I see it, with everything that's happened," she shrugged, "it seems safer."

"Furthermore," Gramps gave a vicious stab at the fire with his poker, "I'm thinkin' Caleb movin' in with me for a time may be safer for everyone."

Mom's eyes got big. "No Pops. I don't want him to not live with his family. Split up. I'm sorry, that's a bad idea."

Onyx wagged his tail and leaned into Gramps. He liked the idea, I could tell.

Gramps looked at Mom and Dad steadily. "I am family. He can drive to school." He shrugged.

My friends and Jonesy's parents were quiet.

Finally, Dad said, "If things get unsafe, like before, we may take you up on it." He looked at the assembled group. "But I do not foresee that inevitability, after all we're plumb out of serial killers and the Graysheets have cooled their jets so what could happen?"

Death Intent and Astral Projection attackers, that's what.

I exchanged a long look with the J's and Jonesy looked ready to ignite a verbal firestorm when I said, "Thanks for the offer, Gramps. I think I'll hang with the Parents a little longer."

He clapped me on the back and my ass moved forward an inch. "Good deal, kiddo. I got your back."

Yeah he did.

He and Clyde.

"Okay, I gotta ask, ya dick... where's the wheels?" Jonesy asked. He went on before I could respond, "I was fully expecting a ride home today. A chauffeured ride. You've wrecked my potential for coolness today."

Like anyone was capable of that.

I crammed my backpack in my locker after jerking out the pulse-reader. I had synced all my classes finally and now I could thumb them and be prepared for subjects. A totally alien concept until this year. Something I learned from Terran when I wasn't zoning out while he was extolling the virtues of academia. God. Just shoot me.

Speaking of John, he came cruising up with his fro of copper hair bouncing, standing equal with Alex, who as a Body, should have towered over everyone. He did, for the most part. But I thought of Alex as
more
, overwhelming. He overwhelmed all of us with his physique. But that personality hadn't gotten big like the rest of him. He was still the same awkward sex and tech-obsessed guy we'd met last year. In a package like a super hero.

"Where's your car, Hart?" Alex asked and I sighed. I guess I was gonna hear it today. Bry and I were the only ones that actually had cars, Jade borrowed her aunt's and Mia brought hers but it was The Toaster. It was a two guy or three girl ride. We had stuffed Archer in there with the chicks one time but he hadn't cared. There was no awkward turtle male-female vibe goin' on there.

Huh.

"It's getting a conversion. I'm using my credit, ya asswipes."

Lewis joined the conversation, "Your grandpa has the credit for that hot rod we saw at his place?"

I nodded.

"It's a Camaro. A 1974 LT-1, clueless," Jonesy said.

Archer shrugged. "Not a car worshiper, so bite me."

"Bite you?" Jonesy asked, tense.

"You seem interested, Jones," Alex said with a sly smile.

"Knock it off, muscle head," Jonesy said, dismissing him.

Archer grinned at Alex.

John said, "How'd he get the Camaro," He looked at Jonesy with a smirk, "to the conversions center?"

"Drove it," I said.

"No shit?" John asked with a stunned expression.

"Yeah," I said slowly, "So?"

"Did he use fossil fuel to get there, Caleb?" Archer asked.

"Probably."

Archer frowned. "That's a huge fine."

"Nah, he's got some in the garage just in case the neighborhood gets outta line," I said.

Jonesy laughed, shaking his head. "I think he keeps those 'grandfathered' cards around like a deck and flips them out to the Person in Authority when he needs to. End of story."

Bry walked up to us looking around. "Where are the girls?"

"They're coming," I said, lifting my pulse. I'd just got a pulse from Jade. She was finishing something lame for Griswold then she'd be here. I relayed that.

"What's she doing for Griswold?" John asked.

I shrugged, hadn't asked. Was all about the time.

Sophie, Tiff and Jade walked up. Bry asked, "Where's Mia?"

All three girls gave him a speculative look and his face turned a little red under their scrutiny. "What?" he asked, jamming his hands in his pockets.

"Your noticeable interest, dillweed," Tiff mentioned delicately.

Wow.

Mia walked up right behind them, saw all the awkwardness and said, "What?"

Jonesy smiled and Bry shot him a warning look. "Bry was busy pining for you, wonderin' about your location so he could stalk you with accuracy."

I couldn't believe it, even from Jones. So low. Bry's mouth was moving but no sound was coming out. Mia looked at him in amusement and Bry looked ready to murder Jonesy.

"So... you wanted to know where I was, huh?" she asked him and his face became redder.

If possible.

He nodded. "I'm just worried about you guys with the jackasses that go here."

Mia shrugged a slim shoulder and flicked her hair behind her shoulder and Bry blushed. Again.

He had it bad. The girls knew their charms and they circled us dudes like lionesses with prey in sight.

Sophie stalked over to Jonesy, her hips rolling smoothly on her weapons-for-heels. Jade floated over to me, her lips a raspberry perfection in the middle of her kissable face. Eyes like green quartz captured me. I was helpless to look away even as in my peripheral vision I saw Mia stroll over to Bry and lay a hand on his muscular forearm. I watched his Adam's apple bob in response.

Tiff watched with blatant suspicion as the females prowled toward the boys. And in seeing our reactions had some kind of epileptic eye-rolling fit where the whites of her eyes were the only sign of life in her face.

"Humph!" she huffed, folding her arms over her hoodie. "Idiots," she muttered under her breath. But It didn't matter because Jade was up on her tiptoes, pressing those berry lips to mine, her small hands balancing on shoulders made strong and broad through working out, beating my body into submission on the mat.

Oh shit. The mat. Judo.

I pulled away in a hurry. "What?" Jade asked, completely unaccustomed to me pulling away. That's because it didn't ever happen.

Duh.

"I have judo today," I smacked my forehead.

"What, you forgot your brain today, Hart?" Tiff asked, pointing at Jade, then rudely pointing at her own crotch. "Or are you just letting the little head... "

"Tiff!" Bry yelled and she smiled. She was all about diggin' on whatever flustered people.

Brother. John smiled at her. There weren't enough opposites in the world. But they were polar. John kinda liked how snarky she was. I found her kinda annoying but she was like a dude in a girl's body. It was weird.

I was about ready to sail out the school doors when Buddy walked up. Without the losers.

Good thinkin'.

He looked at Sophie standing by Jonesy, his face hardening. Alarm bells began to sound in my head. Hell, I'd have to be late and do some really crappy drills now.

But I couldn't leave a potential mess. Jonesy and Buddy squared off and the other dudes backed up.

"Why don't you fuck off, Buddy?" Jonesy asked in a pleasant voice, the girls gasping at the strength of his wording right outta the box.

Buddy smiled. Nothing got a guy juiced like another one telling him where to go without any preliminaries.

He looked around for adults. Seeing none, he got chest to chest with Jones, two inches taller and about the same weight.

John said, "Hey, there's... Jonesy, don't do this. She isn't your girlfriend."

Jonesy leveled the first dirty look he'd ever given John like a laser. John glowered back like,
rein it in you anger management addict.

Alex told John, "Don't mediate, let it play out, Terran."

Bry slapped his forehead and Tiff said, "Pound. His. Ass. Jones." She smacked her fist into her open palm.

I moved Jade behind me, she had an ability to be a magnet for violence and it wasn't finding her when I was around. I took in the group and saw that Bry had done a similar maneuver with Mia. Tiff was way too close to the potential fight and John and Alex were hanging back.

It was Sophie that got in the middle. Chicks needed to stay the hell away when guys started swinging. It was simple logic.

That seemed to really evade females. Logic.

Jonesy hissed at Sophie, "Back off, Soph."

"No," she said quietly. He flicked his eyes to hers.

"You don't like me, not really. I'm just a girl that won't let you date and dump her, Jones. Get over yourself," she shrugged like it didn't matter.

It did to Jonesy. I could see the struggle of it on his face, contorting his features.

Buddy gave a smirk even as Sophie's arm wound around his waist. "Who's gonna fuck off now, Jones?"

Oh shit.

Jonesy sprung at him from the balls of his feet, his fist popping out and jabbing toward him like a spring, Buddy flinging his head in a smooth avoidance maneuver.

Unfortunately, Sophie was too close and as she stumbled to remove herself from the fight, tottering on her heels, the side of his fist caught her in the face and she went down flat. Buddy couldn't save her but Jonesy was the most graceful person I knew and he dropped after her, swinging in an arc to catch her before she landed on the floor. He took the brunt of the fall and rolled her on top of him and then to his side. It was actually beautiful to watch.

If Buddy and Jonesy hadn't been in the middle of trying to beat the snot out of each other.

Buddy began whaling on Jonesy and I waded in.

See how that worked out? No judo... work out anyway.

Jonesy was using his fists to punch back defensively but couldn't do much because an unconscious Sophie was prone beside him. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he didn't want her hurt.

Cuz he
could
hurt Buddy. Jonesy was what Gramps called a scrapper.

I slammed my foot into the pinch of Buddy's torso, that tender spot where ribs ended and organs roamed. Yeah, that works pretty good on incapacitation.

He sprung up and turned on me, crouching defensively. I had a heartbeat to realize that Buddy knew more than he let on and then he was after me in an aggressive flurry of arm swipes and jabs that made my judo training come to the surface in a defensive roar. I used the sides of my hands like I'd been taught and swung from my core, centered.