“Wouldn’t want you to strain yourself. At your age you might not recover,” Max said.
“About Kate,” Mike said, “if you can’t get her, mind if I try? She’s more my age than yours. She—”
Jack gave them a look of such threat that they laughed—and caused a dozen girls to give loud sighs.
“Is that them?”
Ahead of them were the three girls. The other kids were plastered against the walls, but not Ashley, Britney, and Madison. They were the Queens of Lachlan High and they knew it. Their hair was shiny, faces made up like in a magazine, and their clothes were designer. They had no idea that never again in their lives would they have the extreme, unbreakable self-confidence they did at that moment.
Even so, at the sight of Jack’s young cousins, their eyes began glowing like something out of a sci-fi movie. No green screen work needed.
“Uh,” Jack said, looking at them. The magnetic poles of the earth didn’t have a stronger attraction than those kids did to one another. However, Britney did glance at Jack in question. She seemed to say, Three girls and just two boys?
Jack turned and nearly ran out of the school.
At home, the adults weren’t sure the girls would show up that evening. After all, they were still grounded from the last time they’d escaped. The parents had been bawled out by Jack, the sheriff, and the fire chief.
But the boys had been so sure they’d come that they prepared for a party. Jack drove them to the grocery and loaded up on disgustingly unhealthy food and drinks. At home, the boys calmly sat down in front of the big TV to wait.
The adults talked about what they were doing. Would the killer know? Guess? Put it all together? They had no answer.
At 5:00 p.m., the girls showed up—and behind them came most of the senior class.
“I didn’t expect this,” Sara said in horror.
When Jack’s mother, Heather, arrived, Sara hugged her in gratitude.
“I’ve been through three teenagers,” she said, “so I know what it’s like. Go. Do whatever. I’ll take care of them. Here! Yes, you, Jason Lombard. Do not stand on the furniture.”
Sara practically ran into the sanctuary of her library. Minutes later, Jack and Kate arrived and in front of them were the three girls. Their smiles were now sulks.
“We need to—” Madison said.
Jack cut her off. “If you complain, it will take longer. But if you answer our questions quickly, then you can go. Your choice.”
The girls sat down, mouths closed. Sara and Kate sat across from them.
“We want to know more about your time with Janet Beeson,” Sara said.
“She found me after I took my mother’s pills,” Britney said. The music was so loud they could hear it through the thick walls of the house.
“Tell us more about what led up to your attempt at...?” Kate’s voice was full of caring.
The girls had their heads turned toward the music. Martyrs had suffered less than them.
Jack was standing and he leaned toward them. “If you don’t talk to us, I’ll take you out the back way and drive you home.” He narrowed his eyes. “And you’ll never see my cousins again.”
The girls snapped their heads around to face him.
“We had a fight,” Madison said.
“Why? Over what?” Kate asked.
The girls tightened their lips and said nothing.
Jack got his truck keys out of his pocket.
“We vowed to never speak of it again,” Ashley said.