Autumn Dreams (35 page)

“And all he wants is to corrupt her.”

“It sounds that way.”

“Oh, Lord, please!” Derrick’s thinking and plotting was so beyond Cass’s experience that her mind balked. She couldn’t imagine purposely hurting someone. She couldn’t help but feel she was taking part in a movie, a very evil movie. The cameramen and director were just invisible.

As they turned to begin another pass, Cass spied a girl limping along the sidewalk, head down, arms hugging her middle. The girl’s shoulders shook, and her long auburn hair hung down her back in a tousled mane.

“Dan!” Cass pointed, her heart in her throat.

“I see her.” He pulled to the curb, and Cass threw the door open before they were even stopped.

“Jenn!”

The girl whirled, her face full of fear, her body bent in a protective crouch.

“Jenn, it’s me.” Cass spread her arms.

Jenn blinked her tear-swollen eyes, and her face lit up in relief. “Aunt Cassandra!” She raced into Cass’s arms and glommed on. Great sobs tore from her throat.

Cass hugged her back. “Shh, sweetheart. It’s okay.” She ran one hand soothingly up and down Jenn’s back. “It’s okay. We’ve got you. You’re safe.”

“It was awful, Aunt Cassandra! I was so scared!” Jenn’s whole body shook. “We were just going to drive around the block, but they hadn’t even been to school.” She shuddered. “Derrick only stopped in to get me.”

Cass wasn’t sure she understood everything Jenn was saying, but she hugged the girl and repeated, “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

“They were drinking.” Jenn’s voice grew disbelieving.

“Derrick, too?”

“He started as soon as we pulled away from school. He said it was water.” She sniffed. “I think it was vodka. He offered me some, then told me how beautiful I was.”

Just what any young girl wanted to hear. He was so clever. Cass shuddered as she led Jenn to the car. They leaned against the silver fender as Jenn continued her story. Cass kept an arm about her niece’s waist.

“I’m so dumb. I thought the house belonged to one of the kids. Then one of the guys found a liquor cabinet, and they broke in.” Jenn stared at Cass in a mix of disbelief and horror. “They took a penknife and forced the doors apart. The wood cracked and splintered, and they all laughed. That’s when I knew I was in deep trouble.”

“Ah, baby.” Cass kissed her temple.

Jenn gave a weak smile. “Derrick wanted me to drink. I didn’t want to, but he forced me,” she wailed.

“Shh, honey. It’s all right.” But Cass knew it wasn’t.

“It made me cough, and it burned! It tasted terrible.” She made a face. “Everyone laughed at me, especially Derrick.”

Cass could see the pain of betrayal in her eyes. The boy she thought was wonderful, the boy who kissed her and told her she was beautiful, had mocked her instead of protecting her.

Jenn sighed and put a hand to her mouth like she was trying to control the wobble in her lower lip. “I felt like my throat was on fire, and I thought I’d never breathe right again. I ran to the kitchen for some water, which only made them laugh harder.” She swiped at her runny nose with a crumpled tissue. “I was coming back to the living room, trying to figure out how to get out of the
mess I’d gotten myself into, when I heard Derrick laughing with the guys, a nasty laugh, you know? It made the hair on my arms stand up.” She rubbed her arms at the memory.

Dan tapped Cass’s arm and held out his jacket. For the first time she realized that Jenn was without her coat. She refrained from mentioning the fact, took Dan’s jacket, and draped it over her niece’s shoulders.

“R-roofies,” Jenn said as she pulled the jacket close. “He had Roofies. ‘She’ll never know,’ he said.”

Jenn sniffed and wiped at her nose again. “Do you know what R-roofies are?”

Cass nodded.

“H-he was going to use them on m-me.” Large tears washed Jenn’s cheeks.

“Ah, sweetheart.” Cass held her as she cried, rocking her gently.

“I w-wish my mom was here,” Jenn whispered.

“I’m sure you do.” Cass ran her hand down Jenn’s fall of hair. She wished desperately that Rhonda were here too. Rhonda would know just what to say to make it all better. Mothers were like that.

“So how did you get away?” Cass made her voice brisk to help counter Jenn’s tears.

Jenn straightened and sniffed. “I told them I felt sick to my stomach from the drink and had to go to the bathroom. I even managed to make gagging noises.” She slumped again. “I felt sick, all right, sick with fear. I locked the door, prayed like crazy, and climbed out the window.”

Cass gave a puff of laughter. “You climbed out the bathroom window? Good for you, girl! I’m proud of you.”

“I was scared stiff.”

“I’m sure you were.” Cass looked at the house in front of them, raised on pilings. Her heart broke a bit more. “First floor?”

Jenn shook her head. “Second.”

Second. “Onto concrete or dirt?”

“Dirt.”

Cass closed her eyes, thankful beyond measure for that strip of dirt in the sea of concrete that ran beneath most houses built on pilings. She could imagine the terrified girl opening the window, scrambling over the sill, lowering herself by her hands, and dropping,
dropping to the ground, all the while expecting Derrick to break in and grab her.

Thank You, Lord. How easy it would have been for her to break her legs
. “Is that how you hurt your ankle?”

Jenn nodded and studied her foot. “It’s swelling.”

“Some ice will take care of it.” Cass hoped she was right, that it wasn’t any more serious than a sprain.

Brakes squealed as a car whipped around the corner. Jenn jumped and huddled closer to Cass. Dan stepped near them both. The car screeched to a stop, and Jared and Paulie leaped out. Jared raced to Jenn. He reached for her as she held out her arms to him. Their hug was fierce and full of love. Cass had to blink away her tears.

Then Jared stepped to the side, and Paulie gave Jenn a quick, awkward hug. For once Jenn didn’t pull back.

“I’m glad you got away,” Paulie said, holding Jenn by her shoulders. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He frowned. “You are okay, aren’t you?”

She nodded. “I’m okay. Ashamed, maybe, but okay.” One tear rolled down her velvet cheek.

“Where are they?” Jared’s face was hard, his jaw muscles bunched.

Jenn opened her mouth, but Cass spoke first. “No, Jared. It’s not your job to get them.”

“Yes, it is.” His hands were balled into fists. “She’s my sister. Mess with her, and you answer to me.”

“To me, too,” Paulie said, his usually open face as set as Jared’s.

If the situation weren’t so serious, if Jared and Paulie weren’t so determined, so intent in their desire to right the wrongs done to Jenn, Cass would have smiled at their vigilante spirit. It was so unlike either of them. They were the quintessential good guys.

Dan spoke for the first time, “I don’t blame you, Jared, Paulie, for wanting to get those guys. If someone did something like that to Cass, I’d want to get them too.”

Cass stared, staggered at the vehemence in Dan’s voice. Over her. She caught Jenn’s astonished and impressed glance and flushed.

Dan continued, “But we can’t go around beating up guys, no
matter how much they deserve it. That’s taking the law into our own hands. We’ll call the police. We’ll let them take care of the problem for us.”

“But, Dan—”

“No, Jared.” Dan held up a hand, palm out in a stop signal. “No. Besides, I’m pretty sure the cops’ll do a much better job than we would. Fines, some time in a holding cell, a trial, community service or jail.”

“Names in the papers?” Paulie asked hopefully. “Nice and embarrassing?”

“Probably,” Dan said. “They’re old enough, but no guarantees.”

“Will Jenn be mentioned?” Concern colored Paulie’s voice as he looked at her, his heart in his eyes.

“I doubt it,” Dan said.

“Because I’m a minor, right?” Jenn asked.

“I think it’s more that Derrick won’t mention you because of the testimony he knows you could give. It’ll be bad enough for them without some sweet young thing saying they were going to give her the date rape drug.”

Jenn shuddered at the memory, and Cass stepped close, running her hand in circles on her niece’s back.

Jared and Paulie looked at each other, then nodded in resignation. “Okay, call the cops.”

“So where are they, Jenn?” Dan asked.

She made a choking noise and looked scared. “I can’t tell.”

Cass sympathized. When the house was raided, all the kids would know who had ratted. Still, there was the issue of responsibility. Cass looked Jenn in the eye. “If you don’t tell, some other girl is going to go through the same thing you went through, and she might not be lucky enough to escape.”

Jenn wrapped her arms around herself as tightly as she could. She started to cry again. “I thought he liked m-me.”

Cass watched in mild surprise as Paulie gently laid his arm around Jenn’s shoulders and pulled her close to his side, and in deep surprise when she didn’t pull away.

“I’m such a f-fool,” she blurted. “Such a fool.”

“Now don’t talk that way about one of my favorite people,” Paulie said, giving her a squeeze. “Besides, I think you’re a heroine.”

Jenn blinked and looked at him, so big and tall beside her. “What?”

“You escaped. Talk about clever and brave.”

“Oh.” Obviously she hadn’t considered things from that viewpoint. “Oh.” She brightened a bit.

“Where are they, Jenn?” Dan asked again.

She looked at her brother who nodded, then at Paulie who nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.

“You two are going to have to be my bodyguards, you know,” she said, only half joking.

Paulie grinned. “Okay by me.”

She took a deep breath and straightened her spine. She turned to Dan and gave the address of the house where the party was going on. He nodded his thanks and pulled out his phone.

Brenna and Mike pulled up as Dan made his call. Brenna ran to Jenn and hugged her, dislodging Paulie’s arm. Resigned, he stepped back, his moment of glory over.

“I’m so glad you’re safe!” Brenna cried. “I was so worried.”

Jenn looked at the six people surrounding her. “You all were looking for me?”

They nodded as one.

Cass watched as it struck Jenn that she was well and truly loved. The girl blinked rapidly as more tears threatened.

“I-I don’t know how to thank you. Especially since I’ve been so horrible lately.”

“Yeah, you have,” Jared said.

“Jared!” Cass glared at him.

He shrugged. “I’m just being honest.”

“Sometimes it’s best to just be silent.”

“It’s okay, Aunt Cassandra.” Jenn smiled at Jared. “He’s got no tact, but he’s still the best brother a girl could have.”

Jared reddened and grabbed his sister in another bear hug.

Cass looked at Dan to see if he appreciated what a sweet moment this was, especially since he’d lived through Jenn in high dudgeon. He winked at her, and her heart swelled. He understood.

“We’d better get back to school,” Jared said as he released Jenn. “Before we’re really in trouble.”

Cass looked at her niece, eyes still red, face flushed. “Do you
want to come home for the rest of the day? You can put your ankle up and keep it on ice.”

She shook her head. “I’ve got to go back. People have to see me. It’s the only way I can save some of my reputation.”

Jared looked thoughtful. “You know, I think you should walk around holding Paulie’s hand for the next few days.”

“What?” Jenn and Paulie said together.

Jared leveled his forefinger at Jenn. “Just listen. We want to put as much distance between you and Derrick as possible, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“The best way is to make it look like you have a new boyfriend.”

“Okay by me,” Paulie said, smiling broadly.

Jenn looked less convinced.

“And when people say they thought you were going with Derrick, just say that you decided that he was too wild for you. That’s not a lie.”

“But saying Paulie’s my boyfriend is.”

“Now wait,” Paulie said. “I’m a boy and I’m a friend, right?”

Jenn nodded.

“Well, there you are.” Paulie stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and waited for her response.

“But everybody knows I try to avoid you.”

“So tell them you changed your mind,” Jared said. “Think Derrick, and Paulie ought to look pretty good.”

Cass rolled her eyes at Jared’s less-than-flattering pronouncement, but Paulie seemed untroubled.

“Sounds like a plan to me, Jenn,” Brenna said. “It’s not like Paulie’s ugly or anything. In fact, he’s kind of cute in a shaggy dog kind of way.” She grinned at Paulie who flushed to the tips of his ears. “And believe me, Derrick isn’t going to pick a fight with someone Paulie’s size. You and your reputation will be safe.”

Jenn thought for a minute longer, then nodded. “Yeah, okay. It’s worth a try.”

Cass’s shoulders relaxed. She glanced at Dan who looked amused by the whole idea. Jared looked satisfied, and Paulie was floating three feet off the ground.

“Do you want notes to get back into school?” Cass asked.

The kids nodded, and Cass pulled a tablet from her purse.
“Family emergency ought to do it except for Paulie.”

“Put it for me too,” he said. “I’m practically family.”

When the notes were written, Jared, Jenn, and Paulie climbed into Cass’s car.

“Don’t worry, Aunt Cassandra,” Jared called as he slipped the car into drive. “We’ll take care of her.” He smiled at his sister. Then his face took on a fierce look. “As long as she promises never to do such a stupid thing again.”

Jenn scrunched her nose at him. “Do I look that dumb?”

“You look beautiful,” Paulie said. “As always. Here, let me hold your hand so we can practice.”

Jenn rolled her eyes.

C
ASS COLLAPSED INTO
a kitchen chair. Tremors like an earthquake’s aftershocks rolled through her. She held out her hand so Dan could see it shaking. “I’m a wreck.”

“And you’re surprised at this?” Dan put a glass of water on the table in front of her.

“Thanks,” she whispered but made no move to pick the glass up. She’d slop it all over herself; she knew it.