Beyond (BOOK 1.5) (4 page)

Unless...

I stand tall—well up anyway—I'll never be tall. My chin only just reaches over the study carrel.

"Hey Adam."

Adam's blue eyes round before he drops his gaze back to the computer screen in front of him. I swallow back a swearing rant and clear my throat, calmly walking around the desks so I can sit next to him.

Much to his discomfort, I pull a spare chair as close to him as I can and plop into it.

"How's it going?" I'm forcing a friendly charm into my voice. I know this is taking him off guard. The guy has barely looked at me since I returned to school. He's actually been a very different guy since hitting me with his car. He was already a quiet type, but he's got like no confidence now. I sometimes wonder if this cloud of shame he lives under is suffocating him. I sometimes wonder if he just wants to let the truth out so he can breathe normally again.

I pity him a little, but don't want to let that show. I'm on a mission.

"So, Adam. I couldn't help overhearing that your uncle has sway at Columbia."

"Yeah, so?" Adam's mumble is terse and surly.

Don't push my buttons, man. I may be small, but I can still damage you.

Not physically, but I could pulverize him with some pretty nasty curses. I've been working on them ever since the accident. Dale sometimes lets me tell him, rant it all out...get it off my chest, but then he makes me swear to never let fly in public with what I have to say. Believe me, some days it's an effort.

"Your dad's brother, right?"

"Yeah." Adam finally turns to me, his eyes narrowing into fine slits.

The thought of what I'm about to do scares me senseless, but I don't care. I want Dale to get into Columbia, and if it means chatting to Sheriff Toad Face, then I'll do it.

I jerk out of my seat and flick my hair over my shoulder.

"I gotta go."

"Nicole," Adam calls after me, sounding worried. "Nicole, where are you going?"

*****

I ditch school. Yes, yes, I know I'm not supposed to do it, but this is far more important than Algebra. Believe me!

Town is like five miles from school. I can hardly walk it, but I manage to score a ride with Gretchen something-or-other. Man, I'm useless with names. I know she's a senior, and she used to have braces. Her teeth look great now. I can't help noticing.

Anyway, she was going into town for her free period, which I think seniors can get away with. She looked at me really weird when I asked for a ride, but my persuasive smile must have won her over.

We don't talk at all the whole trip. I think she's a little scared of me or something. I have no idea why. I mean yes, I used to be a bitch and yes, there is a slim chance I may have referred to her as a pink Michelin Man at last year's prom, but that's because she totally dressed like one! It's not my fault she's tall and heavy set. You don't wear a ruffled pink, figure hugging dress if you're that body shape. It's common sense.

I press my lips together suddenly struck by how it must have made her feel. I was a punk sophomore kid, one of the few invited to the Junior Prom, and I totally embarrassed her in front of her date. I'd never do that now. Maybe she knows that. Maybe that's why she's giving me a ride.

She parks the car along Main Street and I give her a smile.

"Thanks so much for the ride, Gretchen."

Her nod is small. She won't look me in the eye, and I can't help myself.

"Why'd you give it to me?"

She looks surprised by my question, but then shrugs. "You needed one."

"Yeah, but I...I've never been...I mean I was..."

"Horrible to me?" Her voice has a slightly hard edge.

All I can do is nod and mumble a soft, "Sorry."

Her lips twitch with a little smile. "I thought about ignoring you, but, I don't know." She shrugs again. "I would have felt bad about it, and you don't hang out with the mean crowd anymore. I guess I took a chance that you wouldn't say anything horrible to me on the ride into town. Plus, Dale's a really good guy, and I'd hate for him to find out that I cold-shouldered his girlfriend."

I grin. Touching her arm, I give it a little squeeze. "Thanks for being cool." She nods and I turn to leave the car. "Oh yeah, and could you maybe not mention to Dale that I came into town today? I'm planning a surprise for him and I really don't want him to find out."

Gretchen's eyes sparkle. "Your secret's safe with me." She's obviously a bit of a romantic. Not that there's anything romantic about what I'm doing, but she doesn't need to know that. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help." She wiggles her eyebrows.

I thank her and leave the car before she sees my strained expression. If she only knew what I was about to do, she wouldn't be offering to help me. Raising my chin, I clear my throat and attempt a confident stride as I make my way down the street to the Big Bear Police Department.

Chapter 5

The police department is practically empty. Not sure if that's a good thing or not. Every set of eyes lands on me as I walk up to the front desk. I'm greeted by the officer I harassed when I was trying to break Dale out of the back cell last year. My ghostly fingers made him think he had a spider crawling up his neck.

I guess I do miss being a ghost sometimes.

What? No, I don't!

Nicky, just shut up and ask the guy if you can speak to the Sheriff!

I paste on a smile. "Good morning." I check my watch. Yes, still morning. I don't sound like a total dork.

The officer looks slightly suspicious as he glances at me.

"Why aren't you in school, young lady?"

I swallow down my nervous titter and clear my throat instead, trying to sound all mature. "I'm completing a paper for a school project, and I need to interview the Sheriff. I'd like some personal quotes from a respected town member to add some weight to my argument."

Ah, the lies. They come so easy.

"I have a free period at the moment, and I thought the Sheriff might be more available now than he would be after school. Is that okay or do I need to make an appointment?"

I've learned from Dale that putting on a sweet, innocent expression and suddenly asking if it's okay to do something really softens people. My approach is usually,
tell them what I want and if they don't give it to me, tell them a little louder
. Much to my angst, Dale's way works better.

The officer in front of me relaxes slightly and flashes me a smile.

"Well, if it's for school." He stands and hitches up his pants, the keys on his waistband jingling. "I'll just go ask the Sheriff if he can squeeze you in."

I see through the Sheriff's glass door that he's alone. I can't help quirking my eyebrow at the officer who gives me a bashful smile and heads across the station.

A knock and a mumbled conversation later, I'm walking towards the Sheriff. He's standing in the door waiting to greet me. When he notices who I am, his face falters just a little, but there's nothing much he can do about it because the officer is still watching us.

The Sheriff reluctantly extends his hand and greets me with a cheesy smile. Overdoing it much?

As soon as the office door closes, his smile flees.

"Take a seat." He points to the chair on the other side of his desk.

My heart is hammering. I can feel it bashing against my rib cage, making me feel ill.

I perch on the hard, leather chair. I am feeling so many emotions right now I barely know what to do with them—hatred and loathing are right up there, but they are diluted by fear. This man tried to kill me. He's like twice my size, and if he really wanted to, could demolish me. And he'd no doubt get away with it.

As I watch him settle at his desk, I try to feed off my anger, but that just makes me more emotional.

Dale.

The word whispers through my brain, calming my insides.

Dale.

I repeat it about five more times before I open my mouth.

"Thanks for seeing me, Sheriff Hutton."

"What do you want, Miss Tepper? Something about a school project?"

"Yeah, well," I flick a non-existent speck off my jeans. "That was just so I could get into your office."

The Sheriff's blue eyes harden to cold steel. I try not to let this deter me, although it takes some effort. That look could cut through granite.

I sit up as tall as I can go and straighten my shoulders.

"Sheriff, I need your help."

His left eyebrow rises into a sharp peak, making his forehead crinkle.

"You see Dale is applying to all these colleges, but he really wants to get into Columbia University."

"So, he should apply for Columbia then."

He did, you dickhead!

I breathe in, forcing my voice to remain soft and calm. "He didn't get in."

"Then I hope he applied for other colleges as well." The Sheriff looks ready to start ushering me out the door. I hold up my hand to stop him.

"He wants Columbia, sir." Ugh! Sir! I can't believe I just called him that.

"Look, Nicole, I can't control your boyfriend's fate, and frankly, it's not really any of my concern."

"I know your brother has sway at the college. If he could just put in a good word for Dale. A reference from you would probably help too. Maybe between the two of you, you can get him in."

Sheriff Hutton sits back in his seat looking incredulous. His snigger makes me want to punch him. "And why would I do that?"

"Because you owe him one."

"I owe him one?" That hard look is coming back into the Sheriff's eyes. I glance away from it, but know that only makes me look weak, so force my eyes back to him.

"Look, we both know Dale and I could have spilled the truth months ago. However, we kept our mouths shut, and I think it's time you show a little gratitude."

"Gratitude?" He threads his fingers together and rests them lightly on his desk, looking anything but relaxed.

"Come on, Sheriff. A couple of phone calls, one little reference. It'll take less than thirty minutes of your time."

"And why do you think I'd want to spend thirty minutes of my time helping some juvenile delinquent."

I scoff. "He's not a delinquent! He's one of the best kids in this town and you know it."

"He has a police record, and he broke into my place."

Anger spits inside of me. "He broke into your place because he suspected your son of a hit and run. And he was right. Remember?"

The Sheriff's lips pull into a tight line.

"Please Sheriff, you've got to do this for him."

"I don't have to do anything."

My eyes narrow into slits as I throw as much rage into my look as possible. "I wouldn't be stubborn about this if I were you. I could ruin your career."

The Sheriff presses his fingers into his desk and slowly rises. "Is that a threat, Miss Tepper?"

My gaze wants to falter so badly, but I hold it steady. "Think of it however you like, but I know the truth, and I have no qualms about telling anyone I need to."

"No one will believe you. You've got nothing." He spits out the last word, almost looking triumphant.

I slowly rise from my seat. "Adam hit me with his car and left me for dead, he also threatened Dale and me with a gun. I have every right to press charges and it'll take me less than thirty minutes to do it." I really didn't want it to come down to this, but I'll do what I have to. I just need to convince the Sheriff of that.

"Don't be insane. You have no evidence." He looks smug, because the evidence we did have was driven out of town in the middle of the night and fixed in an LA garage. Adam brought his pristine car back to school the next week and none were the wiser.

"Dale's a witness."

"His word against mine? You've got to be kidding me. I can just as easily press charges against Dale. He was trespassing on my property."

"You think trespassing is a worse crime than intent to kill? Besides, there's no way Adam would be able to lie his way through a court case. We both know it. My dad's lawyer would pulverize him."

The Sheriff's right hand balls into a tight fist. I cross my arms and raise my eyebrows to let him know I'm all business.

His lips remain tight and unyielding. He crosses his arms to match mine and raises his chin. "I will not kowtow to your threats. Find another way to get your boyfriend into college, you little minx."

I decide to take that as a compliment and paste on a flirty smile just to prove my point.

"That's fine Sheriff." I collect up my bag, going for nonchalant and breezy. "If you're not going to help me, I guess I'll just have to find another authority that will." I stop at the door and feign thoughtfulness. "You know my mom helped the mayor buy his new house a couple of months ago. They became quite good friends throughout the process. I'm sure he'd be very open to chatting with me. There'd be so much we could talk about. Like the fact that the sheriff's son is guilty of attempted murder."

I reach for the door, ready to swing it open.

"Alright stop!" Sheriff Hutton slaps his desk and I let go of the door knob. "I'll write him a damn reference."

I turn with a pointed look. "And call your brother?"

His nod is stiff. "Give me two days," he mumbles.

"Excellent." I'm sure my grin is smug, but I don't care. "Thanks for your help, Sheriff. Give me a call when that letter's ready and I'll come by to collect it."

I dodge his evil glare and waltz out the door, waving politely to the front-desk officer.

I feel light and airy as I awkwardly skip down the stairs. Dude, that mayor thing was inspired. It came to me just in time too. Thank goodness! Because I was starting to freak that this was about to be an epic fail.

I head back into town with a beaming smile and am lucky enough to spot Gretchen, who actually offers me a lift this time.

You know, my mom's totally right. Putting the needs of others above your own rocks. I can't wait for this all to come through and for Dale to get that letter again. He's going to be so stoked.

I ignore the long-term consequences for me and force myself to dwell upon the fact that I am making Dale's dream come true, and that's enough for now.