Always - 18. The Truth

“Rose!” yelled Jeff.

Rose had fallen from the swing to the wooden floor. Blood was seeping through her pink v-neck blouse and she was clutching her shoulder. Luke had shot up from his seat and was looking for the shooter.

“Jeff, call 911!” he exclaimed as his eyes darted around the area.

“Get in the house! Jeff, help me get her inside,” Drew spoke loudly but calmly.

Rose’s parents had rushed up at the vision of their only daughter lying bloody on the porch. Her mother had gone into hysterics and her father was talking frantically to the 911 operator while Jeff and drew carried her inside.

They laid her on the brown, suede couch and Jeff and Rose’s mother crouched beside her.

“Who the hell shot her?” Jeff nearly sobbed.

“David! Who do you think? He wasn’t aiming for her though, you know that. He was aiming for me.” Luke paced angrily across the dark hardwood floor with his hands behind his head.

Drew placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder but he jerked away immediately. When Drew looked into Luke’s caramel eyes he saw the defeated look had returned.

“I told you this would happen if I let them back into my life. I told you! Instead I went ahead and let them back in, and we all pretended like there was no danger to anyone but me. How stupid was I? Why did I think he wouldn’t do something like this? He has tried to kill me more than once! Why in the fuck did I go against my gut?!” Luke was just angrily babbling now.

Drew tried to pull him into his arms, but he resisted.

“No, no, no,” he cried. “What if that would have been you? I can’t do this to you, I just can’t. I can’t run from this anymore! This has to stop!”

They heard the sounds of the ambulance sirens drawing closer till they saw the flashing lights. Drew and Luke followed the ambulance to the hospital where they waited in the cold waiting room for the news. As they were waiting Jeff sat motionless and expressionless in the uncomfortable blue chairs provided. Rose’s parents were both in tears. Her mother’s nose had become red and her eyes were puffy with mascara running down her cheeks. Her once tall and strong father had become a weeping mess. It was a sight no one wanted to see.

Luke was pacing while Drew sat with his head in his hands. He had no idea what Luke was planning to do. He knew he wasn’t going to let him do it alone. Drew knew Rose would be alright. The guy had got her shoulder in a lucky place. He actually wondered how pissed she was going to be. Jeff was the one he was concerned about.

Drew looked over to Jeff. It was like Jeffwasn’t even there. It was as if his mind was somewhere else as he sat there staring at the wall. Rose was all he had left. If he lost her then he lost everything. Drew didn’t know what to do but just wait. He couldn’t offer him hope if he had doubt that he might be wrong about her outcome.

A few hours passed before the doctor came out. Like Drew had suspected Rose would make a full recovery and there would be nothing left but a scar. He knew she wouldn’t be too happy with that. The doctor also announced that she was allowed visitors but only one at a time. It was decided her mom would go followed by her father, then Jeff, Luke and Drew.

It was after Drew’s with rose that he caught Luke by the arm as he headed for the exit.

“Where are you going?” Drew asked.

“To find David,” He stated not looking Drew in the eye.

“No. You are going to wait for me to make a call and then you, Jeff, Brett, Mike, and I are going to find David. Most likely some of the other guys will come too. You are not walking into this blind. I love you Luke. I refuse to let you be killed.”

Drew was completely serious. Jeff vigilantly walked over to stand beside Drew. After his visit with Rose he seemed to have come back to Earth. Drew and Luke both looked at him and his bemused smile.

“What in the hell did Rose say to you? She sure brought you out of your funk,” smiled Drew.

“I think her exact words were, ‘Cheer up, and get your ass out of here so you can find the bastard who shot me.’ It sure snapped me out of it,” Jeff laughed.

“Yeah, Rose can do that. Now we need to go find David and put an end to this mess,” Luke said hastily.

“Wait just a minute,” Drew stepped to the side to make his call.

Jeff and Luke exchanged questioning looks as they waited for Drew. They both knew Drew’s history. They knew he knew better to rush into things; that he had learned from his previous mistakes. As much as Luke just wanted to charge David and rip out his entrails he knew in his gut that he should do it Drew’s way. He knew if he went off and got himself killed it would hurt Drew maybe even kill him.

Drew walked back over to Jeff and Luke.

“David and all of his lackeys were at school the entire day today. None of them left at any point in time,” Drew said.

“How do you know this?? Who did you call?” Luke questioned.

“I have a friend, but that isn’t important right now. We need to consider that maybe David wasn’t behind this.”

“Drew. Come on man! Just cause they were all accounted for doesn’t mean David didn’t hire someone! I mean it’s not like it would be hard for him.”

Drew Sighed.

“I know that. Just calm down. I don’t think David did this. It’s just a feeling I have in my gut. Let’s just wait for Brett and Mike to meet us here and we will go from there.”

Luke nodded, “Alright.”

Drew smiled halfheartedly at Luke and held out his arms for him. Luke tried to force a smile but didn’t quite succeed before he made his way into Drew’s warm embrace. Drew kissed the side of his head.

“We will figure this out.”

It was not long before Brett and Mike had made their way to the hospital, along with the rest of the boxing team. Rose was like a sister to them all. They all loved her and they were all pissed as hell about the whole situation. Even part of Drew wanted to be impulsive and just go and rip David to shreds. Lord knows he deserves it.

Brett was the first to speak.

“This was David’s work wasn’t it,” he stated rather than questioned.

“We don’t know,” Jeff sighed. “We think so, but Drew thinks that someone else is behind this.”

Everyone looked at Drew. He just shrugged,

“I just don’t know how to go about finding out the truth.”

“I have a good idea,” Mike mused.

“Yeah, Mike? I think we all got that idea,”Brett said. “Let’s just be realistic. We can confront the little bastard, but we can’t hit him.”

“The fuck we can’t!” said Lucas.

“No, we don’t want to get arrested,” said Drew. “It’s time we got to the bottom of the fucking shit. I’m tired of playing cat and mouse. Everyone is invited. Luke, Jeff, and I will take care of David. Everyone else can feel free to kick the shit out of his gang. Who knows, maybe one of them will spill to avoid getting his ass kicked.”

They all nodded with acceptance. Some had looks of determination and some just grinned like Cheshire cats. The boys yelped and hollered on the way out of the hospital and to their respected vehicles. The night was warm and the sky possessed a million tiny flickering stars that seemed to make everything look endless. Determination, anger, and revenge were all heavy in the air, and no one had an easy feeling.

It was no mystery to where David was at. The pool hall somehow made it through the storm unscathed. When all of the boys arrived it looked as if there was one hell of a party. They all spotted David and his lackeys through the dusty, glass, windows. All thirteen of the boys headed into the building, looking to settle the score. David had noticed the angry mob heading toward him. He had tightened his grip on his pool stick and put out his cigarette as he waited for them to make their entry.

Luke was the first to enter, followed by Drew. David snickered as the boys piled in to the crowded area with Luke in front.

“Did you do it?” Luke asked simply.

“Do what?” David smirked.

“Hire someone to shoot Rose,” Jeff growled as he lunged from behind Drew at David.

Drew quickly restrained him and angrily whispered for him to keep his temper in check. David’s smirk however had vanished. It was replaced by a deep frown as he looked at the ground in confusion.

“The docks…now,” Luke spoke while looking David in the eye.

David just nodded and then looked to Drew who was looking at Luke with wide eyes. Luke simply turned and walked out of the pool hall with Drew in toe. The rest of the team followed suit. When Drew and Luke reached the car Luke got behind the wheel. Drew sat in the passenger seat and watched as Luke sat with his hands on the wheel.

“Luke? Are you sure you are ready for this?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he said as he turned the key and the engine roared to life.

Luke peeled the car out of the parking lot with grace. Drew was shocked by his excellent skill.

“Where did you learn to drive like that?” Drew asked with a shocked smile.

“David and I use to race.”

Drew just gazed at Luke. He was slightly pale, yet he was being so strong.

Drew placed a hand on Luke’s thigh.

“Why the docks?” Drew asked.

“Because I can’t run from this anymore; I can’t live in fear of him.”

“Do you think David hired someone?”

“He is just a puppet.”

Drew lowered his eyebrows in confusion.

“He didn’t know about Rose. Someone is using him. I don’t know why or how, I just know someone else is the mastermind of all this. You were right.”

“Why the docks?”

“No police. Someone is screwing with them,” Luke hit the gas.

“In a small town cops are easy to manipulate,” Drew said realizing what they were dealing with.

“Exactly.”

“What do we do?”

“We get David alone. The guys take care of his lackeys while you, Jeff, and I take care of David. Just let me do the talking this time.”

Drew nodded as he rubbed Luke’s knee as sign of encouragement. Luke’s heart was beating as if it once belonged to a humming bird. He wasn’t at all sure what he was going to say to David. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to back down.

Drew and Luke pulled into the parking lot of the docks at least two minutes ahead of everyone else. Luke let out a nervous sigh as he shut off the engine. Drew placed a hand on Luke’s shaky shoulder and Luke turned to look into his encouraging. Drew smiled and let his hand slide up Luke’s neck to cradle the side of his face. Luke allowed a smile to faintly touch his eyes as he looked at Drew.

“No matter what happens tonight,” Drew spoke in a soft but serious whisper, “know that I will always stand behind you. I love you Luke McGowan and nothing can nor ever will change that.”

Luke nodded slightly before leaning across the console and enveloping Drew’s lips with his own. Their arms encircled each other, and the kiss deepened before they saw head lights in the distance, and the two were forced to part.

Adrenaline flooded their bodies as Drew and Luke exited the car and the two groups filled the parking lot. David and his lackeys clustered in front of David’s red 4x4 truck while, the boxing team discreetly surrounded them. Everyone knew David’s lackeys would run if all thirteen boxing team members advanced on them. They were just cowards in leather jackets. Everyone knew that. The boys had piled into just four cars to give the illusion that Jeff, Luke, and Drew were accompanied only by Lucas, Brett and Mike.

The group of six advanced toward David. The guys surrounding him began to weigh the situation. They didn’t like the thought of having to fight Mike and Brett along with the rest of the toughest guys in school, but with only Lucas accompanying the two they decided it would be a fair fight.

“David,” Luke said as he stopped with only six feet of space between the two groups. “Jeff, Drew, and I would like to talk to you.”

David took a step forward and so did his lackeys.

“Alone,” Luke repeated staring only at David’s cold and calculating blue eyes.

“I don’t go anywhere alone,” David said coldly.

“You do tonight,” Jeff nearly growled.

David’s lackeys took a step in front of him. Brett and Mike both nodded into the shadows of the parking lot. With the nod the other seven guys emerged to surround David’s group with a large circle.

“We can do this the easy way, or we will beat the hell out of your guys here. What do you want to do?”

David was fuming. He stiffly nodded his head and with his jaw clenched he stepped out of the circle with the three boys. They walked out of hearing range of the group, to the end of the dock.

“What do you want McGowan?” David asked angrily.

“The truth about all of this; why you want me dead. The real reason,” Luke said calmly.

David gritted his teeth and kept silent as he looked at the old wooden boards on which he stood. Drew was watching him intently. He looked at Luke and gave him and encouraging nod. Luke squared his shoulders and took a breath.

“I was not the one who murdered Tyler,” he almost whispered as he looked at his former best friend.

David’s head snapped up and his eyes blazed with hatred.

“I tried to help him, remember? I tried to help him after you beat him up. David, you knew me. Why would you think I would want to kill Tyler? What cause do you think I had?”

David was trying hard to hold his tears at bay.

“You wanted him, but he didn’t want you! You killed him because you couldn’t have him. I know you did. I have a witness.”

“Who? Who is your witness David?”

“You will just go and murder them as well! You fucking faggot!”

Luke’s pupil’s dilated and he flashed back to that night. He remembered the ground being cold and wet against his cheek. His vision was blurry but he could see Tyler’s body lying beside him. There was a dark figure towering over them. He tried to lift his head to get a better look but he was too tired. He wanted to run and scream but the blackness was pulling him, trapping him in its embrace. He watched helplessly as the form bent down to drag Tyler away. The harsh words drifted through the cool night air. Luke was only catching parts of it as he was pulled into the darkness.

“I’ll teach you, you fucking faggot…….my…...gay bastard.”

Just before he passed out again he looked over to see David lying still not ten feet away. He snapped back to reality when he felt drew shake his shoulder.

“Luke? Luke, are you okay?” Drew asked slightly worried.

“It w-wasn’t David,” was what came stuttering out of Luke’s mouth.

“Huh?” Drew and Jeff uttered in unison.

“It was on older man,” Luke drew his brows down in concentration. “I remember someone dragging Tyler away, calling him a faggot. I just can’t place that voice.”

“Stop lying to me I know you killed him!”

David lunged at Luke and threw a punch but Drew threw his body in front of Luke’s, taking the hit square in the jaw. Jeff tackled David and wrestled him to the ground. Drew was sprawled out on the ground having being nearly knocked out buy David’s blow.

Not even realizing where they were, Luke and Drew locked on to each other’s eyes as Luke hovered over Drew. Luke gently stroked Drew’s now red and soon to be bruised jaw. Drew quickly looked around to see who was watching. Everyone had their eyes on them.

“Fuck,” Drew sighed.

“I think we just fell out of the closet,” Luke whispered as he looked at the huge group of guys standing dumbfounded about one hundred feet away.

Drew picked himself up off the ground and looked at all the eyes staring them down.

“Remember, whatever happens…” Drew trailed off.

Luke nodded and interlaced his fingers with Drew’s.