Read Online Going Under by S. Walden - Free Book Online Page B

him. He wants
in,” the same deep male voice said.
    “How’d he even find out?” another asked. “I
didn’t tell him. Are you running your mouth?”
    “No, man. He found that slip of paper with
your name on it.”
    “What the hell? I told you we shouldn’t draw
names at school.”
    I couldn’t make out how many boys there
were, but it sounded like three. Possibly four.
    “Dude, it was convenient. No one could meet
outside of school,” the first boy said.
    A new voice piped up. “When are you sending
us the score sheet?”
    “Fuck the score sheet. We’re not talking
about the score sheet right now. I wanna know what Aaron knows,”
the second boy said.
    “I only told him that it’s a secret club,
and that we’d have to discuss his initiation,” the first boy
replied.
    “Well, if he wants in so bad, he can go fuck
that sophomore virgin on the cheerleading squad. Then we’ll
talk.”
    A few chuckles.
    “Man, her ass is so round and perfect. She’s
hot.”
    “How do you know she’s a virgin?”
    “I’ve got a spy. Anyway, I’ll have to think
about it. I don’t know about Aaron. There’s something about him
that rubs me wrong.”
    “Maybe the fact that his swim times are
better than yours?”
    “Screw you, man.”
    “I’m only joking. Look, I know you’re all
concerned about people finding out, but I’m not stupid. I wouldn’t
bring his name up if I didn’t think we could trust him.”
    “It’s Cameron, right? She’s your spy?”
    “Dude, shut up.”
    “Parker, when are you sending the score
sheet? I’ve got a date this weekend.”
    “Man, stop deleting shit from your email.
I’ll send it when I send it.”
    “ I’ll send it,” the first boy
said.
    “So it’s Cameron, right?”
    “Shut up! Everyone just shut the hell up!
Let me sort this out.” It sounded like Parker’s voice. “You know,
it really pissed me off when Cal put me in charge of all this
shit.”
    I listened as they walked down the stairs
and shuffled into the first floor hallway. I took a deep breath. Secret club. Score sheet. Initiation. Sex with a virgin .
What the hell was going on? And who could I talk to about it?
    I crept out from under the stairs and pushed
open the door leading to the first floor hallway.
    “Parker, grab mine, too!”
    I bumped into Parker, who was headed back
into the stairwell, and he glared at me, shocked. Then his face
changed from shock to agitation and suspicion. Shit. I don’t think
I put enough time between our exits!
    He pushed past me and headed up the stairs,
leaving me to wonder if I’d been found out and if my plan had just
been thwarted.
    ***
    If I thought I could go the rest of my life
without seeing Finn again, I was living in a fantasy world. He
attended my old high school, so at least I didn’t have to see him
on a regular basis. But I worked at a fairly popular diner
frequented by people from all over town. He was tactful enough to
steer clear of my house, but I knew eventually he’d find out where
I worked and show up, all under the guise of simply wanting to
eat.
    It was a slow Tuesday night, and I was on
the verge of asking my manager if I could go home. Amanda, another
waitress, wanted my section to try and make a little more money,
and I was happy to accommodate her. I was too distracted anyway.
All I could think about the entire evening was the conversation I
overheard in the stairwell. Secret club. Score sheet.
Initiation. Sex with a virgin. I kept repeating those words
like a mantra because I didn’t want to forget them. I also thought
that something would magically reveal itself to me if I kept saying
them over and over. I was itching to talk to someone about it, but
I didn’t know who I could trust.
    I loved Gretchen with all my heart, but I
could not trust her with this. She knew nothing about Beth’s rape,
and I intended to keep it that way. Beth trusted me with that
information, and I swore to tell no one. Not even her parents,
though it pained me