Chapter 11: Stings and Secret Plans

Monday

Drew's POV

I am excited to see Clare. I will go much easier on her this time. I think I wore her out on Friday. As soon as she enters the room, I pull her into a kiss and lock the door. She kisses me back, her hands finding my shoulders as I scoop her up and put her on the table. I kiss her down her neck and unbutton her blouse, so I can get to her breasts, and I spend plenty of time kissing and rubbing them. Then I kiss her stomach and hike up her skirt. I snatch off her panties and slowly trace along her with my finger.

She bites her lip and I kiss her softly. I slowly rub her clit and then I start circling her hole before I insert a finger into her. I gently lick her as I slowly finger her, my gentle touch building anticipation for an explosive finale. I lick her all over and I tongue her hole. Then I insert two fingers in her and pump them as I suck her clit until she cums for me. I take my fingers away and kiss my way up her stomach again.

She kisses me and pulls me to her by the collar. Her hand unzips my pants and she pulls me out. I put on a condom and slowly enter her. We make love on the table, her legs around my hips, her arms around my back, my arms around her, and our lips softly dancing with one another. She tells me she wants to ride me, so I flip her, sitting on the table while she's on top. I hold onto her ass as she kisses the side of my face and grinds my hips until I cum. She goes right after me and we straighten up.

"I found a florist that will give us a school discount if we order enough. I was thinking we could also offer bouquets and nicer chocolates if faculty want to get stuff for spouses or lovers. That would help us get a bigger order." She suggests to me as she plays with the button on her shirt.

"Do you have any idea how distracting that is?" I'm gazing at her chest, have no idea how to process what she just said.

She smiles and bites her lip. Now she's just toying with me.

Neal POV

I wonder why Zoe needed G on a Monday. Maybe she's gonna mess with Miles some more after school. Well, she's good for the money. I lock it in my locker and head to class. I see Officer Turner. He's around a lot, but usually not this early. Wait, now I see Simpson. They're going towards my locker. Shit!

"You can't go in there!"

"It's school property and we got a report that there was GHB in here." Simpson opens my locker and Officer Turner puts on gloves and searches it. I know where it is and it doesn't take him long to find the vial in my backpack. He seizes it as evidence and says that the lab is going to test it immediately. I grunt and say, "I want a deal."

I go with Simpson and Turner to Simpson's office. "I brought it in for Zoe Rivas."

"Did she ask for it?" Turner asks me

"Yes, she texted me."

"Has she purchased it from you before?"

"Once, in December."

"Do you know why?"

I freeze. "This is why I need the deal."

"I cannot offer deals. Only the prosecuting attorney can do that, but I can say you were cooperative, which the prosecutor will consider."

"Can I get the prosecutor in here then?"

He looks to Simpson who makes a phone call. About an hour later, a woman who looks stern, perfectly straight hair, dark rectangular glasses, way too many wrinkles for her age looks at me and says that she can offer me a deal, but she needs me to cooperate fully and for now she can offer me a proffer agreement which means, what I say henceforth today won't be used against me, but they can still bring charges since they found the drugs and I already told them about the text message. Oops!

I look at the agreement and say I understand. It's a pretty basic agreement. "Zoe and Frankie contacted me last month because they wanted GHB in order to drug Miles Hollingsworth , aka, Frankie's older brother. They spiked his soda and Zoe induced Miles into cheating on Maya, so Zoe could tape it and blackmail him for more hookups. Maya saw one of them, presumably on purpose, and dumped him. Zoe then thought she could get Miles, but he told her to piss off. How screwed am I?"

Everyone looks stunned. The lady speaks first, "Well, you're a minor which helps, but your facing counts of selling a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit assault, and conspiracy to commit extortion. This could be juvie. You would be lucky if you got house arrest. Getting counseling and drug counseling if appropriate would help your odds, but you would be out by 18 unless you prove to still be a danger to yourself or others." Possibly 2 years in jail. Great.

Turner takes me into custody. I hear them call Zoe over the megaphone.

Zoe Rivas

Maybe they found out who pranked me. I reported it to the police and they said they couldn't do anything because there was no fraud. Maybe they got some real cops in there.

When I got there, Turner confiscated my phone. I asked him why and they said that they had evidence that I had been purchasing drugs.

"That's not true! Who would lie like that?"

"Your drug dealer," Turner said.

"Neal's a liar."

"Why would you say Neal?" Shit!

The woman steps outside. Who the hell is she!

Turner asks me about my Christmas party. I say it was fine. "Did you drug Miles Hollingsworth?"

"No!"

"Interesting. Your dealer says you did and you made a video to blackmail him while he was intoxicated."

"He's lying."

"We have a search warrant being formed for your house as we speak. We'll find the tape."

Shit!

"It was Frankie's idea," I need to blame someone.

"Why?"

"She hates her brother and she hated Maya too and she slipped him the drugs in his coke!"

The lady came back. "Your mother is on her way. She's bringing your laptop and your camera with her.

Double shit! I don't say anything else. When they get there, they find the video and play it. Maybe I shouldn't have called it money shot. They only watch the beginning. I get arrested and my mother yells at me for being so stupid! Shut up Bitch! You should have called me a lawyer, not bring in the evidence!

Frankie Hollingsworth

I just got called to Simpson's office. When I get there, Officer Turner is waiting. My phone got confiscated and they start asking me about that stupid party.

"I don't know anything about drugs."

They start playing the tape. They point out signs that they say mean Miles was drugged. I didn't do it.

"Really, your friend says you slipped him the drug."

"Zoe's lying."

"We didn't say who told us." Shit!

"It was Zoe's doing. She just told me to get Miles to come to the party. She didn't tell me why."

"And you never discussed this plot with a third party."

"I didn't even know until just now."

"So this text that says, 'how does the video look?' sent to Zoe right after the party?"

I want a lawyer.

I get detained, and they call in my brother.

He comes in, "What's going on?"

They ask him if he had been blackmailed. He says it was Zoe. They play the tape. He says that's what she had on him. They ask him to swear out a victim's complaint and say they have evidence that he was drugged. He does and he just leaves. He doesn't even stay to help me. What kind of brother is he.

Simpson's POV

I don't believe kids these days. "Where do they come up with this shit!" I had to call in Neal's parents, who didn't answer and left a message as well as Mr. Hollingsworth, who's campaign secretary answered the phone. I don't reveal all of the details, just that his son was assaulted and blackmailed a few weeks ago and there have been three arrests in the matter, one of them his daughter. He's gonna love this!

I'm drinking my coffee when Mr. Hollingsworth's campaign manager storms in past my secretary. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Frankie was implicated in several serious felonies all of them targeting her own brother. We are past the point of detention or suspension. When students are drugged, we have to call the police. We're mandatory reporters. The school could be shut down if we didn't."

"And why didn't she have counsel."

"The interview stopped when she invoked, but most of the evidence against her is physical and co-conspirator statements. Her own statements weren't that probative. They merely showed her propensity to lie."

"Well this case needs to go away."

"That's up to the DA and I doubt it. Do you really want Mr. Hollingsworth to look like he's above the law during his campaign."

He threatens my job and then he leaves. I already contacted the PTA and the local court in case the father tried to overrule me.

Maya's POV

Miles asked me if he could talk to me alone during lunch. I wonder if it has something to do with why Zoe and Neal weren't in class today. We sit at a corner table and he explains what happened at the party and how Zoe blackmailed him with the video and now, they, including his sister, have all been arrested.

"Why didn't you just tell me you had been drugged? I wouldn't have blamed you for that."

"I didn't know. I suspected it later, but I had no proof and I was afraid to tell you or anyone for that matter. I wish I had just gone to the police earlier."

"Why did you now?"

"Grace helped me figure it all out. I know this doesn't change things for us, but I thought you deserved to know the truth, finally."

"I'm sorry they did this to you. I would flip if Katie ever did something like this to me."

"And the best part is, all my dad cares about is how this affects his campaign."

"Your dad is a jerk. You'll find your way without him. I know it." I kiss him on the cheek and I'm off. I do still like Miles. I just think I love Owen.

Imogen's POV

I found some cute trinkets at a bazaar that are pretty cheap. They have a heart-shaped necklace, a bracelet all kinds of cute stuff. I figure I can go this weekend and pick up some secret admirer gifts. Of course, there will the classic chocolates and flower, but we think some other stuff would be nice. A gift and a note for every day and a request to go to the dance. Then we'll leave them a final note when they get there telling them when their admirers will be revealed.

Zig's POV

I hear Neal got caught with drugs in his locker. I need to find a new storage spot. I don't want a dugout by the ravine like all the other dealers, so I'm going to look for one in another spot. I see Dave. I ask him if he can teach me how to rap.

"Sure. Is this Whisperhug's new direction."

"For the dance it is. We have a special performance."

"Nice! Let's meet after basketball okay."

"Cool!"

Clare's POV

Zoe's not here. What a relief! Maybe we can actually get through the whole agenda for once. "Shall we call the meeting?" I say.

"What about Zoe?" Drew asks. Why does he care if she's here. He can't stand her. Who can?

"She got arrested," said Tristan.

"What!" we both exclaim. "We'll hear about that later. The meeting."

Drew calls it to order and then we get to work. We need someone to be in charge of decorations, we have music, Connor said he'd work with Whisperhug so the sound was as they want it, we contemplate doing chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling grape juice in champagne flutes or maybe a fondue fountain, but we probably can't afford one.

We decide to poll the faculty to see who would be interested in purchasing what kind of gift from us, if they needed last-minute shopping. We decide on Habitat for Humanity for the spring break project and it will be a 5 day project, and a 2 day minimum sign up, so if you can't do all of the days, you can still help. This will help more people get some volunteer hours. We need to coordinate with them and Luke says he'll handle that since his dad's church works with them anyway.

For the Spring outdoors event, paintball sounds like it would be popular but expensive. We can't get a student discount because it is a student activity, so we need to see how much we can afford to subsidize it. Our alternative plan is a morning field day followed by a lunch time cookout.

We also float some ideas for prom, but we don't do very much on that. The meeting actually covers everything. Before we go, "Tris, can you tell us about Zoe's arrest."

"Well, according to Miles," he tells us about how Zoe drugged Miles to make a racy video to blackmail him into dating her which is how Maya caught him cheating. Damn! I knew she was up to no good, but that's a new low. She, his sister-double damn, and Neal got arrested.

Miles POV

It feels nice to have some closure, to know that Maya isn't upset with me anymore, that Grace hasn't been scared away by the issues with my family. I invite Chewy over after school to shoot some hoops and I hear my dad yelling on the phone. Who's his next victim? The girl scouts? I go to refill my water bottle when I hear him screaming about how he had to surrender Frankie's passport to get her out of jail, like she's a flight risk. Of course she's a flight risk. We're mega rich.

I head back outside and we play around until my dad yells for Chewy to go home. "See you bro," we fist bump and then he heads out. I go inside to do my homework and my dad is screaming at me. "You worthless idiot why did you get your sister arrested."

"Sorry she poisoned me in a bizarre conspiracy."

"Why did you go to the police, you idiot. I could have handled this at home."

"Well, I didn't. They found her dealer's drugs and he got loud on his clients to save his own neck." Well, that was the rumor anyway.

"Well, why did you swear out a complaint?"

"I did against Zoe. She poisoned me and then blackmailed me."

"They're charging your sister as an accomplice. You better drop the charges."

"No. After what Zoe did to Maya and us, she deserves to finally get punished for once in her life, so does Frankie." I'm not backing down. My dad screams about how worthless I am and I can't take it. I stuff my duffel with clothes, shoes, my watch my mother gave me, camera and I grab all of the cash out of my room and I run out of the house. I didn't really pick a destination, but I know the house where I ended up. I make a phone call, "Can you come down and let me in? I don't know where else to go right now."

Grace's POV

I run downstairs and see Miles there. I let him in. He looks distraught. I know his dad sucks and I bring him to my room. We sit on my bed and when I ask him what's wrong, he just breaks down. I pull him to my chest and kiss the top of his head. Eventually, he tells me about what happened today, and I make him feel better the only way I know how. I kiss him, slowly at first, but he returns the kiss with fervor. I don't remember how but his shirt came off and I he was just starting to kiss my neck when my mom comes in. "Dinner's ready, oh I didn't know you had a guest." Really Mom! Really!

"Mom, this is Miles. Miles, Mom." He's blushing, profusely. Probably because he's meeting my mother without his shirt on.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Sure." He puts his shirt back on, and we wash up before going downstairs.

Mom made spaghetti and meatballs. She also made garlic bread, the kind from the freezer, but it's still good.

My mom asks about his family. Why, they suck. He answers diplomatically and then he asks about us. Dad's away on business, so it's just me and Mom for the week. After dinner, I put the dishes away and the Miles and I go back to my room. I suggest a movie and we watch My Neighbor Totoro. I figure it might cheer him up. His dad doesn't even call to see where he is. I wonder if he knows that Miles left.

"Do you think I can sleep on the couch?" he asks me.

"Stay here with me," I tell him. I go the bathroom and change into my pjs. I also brush my teeth and take off my makeup. I climb into bed to go to sleep. He sleeps in just his boxers. "Good night, Miles. Sweet Dreams."

Tuesday

Miles' POV

I wake up and Grace is in my arms. What? Oh wait, I'm in her bed, duh! She smells good. I look at the time. I should start getting ready for school. I find an outfit for tomorrow and take a shower. I come back to her room dressed and she's just waking up. I pack my bag for school and tell her I'll be downstairs. She grumbles as she has to get up.

I wait for her there and her mother goes, "Oh I didn't realize you stayed over."

"Is that okay? We're having some family issues right now."

"It's fine with me." Really? Well, I'll take it. I've spent too many nights on Chewy's crappy couch.

I help Grace's mom with breakfast. She's making pancakes and sausage. Grace stumbles down the stairs, looking sleepy. "Good morning," she grumbles. She immediately starts making tea. It must be her morning vice; mine is coffee!

After a delicious breakfast, I catch the bus with Grace to school. My foes are all suspended indefinitely, so I don't have to deal with them.

I run into Chewy. "Hey Dude. What happened after I left?"

"My dad went psycho on me for pressing charges."

"What? That's messed up."

"I know. I left and haven't been back since."

"Where are you staying?"

"With Grace."

"Whoa that soon?"

"Not like that. I just had to get out my house, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of hers."

"Well, you know my couch is there if you need it."

"I might next week. Her dad's coming home, and I assume he's not as chill as her mom is."

"Things that bad."

"Well, Frankie can't go to school, so she's home all day, so yeah. It's that bad. She gets arraigned today."

Zoe's POV

I can't believe I got arrested. If I find out Neal or Frankie snitched on me, they are so dead. I had a mug shot taken, was fingerprinted, the media is going to lose it when they find out. I hope no one sees my mug shot. I'm a minor. They can seal that can't they? I'll ask my lawyer. My mom is making me stay home, no cell phone, and my laptop and the camera are evidence. She even took all of the remotes. This sucks. I guess I can drink the booze in her cupboard. What else am I to do?

Neal's POV

My dad's working on getting me into an alternative school, so I don't get behind and have to repeat this year. My lawyer's working on a deal with the DA where I testify against the others and give up my drug source to try and get a halfway house option and stay out of juvie. I hope this works. And to think, this all started when Zoe promised me Maya in exchange for getting her Miles. Neither of us got what we wanted and we're both facing pokey time. Ugh!

Frankie's POV

My brother better drop these charges. Dad's gonna kill him, and if he doesn't, I will. I haven't seen him at all since Dad yelled at his dumb ass. I go in his room. He took his laptop, camera, some of his clothes and shoes. Maybe he ran away! Well, if he doesn't testify, case dismissed!

I hope he runs good, cause Dad will look high and low for his ass, eventually, once someone tells him he's missing.

Maya's POV

I know Miles told me everything yesterday, but it didn't sink in until the terrible trio wasn't in school today. They could all be expelled for what they did, not to mention jail time. Owen was stunned when I told him. He said he saw some crazy stuff when he was here, but that took the cake.

He asked me if I wanted to get back with Miles. I told him I was happy with us as we are and Miles and I have both moved on. He was relieved, but he said if I needed to think about it more that was okay.

I like Miles and Grace together. She looks very cute with her new outfit and she was able to get him to open up when I couldn't. She wants him and he needs her, especially since his sister was a part of the conspiracy.

Wednesday

Judge's POV

I have three teens getting arraigned for an alleged criminal conspiracy. Each of them has a different lawyer, and I can tell already there is a price discrepancy amongst them. I have to set bail. All three request I release their clients on their own recognizance. I have all of their passports seized, one defendant's had already been seized. I set bail for one defendant at $15,000 cash bond as the prosecutor said he was not a flight risk. He was a Toronto native, all of his family was here and he was currently enrolled in drug counseling and psychotherapy and was committed to rehabilitation. Whatever. One defendant got $20,000 bail as she was also not deemed to be a flight risk and her mother expressed remorse for her actions. The last defendant was a real trip. She requested R.O.R. and claimed the charges were ridiculous and there was no proof that she involved. Her lawyer was such a pain I set her bond at 100k and told her to get out. I'm sure she can post it in 5 minutes, so I'm not too worried about being reversed.

I see the lawyers chatting amongst themselves. Hopefully, they make a deal, so I don't have to try this shit. I'd really like to go on holiday.

Lawyers chat with the DA

No One's POV

Frankie's Lawyer: This is preposterous. Even if you could prove a conspiracy, where's my client's motivce. Neal made quick money and Zoe had some delusion about getting a boyfriend from another girl. Frankie got no benefit. No jury will believe she was involved.

DA: If your that confident, I'll see you at trial, but may I advise you that there are two co-defendants, both of whom can implicate her along with her own text messages, actions and I will prove that she convinced her father to force her brother to appear at the party and I will also prove that the purpose of his attendance was for him to be attacked and that she inquired to the aftermath of said attack, so if you think a motive argument can overcome all of that, I will see you at trial.

Frankie's Lawyer stormed off: Shit! Mr. Hollingsworth is not going to be happy about this at all.

Zoe's Lawyer: This was not Zoe's idea.

DA: Really, she sounds like the ringleader.

Zoe's Lawyer: She was merely the go between. Frankie wanted Maya out of the picture and Neal wanted a chance to go for Maya. Zoe was really just a cog in the machine.

DA: A cog who assaulted an intoxicated boy and then videotaped it, so she could extort him. Her co-defendants are facing conspiracy charges where as she physically committed the crimes.

Zoe's Lawyer: Frankie slipped Miles the drug herself.

Neal's Lawyer: My client said the same thing.

DA: Fine, Frankie gets one actual assault charge. That doesn't make Zoe's case better.

Zoe's Lawyer: We want a deal. We will testify against Frankie and have evidence that she orchestrated all of this.

DA: What kind of evidence?

Zoe's Lawyer: Tape recordings. Lots of them.

DA and Zoe's Lawyer go off for a bit and come back. Zoe's lawyer leaves.

Neal's Lawyer stays."Do we have a deal?"

DA: Yes, but if your client is lying or withholding any information about his sources. The deal is off.

Neal's Lawyer: He'll tell you everything. Neal comes in.

DA: Who is your dealer?

Neal's Lawyer nods at him.

Neal: Bruce the Moose.

DA: That cannot be his actual name

Neal: That's how I know him. He went to Lakehurst and then Degrassi after the merge. Everyone's called him that for years. He was a high school drop out and he sells drugs and works as a Domino's pizza delivery driver. If you ask for the hungry boy, you'll get a dimebag of weed with your order and if you ask for the starving boy, you get an 1/8th for $40.

The DA gets enough information to set up a sting. Bruce the Moose is going down.