"The Never Ending Past"
By Lorrie
Chapter 2 – Confirmation of Suspicions
Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Drake & Josh". The characters belong to the creators and Nickelodian, but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)
"You look like crap." Josh observed as Drake climbed into the car.
Drake buckled in and brought his hand to his face to shield his eyes from the sun. "I feel like crap." He muttered.
"Are you sick?" Megan asked from the backseat.
Drake shook his head as he felt both Megan and Josh staring at him. "No. Just tired."
Josh pulled out of the driveway and drove to Megan's school. "Have a good day, Megan."
"Thanks." She replied as she got out. "Don't forget to pick me up this afternoon." She reminded.
"We'll be here." Josh replied and nudged Drake.
"See ya Meg." Drake said quietly.
Josh waited until Megan was inside the school before pulling away. Drake stared at him. "What did you do that for?"
"What?" Josh asked.
"Wait until she was inside." Drake replied.
Josh shrugged. "Well, with everything you told me last night, I just thought we couldn't be too careful."
Drake stared back at the school and nodded, nervously. "You don't think he would try to go after Megan, do you?" He asked, slowly.
"I don't know, Drake. I don't really know anymore about him than what you told me last night and I still think you should tell mom and dad that he called."
Drake shook his head. "They'd only worry."
Suddenly, Josh's eyes grew wide as he watched an SUV zoom up behind them. "He's not slowing down!" Josh shouted. "He's supposed to slow down!"
Drake turned around, his eyes locking with the driver's for a moment. "Step on the gas Josh!" The vehicle continued to gain on them. "Josh! Floor it!" Drake shouted.
Josh sped up to a speed he could somewhat control, but the SUV caught up to them and began to tap their bumper. Wide-eyed with terror, Drake stared at his brother. "It's him." He said breathlessly. "It's him."
The SUV nudged at Josh's car until he finally ran him off of the road and kept going. Josh gripped the steering wheel tightly and finally took in a deep breath. He realized that Drake hadn't spoken. "Drake!" He called out and slightly shook his ashen-faced step-brother.
"It was him." Drake whispered.
"Drake, are OK?" Josh yelled, shaking him again.
Drake closed his eyes tightly for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah." He drew in a ragged breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. You?"
Josh nodded as Drake finally turned and faced him. "Yeah, I'm fine." The two boys sat quietly for a moment until Josh broke the silence. "We have to tell mom and dad."
Drake stared at Josh. "I'm not entirely sure it was him Josh. I mean, I haven't seen the guy in eleven years and . . ."
"Drake, we're telling mom and dad everything." Josh replied, his eyes never leaving his brother's.
Drake slowly nodded. "Wait until after my gig tonight, OK?"
"You know you probably shouldn't go alone." Josh cautioned.
Drake snickered slightly. "I'll be fine. I'm sure I'm just running from ghosts anyway. I mean he's locked up for at least another four years and if there was any possibility of letting him out, the authorities are supposed to contact mom and I'm sure she'd let me know."
Josh stared at him. "So, you're sure that you want to go alone. I mean, I could go with you or for that matter, you could ride with Scott or someone else, right?"
Drake side-stepped his brother's question. "Let's get going. We're late as it is." He said, looking at his watch.
The school day seemed to drag on. Drake caught himself reliving the morning's events several times during the day. "Drake Parker, did you hear me?" Mr. Adams, his Geography teacher asked.
"Uh, no sir. Sorry." He sank slightly in his chair as he glanced at the clock on the wall – 3:10. "I can make it five more minutes." He thought.
The bell rang and Drake met up with Josh in the hallway. "So, you ready to go, bro?" Josh asked.
"Yeah, I guess I've got everything." He replied.
"Are you ready for Hixon's Chemistry exam?" Josh asked.
Drake rolled his eyes. "I'll be lucky if I don't blow myself up during the lab part." He joked and then smiled. "I guess it's a good thing I have Christy as a lab partner."
As the two climbed into Josh's car, they were completely unaware of a pair of eyes watching them from across the street. "Come on son, show me where you live now." A sinister voice whispered as he took a long draw on a cigarette.
"Don't forget we're picking up Megan." Drake said as Josh pulled out of his parking spot.
"I know. I know." He repeated as he looked at his watch. "We're late too. She's gonna have a fit."
"Probably." Drake replied.
As Josh pulled into the elementary school's parking lot, he spotted his step-sister on the curb. "There she is." He said, coming to a stop in front of her.
Drake quickly opened the door, got out and opened the door for Megan. She paused before climbing into the backseat. "You're late!" She hissed. He looked up and down the street before getting back into the car.
"Sorry, I had to get my Chemistry book and . . ." Josh started.
"It's my fault." Drake interrupted. "Sorry."
Megan was dumbfounded. Drake rarely ever apologized to her. "It's . . . ok . . . I guess." She replied.
Drake stared out the side window and said nothing until they pulled into the garage.
"Alright," Megan said, punching Drake in the shoulder as he got out. "Out with it. What's up with you?"
Drake grabbed his shoulder. "Owww. Nothing. Just leave me alone, OK?" He slammed the door as he entered the house and ran up the stairs to his room.
Josh and Megan came in behind him. "Drake, Josh, Megan!" Audrey called from the kitchen.
"Hi mom!" Josh called and headed upstairs.
"Hi mommy." Megan said sweetly as she entered the kitchen and gave her mother a big hug.
"Well, at least I can count on a hug from one of my kids." She hugged Megan in return. "Where did your brothers go?"
"Upstairs, I think. Drake is real moody today."
Audrey furrowed her brown. "Moody, how?"
"I don't know. He apologized for he and Josh being a little late picking me up from school today and he's been looking over his shoulder a lot."
"That is a bit odd." Audrey replied.
Josh threw his backpack onto his bed and stared at his brother, who had jumped into his loft and grabbed his favorite guitar. "Are you sure you're OK?"
Drake closed his eyes and played several riffs before laying the instrument down in frustration and began pacing up and down in front of their couch.
"I hate this. I hate feeling like he can get to me anytime he wants to. I hate feeling threatened and I hate not knowing when it's coming, you know?" He paused and continued before Josh could speak. "No, you can't possibly know. You've always had a dad who loved you and would never even consider hitting you. There's no way you would know what this is like."
Josh stood in front of Drake and placed his hands on the teen's shoulders. "Drake! Snap out of it!" He shook him slightly.
Drake brought both hands to his face and took several deep breaths. Josh gently led him to the couch and sat him down. "Drake, you really need to tell mom and dad about this . . . now."
"Tell mom and dad about what?" Audrey asked as she entered the room. She stared at her son and instantly knew that he was upset. "Drake, what's going on?" She sat down beside of him and he instantly looked away. Audrey's hand touched his chin and guided his face towards hers. "What's wrong?"
"I'll be downstairs if you need me." Josh said quietly and left the room.
Audrey patiently waited for Drake to speak. "Drake, honey, I know something's really bothering you. Tell me what's going on."
"He's back." Drake whispered as he stood up, trying desperately to hide his tears and his terror.
"Who's back?" She asked.
Drake faced her. "Him. My father."
Audrey shook her head slightly not wanting to hear anymore about the man who had caused them so much agony. "No honey, he can't be. He was sentenced to 15 years and it hasn't been that long yet."
Drake stared at the floor, tears streaming silently down his cheeks. "He called me last week and said that he was coming for me to finish what he started." Audrey pulled him close to her and hugged him, crying with him as he continued. "I've been so scared all week and then this morning, someone ran us off of the road." He pulled free of her embrace and stared into her face. "Mom, it was a big SUV and I saw the driver. It was him! I know it was him!"
"Honey, let's put some closure to this right now, OK?" She said as she got up from the couch and wrapped her arm around her son's shoulder.
"How?" He asked as he walked with his mom downstairs.
"I'm calling the State Penitentiary." She stopped at the phone in the living room, pulled out the phone book and dialed a number she had written in the back.
After a few moments of working her way through the proper channels, her face suddenly drained of all color. "What do you mean, he's escaped?" She exclaimed and then grew quiet. "And no one thought it was important enough to contact me? Do you even know why he's locked up? He's a child abuser! He almost killed our son eleven years ago and no one even considered that we might be in danger?" She was screaming as Walter came through the door.
"What's going on?" Walter asked.
Drake stared straight ahead, his eyes closed, his concentration on his breathing at the moment. "Drake's dad escaped from prison." Josh stated quietly.
Walter's eyes grew large as he watched Audrey slam the phone back onto the cradle. She wrapped her arms around Drake and Megan. "Get some clothes together, we're not staying here as long as he's free."
Drake shook his head. "I'm not leaving. I'm not gonna let this man I hardly know keep me from living my life." He wiggled free of his mother's embrace. "I have a gig tonight and I'm going."
"Drake!" Audrey shouted after him as he bounded up the stairs.
"Audrey," Walter called to her quietly. "Let him go."
"You can't be serious." She started as Walter pulled her to him. He could feel her shaking as she spoke. "You know what Michael did to him." She allowed him to hug her tightly. "Drake said that he called here last week, that's when his nightmares started."
"I'll go with him tonight. But he's right honey; we can't stop living our lives because this guy is on the loose."
"I know, but . . . I'm just so afraid." Audrey confessed.
Josh opened the door to the bedroom. "You're not seriously going tonight, are you?"
Drake zipped his guitar case. "Yes, I seriously am going tonight. I've worked hard to get to this point. The whole band has and I'm not going to let them down because I'm afraid of my father." He grabbed the case and the keys to the car. As he crept downstairs, he made sure that Walter and Audrey were occupied in the kitchen while he snuck out into the garage and quietly left.
Walter looked at this watch. "Hey, what time is Drake's band playing anyway?" He asked.
"In about a couple of hours. He'll want to leave soon to get set up."
Walter called up the steps. "Drake! We'd better get a move on if we're going to get to the club in time."
Josh appeared at the top of the steps. "He's already gone. I thought you knew."
Walter felt his heart sink as he rested his head on the banister, dreading to tell Audrey that Drake had ventured out on his own.
To be continued . . .
