OK - here is the first in the angsty "episode". There will be a lot of tension and heartbreak but I have tried hard to throw in at least one heart to heart or a bit of fluff every time there is. It also has allowed me to try more pairings.
Right - on with it!
Themes Warning: This chapter has Crazy Carl in it so there is some minor violence and definitely some harsh psychological manipulation.
"Long time no see in detention - you enjoy the goods?" Ryan asked goadingly. "I hear you got Porter fired. It must have worked, huh?"
"I never smoked it." He said with a similar tone. He wished he hadn't told Evan he'd meet him outside. He checked his phone nervously hoping it may ring as a distraction.
"Chickened out huh?"
Jesus snapped his head round about to fire off defensively but he realised he was being taunted. He took a breath. "Not my thing Ryan. Let's just leave it there."
Ryan was about to respond before Jesus exhaled with relief as he saw Evan emerge.
"Ready to go?" He asked looking between Jesus and the smirking boy next to him.
"Yep. Let's go." He moved off striding straight past Evan as Ryan sat back onto the wall.
Evan scurried to catch up with Jesus.
"Hey, hey. Was that kid bothering you?" He asked pulling Jesus back to slow him down.
Jesus looked down at the floor and snatched a glance at Evan. "Look, it's no big deal."
"Sorry bud but it seems like it may be...come on. It's me here. Who is he?" Evan knitted his eyebrows with concern.
Jesus looked back and licked his bottom lip.
"Look, that's the kid who gave me the weed. I dunno, he was trying to rile me or something. I would just rather ignore him."
A look of anger flashed across Evan's face. Jesus had come too far to risk some teenage lowlife dragging him back down.
"Give me a minute." Evan said before swinging back round.
"Evan wait..." Jesus turned trying to grab him but Evan was already off and nearly back to where Ryan sat looking at his phone.
As Ryan saw him approach he slipped his phone in his pocket and stood up backing away slightly as Evan stormed towards him.
Evan grabbed his arm and dragged him round the corner of the wall. He pushed him against it gently.
"I wanna talk to you." He said sternly as Ryan laughed.
"Oh yeah? What about."
"Let me make something clear. I don't care who you are or how tough you think you are. You try and give drugs to my family again and I will have the police at your doorstep faster than you can light one up of your own. Got it?"
Ryan screwed his face up with an audacious grin. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."
Evan got close to his face.
"You're a high school kid at my girlfriend's Mom's school. I don't care if your Dad is the head of the underworld and I don't care what you get up to in your spare time, but you have nothing to gain from screwing with Jesus so keep away from him and everyone is happy."
Ryan's face dropped slightly before moving into another grin as he spotted an approaching figure.
"Is there a problem here?" The figure growled. Evan turned to look at him. He recognised the face.
"You got a problem with my brother?" The man added, his eyes slightly psychotic.
Evan licked his lip trying to find his confidence.
"Not if your brother keeps his drugs away from my family."
The figure laughed. "You been giving away my stash again, Ryan?" He said with mock anger and slapping him on the arm. The two brothers snorted a laugh before the older one quickly flipped and grabbed Evan by the sleeves, smashing him up against the wall. Evan winced in pain. He had definitely seen him before. It was the guy Michelle had been talking to at the fair. The guy she said was her cousin.
Carl moved his face right up to Evan's ear as Ryan looked on smiling.
"You have a problem with my brother, you have a problem with me. Do you have a problem?"
Evan's heart thumped. The testosterone was buzzing and he was about to headbut Carl but he saw Jesus out of the corner of his eye. It was enough to stay under control. He was better than this.
"I don't want to fight. You protect your brother - I'll protect mine. I'm sure Michelle would agree that's a safer option." He said in a whisper with fire in his eyes. It seemed to be enough to pacify Carl as he relaxed the grip on his arms with a look of confusion.
"Evan?" Jesus shouted across to make sure Carl knew there was a witness. Carl swung his head around. Evan? He had to be kidding. He let go of his shirt and patted him roughly on the arm as Evan straightened his shirt and walked over to Jesus as both brothers followed him with their eyes.
"You didn't need to do that." Jesus said, falling on Evan's deaf ears. That was Michelle's cousin? That wasn't possible. If they were brothers then it was Michelle's cousin who gave Jesus the weed? That couldn't be a coincidence? But if it was just a coincidence then Evan would get on the wrong side of Brandon - not to mention the trouble it could cause for Kasey if she reacted and he was wrong - and if he was to bring it up he would drop Jesus in it. His head was buzzing round and round so he tried to put it aside. He would have to speak to Michelle. He shook himself out of his adrenaline pumped daze as he realised Jesus had been talking more. "Did he?"
"What?" Evan snapped exasperated to a slightly shocked Jesus.
"Did he hurt you?" Jesus repeated.
Evan forced a smile not wanting to give the impression he was angry with him. He put his arm on his shoulder.
"No. And I'm sorry - I just wanted to make sure that this was settled, OK?"
Jesus nodded.
"And don't tell your Mom or sister..." Evan continued. "I don't want anyone else to try and beat me up today." He joked attempting to lighten the mood. It was a temporary fix but he tried to push his thoughts to the back of his mind.
Carl stormed in to Michelle's house and threw her up against the wall in a similar way he had done to Evan. She gasped in shock and pain.
"You were meant to get him out of that house! That's the only reason you took this detour!" He roared, shaking her. "Now he's cornering my brother? You said you could handle this Michelle!" He shook her even more violently as she pushed him off her. Her fear quickly translated to anger.
"You're blaming me for this? You're the idiot who keeps getting seen!"
"You got distracted and now he's on our trail! Why couldn't you just let things lie? Leave him as it was?"
"What do you want from me Carl?"
"I want to know that my money is safe!"
Michelle took a deep breath but she still had fire in her eyes.
"Your money is safe. The police can't hang around much longer - soon we will be able to go. That's what you told me."
"And what if college boy figures out who I am before then? Connects us? More importantly, if he finds the money."
Michelle's voice lowered to a whisper. "Then you'll wish you hadn't been stupid enough to keep contacting me in public!" She spat back. It was too much for Carl who struck her across the face.
"I want him discredited. I want him away from places he can snoop!"
"You told me to give that up - we were leaving it be." Michelle gasped back rubbing her cheek.
"That was then!" Carl fired back almost cutting her off. "That was before he made the connection. You say he's got friends. He places me at Broncos and we could have big trouble - we need to make sure that he is cut off from your little boyfriend or your bright spark of being in a cop's house is going to set this whole plan alight." Carl's fear was showing in his words. He was angry because for the first time since this began he was panicked.
"And you don't think that if I get him ousted from that house it won't cause him to snoop?" Michelle realised quite fast that Carl's judgement was being skewed.
"That's why you need to do it in a way no one will believe him if he does say anything." He replied scathingly.
Michelle sighed with frustration.
"And how am I meant to do that? This is impossible!" She shot back.
Carl's eyes narrowed and he grabbed her wrists slowly pushing her up against the wall again.
"I thought you were supposed to be smart, Michelle. That's what you told me. That's what you told me when you were begging me not to throw you out like all the others." His voice was almost musical, his intonations laced with terror. "If you're not, then what do I need you for? And if I don't need you...you know too much."
Michelle tried to break free from his grasp but he held her back firmly.
"We're partners Carl - you can't make me just do anything..."
"Well it wouldn't be the first time." She could feel his breath on her cheek. It repulsed her but still made her heart race. "Now - do I still need you, Michelle?"
She nodded reluctantly.
"Then you get him out of there...or I will..."
Michelle whimpered slightly but tried to disguise it as a cough.
"Don't hurt him Carl. You never said anyone would get hurt. This was meant to be simple. They were facilities and nothing else."
Carl pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and his tone changed from aggressive to tauntingly calm.
"You're the one who complicated it, my love. If you want to keep it simple then get him out of there. I don't care how you do it - just make sure that if he squeals, no-one will listen - or I'll make him squeal and no-one will hear it." His eyes twitched with anger and paranoia.
Michelle bit her lip as Carl thrust his against hers in a kiss. She pulled back but eventually gave in. Once he pulled off she sighed heavily. Her voice cracked but she was forcing through some of her confidence. Evan thought they were cousins. That would be enough to make him suspicious. Michelle had underestimated Evan's closeness with the family before - she didn't want to risk doing it again but she also knew what Carl was capable of and no matter how selfish and manipulative she was - she didn't want that.
She took a deep breath.
"I'll need a pill..."
"Did I beat the boys back?" Lena asked coming into the kitchen.
"Looks like it. If they've detoured somewhere and come back with melted ice-cream then I'll be beating the boys in a different way."
"Well it's good of them to help us..." Lena giggled.
"Yes it is - even though it's to avoid Mariana and Jude going through yet another run through." Stef added.
"Poor Evan! He's been working with them every night this week."
Stef raised her eyebrow. "Well you know - there is an advantage to all of the kids being distracted.
"Oh yeah?" Lena asked moving closer as Stef pulled her into a hug and began to kiss her gently through a smile.
"They'll be back any minute..."
"Then we better make the most of it..." She said through another kiss.
The two women stopped their fun as they heard someone tiptoe through.
"Kasey, if you dare it'll be the last thing you do..." Stef threatened without opening her eyes as Kasey put the sink hose back down.
"Oh come on, you do it to us!" She protested through a laugh.
"Yes, but the difference is I gave birth to you."
"And..."
"That's it. It just gives me the upper hand for the rest of your life." She smiled teasingly kissing Kasey's head. Kasey rolled her eyes as the boys moseyed in.
"Aha! Here they are. Where have you two been?" Lena added in.
"The store..." Jesus said guiltily after looking at Evan. Kasey wandered over to him pulling him into a kiss.
"Hey you." Evan smiled as she brushed his cheek with her hand before turning to Stef.
"They've been to the arcade. He tastes of blue slurpy." Evan threw her a betrayed look as Stef scoffed.
"We have not!" Jesus said offended.
"Oh yeah?" Lena asked grabbing his cheeks and squeezing them to reveal his blue tongue.
"OK...well just for a little while..." Jesus mumbled through his squashed face.
"Well as long as you remembered everything it's OK. Not much is going on here. The girls are helping Jude."
"They're going through again?" Evan laughed. "Our rehearsal today was like 3 hours!"
"You were at the school for 3 hours?" Stef queried. "Have you just stopped going to college?"
Evan looked down slightly guiltily as Stef raised an eyebrow realising that she had actually inadvertently called him out for skipping a class or two.
"Oh that reminds me!" Kasey exclaimed inadvertently protecting Evan from having to answer. "I need to copy Callie's...I mean...I need to talk to Callie..." She re-routed as Lena and Stef both looked at her accusingly. "I was in class - I just didn't write everything down..." Lena drooped her head about to comment before Kasey quickly made herself scarce running up the stairs.
"Well at least she may not notice that Michelle is here..." Stef quipped as Evan snapped his head up. It brought back the thoughts he had tried to distract himself from by taking Jesus to the arcade.
Almost on cue, Brandon sauntered into the kitchen and bid his greetings.
"Making some tea - anyone want any?" He asked to a few words of acceptance. Evan saw his opportunity.
"I'm good - just gonna go catch up with Kasey" he said before heading up the stairs. He was too focussed to hear Stef's comment about trying to get out of putting the groceries away.
He poked his head around Brandon's door estimating he had 5 minutes at most.
"Hey Michelle..."
She snapped her head up, caught off guard before being swept with dread.
"Hi..." She stuttered before realising she needed to pull herself together. "What's up?"
"Just...well...I met a cousin of yours today. You never told me you had a cousin at Anchor Beach."
Michelle swallowed down and threw him a confused look.
"That's 'cause I don't - did someone say that they were?"
"Well - it was just...I mean that guy from the fair. He was there with his little brother. He's in your year, no?"
Michelle pretended to think before flashing across a knowing look and slowly walked towards him. "Oh Ryan? No he's not my cousin. I mean, he is the half brother of my cousin." Evan gently nodded. "He's a pain in the ass. I mean they're both a piece of work. I told Jesus not to talk to him in detention - has Ryan been bothering him?"
Evan nodded again reluctantly. There was no reason not to believe her...her face was full of conviction. Evan had family members he couldn't control - but then Michelle had been at the forefront of his mind when he had been caught with the weed. He just couldn't figure out what this was.
"Evan?" A voice snapped him back to reality. It was Kasey and he immediately flooded with fear and looked guiltier than he was. Stef had warned him about this. The look in Kasey's eyes were enough to jolt any of his prior thoughts from his mind. She looked between the two of them. Kasey wasn't generally a jealous girl but Michelle threw all of her logic off the table.
"I was just...I mean, I came up here to ask..."
"Evan. Did you ask Michelle if she's riding with us to the play yet or not?" Stef interjected throwing Evan a rope as she emerged from the stairs.
"Not yet - " he stuttered as Stef scoffed at him.
"What is it with you and not being about to perform a simple instruction? Michelle -" She turned to her. "Do you need a ride with us? We're trying to sort out how we're getting there."
"Um - if you're offering...I'm helping out with the props and stuff but was going to come back here with Brandon before. I don't have to be there that early." She smiled.
"OK, good. Kasey - Lena wants a word and Evan, I want a word with you." She looked at him sternly. Kasey looked back at him reluctantly letting go of her suspicions as Stef twitched her head signalling Evan come to one side. She raised her eyebrows waiting for an explanation. As Evan didn't have anything to say she soon filled in the silence herself.
"I'm not doing that again. I only did it this time because I don't doubt for a second that you had a good reason to be in there. If it happens again that will be three and I may start to get suspicious." She warned.
Evan looked slightly offended. "You know me better than that..."
"I do - and I know that you know if you even contemplated that Kasey would bury you alive - as would I. But I also know you have a stupid streak. Don't stand too close to the fire, Evan." he nodded.
"Now...on to a more pressing matter."
He looked at her slightly more concerned as she raised her eyebrows. What could be more pressing than that?
"You got the wrong milk at the store..."
Without a second thought he bombed it down the stairs as her earlier threats echoed in his head.
There won't really be any more violent scenes of this level - not until a later "episode" at least - but that doesn't mean the nastiness won't still be there. Hope you still keep enjoying and thanks for the continued support!
Chapter 36 Preview: Michelle takes advantage of a nervous Evan before the play but some ill-timed kindness from Stef further distresses her as she battles with her morality.
She pulled her into the hallway and listened around.
"Hey Michelle, I don't mean to pry..." she whispered as Michelle's heart thumped. "But is everything OK with you...?"
Michelle swallowed trying desperately to not betray her secrets in her expressions. Stef was a cop and knew how to read people. She tried to hide her nerves by furrowing her brow and flashing a confused look across her face.