KIP: a bay falls high novel Read online

  Crazy wasn’t all that crazy after fooling around.

  I was awake.

  Ready for more.

  I sat with my feet dangling out the back and scrolled through my phone.

  I went through my messages and stopped at Ruby’s name.

  Hey, girl. Still clean for me?

  Nobody knew we talked.

  It was our thing.

  Our private thing.

  She was still living with her grandmother. Still fighting off her own demons.

  And I was obviously still doing my thing.

  Plus, I was just keeping a promise I made to Tinsley. To make sure Ruby was safe.

  No harm in texting her whenever I felt like it, right?

  OMG ur such an asshole Kip. Ur lucky that doesn’t offend me. And yes I’m clean.

  I grinned.

  There’s more than one version of clean, girl. Which are you?

  I looked down at the water and waited.

  My phone vibrated in my hands.

  UGH. I’m clean all the way around. Just got out of the shower actually.

  I gritted my teeth.

  I missed my chance then. Or you could send a pic. For proof.

  Ruby texted back a middle finger.

  I typed to her again.

  I can show you something really wet if you want. Promise you won’t show anyone, girl.

  She texted back a grin.

  Then…

  K. What is it?

  I took a picture of the ocean and sent it.

  So wet.

  Ruby texted back a middle finger again,

  I smiled and wasn’t done with her yet.

  Hey. Your turn now.

  I ignored the ocean now, just focused on my phone.

  You want to see something wet? For real?

  I nodded as I wrote back FUCK YES.

  Ruby texted me a picture of the shower drain.

  To her she was fucking with me.

  To me she was in the bathroom, probably in a towel, possibly naked, and she was texting me.

  “Fuck,” I whispered.

  So hot, girl. A wet hole.

  Ruby texted back OMG, no. Good night Kip. Just no.

  I laughed out loud.

  Hey. I’ll text you tomorrow. Have to make sure you’re clean for me. You never know when this is going to happen.

  I waited for what felt like forever before Ruby texted again.

  Ur crazy. Thanks for checking on me. I’m fine. I promise. Goodnight.

  I replied with the emoji kissing with a little heart.

  I put my phone down and turned my head to see Crazy on her back. The sleeping bag pulled up to her chin. Her eyes half open, looking at me.

  “Morning,” I said.

  “What?”

  I laughed. “I’m joking, girl. You’ve been out for an hour. If that.”

  “Shit,” she said. “I need to get out of here.”

  I jumped out of the back of SUV. “Not a problem. Get dressed and give me an address.”

  “That’s it?” Crazy asked.

  “That’s it,” I said.

  I shut the heavy door and walked to the front of the SUV.

  It was crazy how Crazy was half naked in the back of my SUV as I started to drive.

  It was also crazy how Ruby was half naked in my heart and nobody knew about it.

  Chapter 2

  fuck #bfh

  I looked at the wall at the end of the hallway and nodded.

  Written sloppily in red paint, the simple text had quite the gathering around it.

  I threw my shoulder against a random locker and rubbed my jaw.

  Barr stepped up next to me. “That’s going to be interesting.”

  “I sort of appreciate the honesty,” I said. “You know? Going right for it.”

  “Who the hell did this?” Tinsley asked as she peeled herself away from Pres.

  Pres walked toward us, head turned, reading the new artwork on the wall.

  “I did it,” I said.

  “What?” Tinsley asked.

  I laughed. “I didn’t do it, girl. I don’t know who did it.”

  “We’re going to figure this out,” Pres said. “That can’t stand.”

  “There’s cameras everywhere,” Barr said.

  “You think someone is that stupid?” I asked.

  “If they’re from HCH they are,” Tinsley said.

  “Oh,” I yelled and jumped back. “Cat fight.”

  “Shut up, Kip,” Tinsley said.

  “Not a bad idea there, love,” Barr said. “You and that one girl got into it on the beach.”

  “Who? Novalee?” Tinsley asked. “Please. I’ll drown that bitch.”

  “I did hear some rumblings about Elijah going after BC after he came to us,” Pres said. “Thought it was bullshit rumors. Maybe not though. Still, it’s stupid and risky.”

  “Which sounds exactly like HCH,” Barr said.

  I pushed away from the locker. “Then again, it’s not our fucking problem. Let someone else clean it up and figure it out.”

  Pres stepped in front of me and put a finger to my chest. “It is our problem.”

  “The Rulz has to take care of this,” Barr said.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe I’m not in the mood.”

  “Since when are you not in the mood to kick some ass?” Barr asked.

  “Did you fall in love last night?” Tinsley asked.

  “No,” I said. “I took that one back home after she napped. I didn’t even find out her real name.”

  “Typical,” Pres said.

  “Hey, I’m just in a mood,” I said to Pres. “Simple as that. We’ll figure out who did that and take care of things.”

  “You sure?” Pres asked.

  “Something’s up with you,” Barr said. “This isn’t just sex.”

  I turned my head and looked at Barr. “Does it matter to you?”

  “Maybe it matters to me,” Tinsley said.

  I looked at her. “Sorry, girl, that won’t work anymore.”

  “Not even if I tilt my head and look really sad?” Tinsley asked. She pouted her lips.

  I laughed. “You’re still deadly, but a different kind of deadly.”

  “Remember that,” Tinsley said.

  “Dude, he was wearing a mask when he did it.”

  I turned my head and saw two guys walking shoulder to shoulder, pointing at the wall.

  I looked at Pres.

  He nodded.

  I side stepped and grabbed the back of the guy’s shirt and pulled.

  “Hey there, friend,” I said. “Do you know who I am?”

  The guy looked up at me. He swallowed hard. “Kip. Yeah, man. I know you. I know you guys. The Rulz. Sweet.”

  “The only sweet is your mother’s ass,” Barr said. “You know who did this?”

  “Hell no,” the guy said.

  “What’s your name?” Pres asked.

  “Mine?”

  “No,” Barr said. “Your dog’s name.”

  “What? Oh. Uh… my name is Brian. My dog’s name is Booster.”

  I laughed. “What a fucking moron. Okay, Booster…”

  “No, he’s Brian,” Barr said.

  “Yeah, I’m Brian,” Brian said.

  “You’re going to be dead if you don’t start talking,” Pres warned.

  Brian-slash-Booster’s face turned white. “I said I don’t know.”

  “You said something about a mask,” I said. “Where’d you hear that?”

  “Jacobson,” Brian said. “He and security were talking. I heard them. I was here early.”

  “For what?” I asked.

  “Nothing.”

  I made a fist.

  Barr moved and grabbed Brian’s friend.

  “Don’t hit me,” the guy said. “He was looking for answers.”

  “To what?” Pres asked.

  “Tests,” Brian said. “I have a side business.”

  I laughed. “What a joke. Steali
ng tests and answers and bullshit.”

  “What did you hear?” Barr asked.

  “What I already said,” Brian said.

  “Are you being a smart ass now?” Pres asked.

  “No, man,” Brian said. “Jacobson was talking to some security guy or whatever. And they looked at the tape or whatever. And it was some guy or whatever.”

  “If you say or whatever one more time,” I said, “I’m going to rip your tongue out.”

  “Sorry,” Brian said. “I heard the security guy tell Jacobson that the person was dressed all in black. And had a mask on too. So there’s no way to know who it was. They used a ladder and red paint.”

  “That’s brutal,” Barr said.

  “Planned out,” Pres said.

  “And really stupid,” I said. I pulled Brian close to me. “Hey, Barr, grab the other Brian.”

  “His name is Buck,” Brian said.

  “Yeah, I’m not calling him that,” I said.

  “Got him right here,” Barr said, dragging the other guy toward me.

  “Brian and Brian,” I said. “I want you to listen carefully. If you hear anything about who did this to our building, what are you going to do?”

  “Call the cops,” the other Brian said.

  “Wrong,” Barr said.

  “Call you,” Brian said to me. “Or find a way to talk to you.”

  “So fucking smart,” I said. I slapped Brian’s face as hard as I could. “You make me proud, son.”

  Brian’s eyes filled with tears.

  I pushed him away.

  I nodded to Barr.

  He pushed the other Brian away.

  “Well, that takes care of that,” Barr said.

  “Not in the mood to fight, huh?” Pres asked me.

  “Hey, I don’t want to let you all down,” I said. “I better go punch someone right now.”

  I took two steps and heard Tinsley say shit.

  “What’s wrong, sugar?” Pres asked her.

  “Ruby,” Tinsley said.

  I put on the brakes and spun around.

  They all looked at me.

  “Who’s Ruby?” I asked.

  “My friend?” Tinsley asked. “The one we helped.”

  I snapped my fingers. “The hot one. Nice.”

  “Yeah, the hot one,” Tinsley said, rolling her eyes.

  “She okay?” Pres asked.

  Tinsley whispered something to Pres and I couldn’t hear it.

  I made fists, annoyed.

  “Are you okay, Kip?” Tinsley asked, side staring at me.

  “Perfect,” I said. “Tell your hot friend I said hey.”

  * * *

  By the time we left the building, the writing on the wall was a red blur. No more fuck #bfh but rather just a messy stain. The red was damn obvious and it was damn obvious someone wanted to send a clear message.

  I thought it was kind of adorable.

  Pres acted as though someone did it to his SUV.

  Barr remained mostly quiet, taking it all in.

  As for me, I caught myself getting closer to Tinsley by the second. Hoping she would check her phone and I could catch a glimpse of the screen.

  I wanted to know what the hell was up with Ruby.

  Shit, I needed to know what the hell was up with Ruby.

  “What are we doing out here?” Tinsley asked.

  “Taking a walk, sugar,” Pres said.

  “I’m in the mood for a little football,” Barr said.

  He lit a fresh cigarette and grinned.

  I laughed. “Fuck yeah. Toss around the old… ball.”

  “Nice,” Pres said to me.

  “What?” I asked. “I’m not a football player. I’m a surfer. I’m a fighter.” I looked at Tinsley. “I’m a love maker.”

  “Ha!” Tinsley yelled out.

  “What? Wait a second. Correct me if I’m wrong, but who here got some love last night?”

  I put my hand up.

  Tinsley put her hand up and grabbed for Pres’s hand.

  I rolled my eyes.

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

  Barr put his hand up too.

  “Really?” I asked Barr.

  “As I told you before, don’t worry about my dick so much,” Barr said.

  We walked through the massive archway to the stadium for the Bay Falls High football team.

  I still never understood why these assholes practiced the way they did. It was every single day. They were dedicated to it, that was for sure. In a way they always believed that playing football would paint them as royalty. That whole cliché thing of the good looking jocks running the show, but they were fucking wrong.

  It was all ours.

  The Rulz owned everything.

  And anyone who got out of line…

  I cracked my knuckles when I saw Brando throw a pass to Maverick.

  “Pres, let me handle this,” I said.

  “Enjoy,” Pres said.

  He put his arm around Tinsley and let me take the lead.

  Brando looked at me and then looked back.

  “Don’t think about running,” I said. “I’m faster than you. I’ll catch you and just dig a hole right here. Bury you alive. So you could listen to your precious football players trample all over you. How’s that sound?”

  Brando showed his hands in defeat.

  “Is that some red on his hands?” Barr asked me.

  “I think so,” I said.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Brando asked. “The paint? On the wall?” He laughed. “Why would I do that?”

  I grabbed Brando’s wrist. “Don’t know. Maybe you’re living up to the dumb jock cliché after all.”

  “Nah,” Barr said. “He’s just dumb. The jock thing has nothing to do with it. His mother probably drank too much wine while she was knocked up with him.”

  “Funny,” Brando said. “This is what you guys have planned for today?”

  “I see some red,” I said.

  “Where?” Brando asked.

  He looked at his hand.

  “Maybe it’s red from smacking Maverick’s ass so hard,” Barr said.

  “Yeah, right,” Brando said.

  Maverick jogged his way over, football in hand.

  “I’m telling you, Brando, you have red on your hand,” I said. “Look closer.”

  Brando lifted his hand closer to his face. “Where? You’re fucking with me, Kip. You’re trying to get me to say something.”

  “I’ll call Pres over then,” I said. “Let him see it.”

  “Where?” Brando asked.

  “Closer,” I said.

  Brando moved his hand closer to his face.

  I looked at Barr and grinned.

  Barr smiled back at me and nodded.

  “Here’s the red,” I said.

  I swung my hand up against his hand, driving his hand to his nose.

  Brando’s nose made a pop sound and he stumbled back as he screamed in pain.

  When he took his hand from his face, there was blood.

  On his nose.

  On his hand.

  “See?” I asked. “Red on your hand.”

  Maverick took a step toward me and Barr threw his right hand out and grabbed Maverick’s shoulder.

  “Don’t do that,” Barr said.

  “What the fuck do you want?” Brando asked.

  “Answers,” I said. “What happened in there… I don’t like it. I mean, I get it. Fuck us, right? Fuck #bfh. I like it. It could be our slogan or something. But we didn’t say it was allowed to be done. So that’s a problem.”

  “And we didn’t do it,” Maverick said. “Of all the fucking things… why that?”

  “That’s a good point,” Barr said.

  “But,” I cut in, “if my memory serves me right, there was a time not too long ago when a nice brawl happened at that stupid football game between you and HCH.”

  “You think they did this?” Brando asked.

  “You tell me,” I said. �
��What else has been going on over there?”

  “It’s been quiet,” Maverick said. “Ever since Ryland’s brother showed up. He’s tearing through that town like a madman. He’s got everyone pissed off.”

  “Us too,” Barr said. “He was already here.”

  “But he wouldn’t do this,” I said.

  “You sure?” Brando asked.

  “Are you questioning my thinking?” I asked.

  “No,” Brando said.

  “No need to get worried,” I said. “We just wanted to say hey. See how things were going here. And if you think you know anything about what happened, let me know. Or if you hear anyone talking. Rumors. Jokes. Bullshit talk. Whatever. Just look at your hand and remember…”

  “Find you,” Brando said.

  “Find us,” Barr said.

  “The Rulz,” Maverick said.

  “Perfect,” I said. “See? Now you can get back to your football practice.”

  Barr did his classic move by flicking his lit cigarette to the grass.

  We turned, hit fists together, and walked away.

  Seeing Pres and Tinsley waiting made me laugh.

  King and Queen.

  That’s what they were.

  Which was good with me. I had no desire to be anything that resembled a King. I was happy throwing fists, stealing kisses from pretty girls to pass the time, all the while knowing what I really wanted.

  “Good?” Pres asked.

  “Perfect,” Barr said.

  I set my sights on Tinsley again.

  Pres broke away from her to talk to Barr.

  I moved to the other side of her.

  I playfully threw an elbow to her arm.

  She looked at me and elbowed me back.

  When she smiled it made me think of the first time I met her. And everything that happened to all of us together.

  “Hey, girl,” I said in almost a whisper. “Everything okay?”

  “With me? Yeah. Why?”

  “You just seemed worried about that text message,” I said.

  “From Ruby?”

  “Yeah. Your hot friend.”

  Tinsley laughed. “It’s all good.”

  “Is it though?” I asked. “Is she okay?”

  Tinsley raised her eyebrow. “Why are you so concerned?”

  “Just making sure you’re okay,” I said.

  “Yeah. Sure.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” Tinsley said.

  “Whatever, girl,” I said. “I was just asking a question. You look spooked. Sorry I bothered you.”

  I walked in a different direction.