The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

Geezer looked at me gratefully.

Noticing who was in the room, I blinked, seeing a lot of our old crew. Kerri, I frowned, seeing her own bruises. Liza, her waif-life figure swamped in a Cowboys sweater. Grayley was there, he’d hopped up on the windowsill, making room for me. I sent him a small smile. He winked back at me in understanding. And, to my surprise, I saw Trent Gardner, tipping back in his chair, one hand on Geezer’s bedrail.

“Hey,” I said, sweeping my eyes over them all.

Kerri greeted warmly, “About time you got here.”

And that was it—I’d been welcomed back.

“Hey, chick,” Trent drawled, “about fucking time you showed your face around these parts.”

I grinned, sitting in Grayley’s vacated seat. “Shut up,” I retorted back playfully.

Trent rolled his eyes and launched back into his story, apparently about a party last night where he’d tapped some form of ass. Hearing a familiar name, I interrupted, “What party were you at last night?”

Trent looked at Grayley. “What party, dude?”

“Same party as you, Taryn. That one guy’s. No idea what his name is,” Grayley informed me.

“Who’d you tap?” I asked Trent.

“I dunno. I think her name was…fuck, I don’t know.”

“Sasha.” Grayley helped out. “Looked like a Hooters girl.”

I groaned, “You fucked Sasha Klinnleys? From my new school?”

“What of her?” Trent asked. Of course Trent would ask that. He didn’t give a shit that I knew her or wasn’t happy that he’d screwed her. No. This was Trent. He was unmoving, laidback in the face of death, antagonistically cool—Trent.

I didn’t know how to describe Trent. He’d always been around in our circle, but he could be placed in a lot of other groups. He and Liza had been an item for a little bit, but that’d ended when she slept with Brian. Trent was probably the only guy in Pedlam who could tell Crispin Gentley to fuck off and then just walk away—unharmed. I didn’t know how Trent did it, but he did. Every damn time. He was just…nonplussed. Down to the bone. He’d hang out with the popular kids one week. The potheads the next. The Goths the following weeks. And even the preppies liked him.

But he’d taken a liking to Geezer. I’d forgotten that. Since he was here with Geezer, that meant he’d taken a stand against Brian. Guess Brian had violated some code or something otherwise Trent would’ve shown up at the house or something. Or just asked Grayley how the Geeze was doing, if he was still limping and smoking. Something like that. Not be in the hospital. With his ex and all of Geezer’s friends.

“Nothing. I don’t like her.” I rolled my eyes.

Liza laughed. “Like I’m surprised that you wouldn’t like someone.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re not the easiest person to get along with,” she said shrugging.

“Leave Taryn alone,” Kerri spoke up. “She’s got a lot of stuff going on—like her new family. How is your new family going?”

“It’s alright. Got a cool sister and brother. I just realized today that my new fourteen year old brother has an attitude like mine.”

“Sounds perfect. You dealing with a mini version of you.” Kerri sighed.

I looked at Geezer and saw he was just watching all of us. I could tell he was happy from the sparkle in his eyes. It was nice seeing a sober Geezer looking back at me. Too bad I knew he wouldn’t say that way for long. He’d be back smoking as soon as he got in the car of whoever picked him up.

Grayley must’ve recognized my look because he coughed and spoke up, “Geeze’s sleepy. Let’s head out.”

“No…” Geezer argued weakly. “Stay.”

“Nope,” Grayley said firmly. “Let’s head out. We’ll be back in a while so you can get some sleep.”

No one said a word when they saw I stayed in place. That’s probably why Grayley made the comment, so I could talk to Geezer alone. As soon as the door was pulled shut behind them, I grabbed Geezer’s hand and whispered, “I am so, so sorry.”

Geezer shook his head quickly. “No,” he choked out hoarsely.