The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

“Taryn.” That was Grayley, he had darted out behind me and caught up just as I reached my locker. “What are you doing?”

“It’s the last move. He’s going down, someone has to take him down. I’m going to have to do it.” I choked out, inside raging. How fucking dare he?

Tray was quiet, listening to the exchange.

“I didn’t tell you so that you’d go all psycho on me,” Grayley reasoned, grabbing my arm and slamming my locker door shut. He had my car keys in his hands. “I told you because you’re Geezer’s friend. He needs you. At his side.”

“What are you talking about? Geezer will heal. He always does.”

“He found out who his dad is working for,” Grayley said somberly. Gravely.

I froze. The realization suddenly slammed into me…and I came back sputtering curses. I lunged for my keys.

Grayley neatly checked me into place, holding me against the lockers and dangled my keys away from me.

I was so enraged, I didn’t care that a few moments ago, Tray had been holding me in the same place. I’d been melting then, now pure fury was coursing through my veins.

“Taryn. You need to stay out of it. You need to let Jace handle Brian. And he will. We both know it. Bri’s too stupid and hotheaded to last long in the business. He’s going to mess up and Jace will take care of him. He’ll do whatever he needs to do.”

“He fucked up. He crossed the line,” I seethed.

“You need to be Geezer’s friend. You’re his family. You and me. That’s all he’s got, okay. You can’t go all vengeance on Brian right now, not when Geezer needs you.”

“I need to castrate him is what I need to do,” I cried out.

“Maybe,” Grayley bit out, letting me go, seeing I wasn’t reaching for my keys, but he kept a firm hold of them nonetheless.

“So what do you want?” I asked suddenly, rolling my eyes.

He watched me warily. “I came over here to make sure you stay out of it. I know you, Taryn. The second you’d checked any of your voice messages, you’d be going after Brian. You can’t do that.”

“What’s it to you? You’re with Gentley now.”

“No. I’m with you and Geezer. But neither of you go to my

school anymore, so yeah if I have to, I’ll side with Gentley to survive. But it’s you and Geezer, you know that, Tar,” he said quietly, seemingly wounded.

“Ah! I know. Alright. I know, I already got guilt-trip 2000. I’ve been so busy running away from—everything—that I walked out on you and Geezer.”

“We’re not Jace and Brian.”

“I know.”

“We’re your best friends.”

“I know.”

“And as your best friend—Geezer needs you more than Brian needs to be put in his place. It’ll happen. Just not by you.”

“Who else—” I began to argue.

Grayley rudely interrupted, “It’ll be dealt with. But. Not. By. You.”

“I’m the one who should do it—I’m the reason—” I argued, heatedly.

But Grayley cut in, uncaring, “No, Taryn. Brian’s been a ticking time bomb our entire lives. You’re the only thing that reeled him in. He’s doing this, he’s gone off the deep end. It has nothing to do with you.”

“But—”