Page 36 of Surviving in Everton

“I… I don’tknow! It was so long ago! I can’t remember!” he rushes out when Nate moves to pull him closer.

“Nate,” I warn him and he slowly releases his hold on the asshole and pushes him against the counter. “Let’s try this again.” I take my phone out of my back pocket and pull up a picture of Harris, turning it around so he can see. “What about him? Did you sell him any potions in college?” I ask.

“I don’t know. Maybe? He looks familiar, but I can’t remember.” He shakes his head. Nate steps up to him again and he flinches. “Okay, okay. Yeah, I sold the guy a few potions and spells. Nothing bad though. I swear. Why, what’d he do? Whatever it was, he didn’t get it from me.” He trembles in fear as his eyes bounce between each of us.

“What kind of spells did you sell him?” I demand.

“Just stupid shit, man. He needed help with his grades, so I gave him a drink that would let him remember everything for forty-eight hours so he could pass his exams. One time he asked me for some kind of love potion, but I told him I don’t fuck with that shit. He got all pissy and stormed off, but I saw him with some hot chick not long after that, so I figure he didn’t really need it.” He shrugs.

“Damn it!” Nate screams then turns and walks away. I can imagine he’s pissed Brad’s not our guy. We were all so sure it would be him.

“When did that happen? The love potion conversation,” Declan clarifies.

“Fuck, I don’t know. Senior year. I was at a party and he saw me and came over asking about it. We didn’t really talk about it too much. Like I said, I told him no, he got mad and stormed off. I don’t know what that chick said to him, but whatever it was, he was definitely on board with it,” he tells us.

“The timing fits. It was senior year when he spelled Rowe.” Declan rubs his cheek as he thinks out loud.

“You mean he actually spelled someone? Where did he… Ooooh, you thinkIgave it to him? That’s why you’re here?”

“Of course that’s why we’re here you moron!” Nate yells from across the room.

“But why? It’s been over ten years. Surely any spell he got would have worn off by now. He didn’t have a lick of magic. There’s no way he could still have her under his spell,” Brad declares with conviction.

“Not alone he couldn’t, but if he had a magic user to help him, he sure the fuck could,” Nate retorts.

Brad’s eyes widen and he gasps. “Are you serious right now? He had a magic user help him spell some chick fortenyears?!” he exclaims in horror. “No wonder you were ready to kick my ass as soon as you saw me. Damn. I’ve done a lot of shit in my life, but I would never do that.”

“Well, what now?” Kayden asks crestfallen. I can’t blame him, we hoped we’d be coming home with good news, not back at square one.

“Tell me about this girl you saw him with at the party,” Declan commands.

“Why? How would that help?” Brad asks, scratching the back of his head like a moron.

“Just tell me, please,” Declan attempts to ask nicely, but I can tell he’s over this and ready to get back to Rowe.

“Well… she was hot,” he starts and we all glare at him. “She had long brown hair that was curled, legs that went on for days with those heels she was wearing. Honestly, she dressed like a high-class escort. That’s why I thought he had given up on that other chick. I mean I don’t know who he was wanting to spell or why, butthisgirl was smoking. Would have made me forget about any other girl that’s for sure.” He adjusts himself after giving us that lewd description.

“You don’t know Rowe. No one holds a candle to her. Especially not some high-class hooker,” Nate growls.

“Sorry, man, meant no harm. I’m sure this Rowe chick is hot too,” the idiot attempts to appease Nate, but that was definitely not the way to do it.

Nate looks like he’s ready to murder this clown when suddenly his eyes widen and his mouth falls open. I’m looking around confused when I see Declan looking at Nate with a knowing expression. What the fuck am I missing?

“Yeah, Nate, I think that sounds like someone we might know too,” he agrees with Nate’s unspoken thoughts.

Someone we know fits that description? I stop and think about what he just said, how he described the girl and only one person comes to mind.

“Britney!” Nate, Ayden, Kayden, and I all come to the same realization. Declan just sighs as he nods.

“That fucking bitch!” Nate roars. “I’m gonna kill her!”

“Nate, calm down. We don’t know for sure it was her at the party, let alone that helped Harris,” I try to reason with him.

“Are you kidding me?!? Of course, it was her! Think about it! She’s always hated Rowe. She was thrilled to learn Rowe was going to college alone. She must have thought if she got rid of her, she’d actually have a chance with one of us.” Nate looks like he’s about to lose it.

“Ummm, did you say Britney? That name sounds really familiar.” Brad pulls our attention away from Nate. “Anyone have a picture of this chick? I could tell you if that’s her.”

Ahhh why would any of us have a fucking picture of this bitch? Damn it.

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