Page 130 of Redemption
Reaching for my radio on the dash, I try to call for backup, but it’s too late. A couple of teenagers spy my car, and too soon, they are dashing like ants from an ant hill.
“Dang it,” I say, throwing my car radio back on the dash and rushing out of my car.
The kids are dispersing at breakneck speed, too fast for me to gain control of the situation, but to the side of the house, I see a couple of bodies rolling out of the windows. That escape route will at least slow a couple of them down until I can find who is responsible for this madness.
The whole high school has to be at this party.
Kicking past cups spilled on the ground, I focus on reaching the window before any more escape. I’ve just reached the corner of the house when I see familiar shaggy dark hair poking out of the window. I redirect my steps off the sidewalk behind a bush. Tanner tumbles out of the first-story window, hitting the ground and lying there for a second, stunned. Taking advantage of the time it takes him to gain his bearings, I step out, hovering over him.
“Going somewhere?” I ask.
The only response I get is a groan.
Crouching down, I grab his arm, and the smell of beer clogs my nose. Disappointment hits me straight in the gut.
“Dang it, Tanner. What are you doing?”
He glares up at me, still lying on the ground. “What’s it to you?”
I shake my head. “You don’t want to talk? That’s fine. Get up. You’re going to jail.”
I’m not making the mistakes I made with Langston. Tanner has to suffer the consequences for his actions, even if he’s kicked off my team.
“Coach, please, man. I’ll walk home.”
“Not this time, Tanner. Now stand up.”
Anger vibrates his body, but that’s okay. I’m angry, too. I’ve invested so much time into this kid, only for him to still not see that someone cares about him.
Doesn’t that sound familiar?
My conscience prickles as I help Tanner stand to his feet, taking the handcuffs off my belt and slipping them onto his wrist.
Silas has gotten in my head.
By the time I’m walking Tanner to my car, the other kids have dispersed. I hesitate to open the door and put Tanner in the back. Turning him so his back is against my car, I step back and cross my arms over my chest.
“This is your one chance to tell me the truth, and you won’t be leaving here without a breathalyzer, either. So you better start talking fast. Why are you here?”
The glare from earlier is gone, and in its place is a kid who’s scared out of his mind. I drop my arms and reach up, tugging at my hair.
What a mess.
“I was here to help a friend,” Tanner says, his voice shaking.
I hold my breath so I don’t snort. “And that’s why you smell like a whole keg of beer? Sorry, that story is hard to believe when I found you stumbling out of a window and can nearly get drunk from just the smell of you.”
“I’m serious, Coach. Give me the breathalyzer. I’ll do it right now.”
Truth shines on his face, but I’m still wary. If there’s one thing I learned from Langston, it’s that people with problems are good liars.
Glancing at the sky, I search for an answer.
Bringing my gaze back to Tanners, I narrow my eyes. “Don’t even think about running. I’m grabbing the breathalyzer, and I’ll be right back.”
He nods, and I watch him the entire time I round my car and duck inside, half convincing myself that I will have to chase him. But when it’s in my hand, and I’m shutting my door again, Tanner is still standing there, waiting for me to come back.
That’s one point in his favor.
