Adam and Trevor then stared at Conner.
"I haven't had nightmares," he said. "But I've been kinda freaked out by shadows."
Trevor held Conner's gaze. "Go on."
"Sometimes, out of the corner of my eye, a shadow will freak me out if it looks like a human."
"An actual human?" Adam asked.
"Well, no. The shape." Conner said. "At the lake cabin. Then the other night when Hailey said she thought someone was in the room with us. And sometimes at my house."
"So you're seeing things," Trevor said.
"Not exactly. I think I'm just freaking myself out, you know? My mind's playing tricks on me."
Adam asked, "The shadow doesn't do anything?"
"No. I just feel like it's watching me."
"Too much voodoo crap in our heads."
Facing Adam, Conner asked, "You think that's all it is?"
"Yeah. Everything that happened at the lake. The way Jared was acting, and then the creepy things we experienced with him. Now, we're talking about all of it. It's like, stressing us out and affecting us more than we thought."
"I guess that could be it."
"Adam's right," Trevor said. "We were fine until Jared died. Then the possession story started going around. We didn't want to believe it, even though we knew it was probably true."
"Yep," Adam agreed. "What happened to Jared isn't gonna happen to us. That man did something to cause that. But he didn't do anything to us."
Conner set his head against the headrest and glanced to the side at his friends. "Lou knows all about this kinda crap. I want to know what Lou knows. I want to know exactly what happened to Jared all the way to the end, when he died."
Trevor finally pulled away from the curb. "We're going to be late for school." At the stop sign at the end of the block, he said, "We gotta talk to Lou before he leaves Newman."
Very few students were lingering in the parking lot when the three arrived at school. Conner checked his phone. "Crap. The last bell already rung. We are tardy, tardy, tardy."
"So what." Adam scooted across the back seat to the passenger door. "We're always on time. One tardy won't kill us. Besides, Miss Campbell likes us. Let's go."
As Conner was busy slipping his phone into his backpack, Trevor groaned. Conner looked at Trevor and sighed. "Now what?"
Trevor gestured to Conner's window. "Here comes trouble."
Hailey's father walked a steady, direct path toward the car. The look of determination on his face was clearly visible, even halfway across the parking lot.
"He doesn't look happy," Conner said as he opened the door. He slid his backpack onto his shoulder and resisted his body's reflex to tense in anticipation. "Good morning, Mr. Brooks."
"I'd like a word with you, Mr. Preston."
"We're already late."
Mr. Brooks smiled. "What I have to say won't take long." He looked at Adam and Trevor. "May we have a minute, please?"
When Trevor stepped away, Adam tugged him back and said to Mr. Brooks, "We're gonna stay. We're here for support."
"It's a private matter," Mr. Brooks replied.
Adam offered a smile. "Nothing's private between the three of us."
"Fine." Facing Conner again, Mr. Brooks said, "How dare you use an innocent girl for your selfish, sexual needs. Hailey was a girl of high moral standards. Your charm and attention was a ploy just so you could violate—"
"I didn't violate anyone," Conner replied, his frustration rising. "I've never forced a girl to do anything. I don't take advantage of girls. I'm very respectful of—"
"If you respected Hailey, you would have allowed her to hold onto her innocence."
"You want me to leave your daughter alone? Is that what you're going to tell me?"
"I want you to maintain a respectful, safe distance. I can't forbid her from seeing you. That will only push her to you."
Conner turned to walk. "I'll be respectful, just like I always am."
Mr. Brooks clutched Conner's wrist. "A respectful, safe distance. I'm sure there are plenty of girls in school who'd love your attention. So go stick your dick in one of them."
Conner's eyes widened. He'd never imagined Mr. Brooks using such language. He was torn between reacting with a jaw drop or a mildly restrained laugh. "Loud and clear, Mr. Brooks. Sorry, but we're late. We gotta go."
Releasing Conner's arm, Mr. Brooks replied, "Please honor my request. Because next time I won't be so nice."
Walking to the school entrance, Adam said, "I told you. Hailey's a Goody Two-shoes. You're chasing the wrong girl."
Conner back-handed Adam's stomach. "That makes two of us."
Adam smiled, but lowered his head as they walked.
Out of the corner of his eye, Conner saw Mr. Brooks' car leave the parking lot. Then he noticed a news station's van parked on the street.
After a quick stop in the administration office, the three strolled to Miss Campbell's English class with tardy slips in hand. Trevor was the first to arrive at the door. He peered through the door's small window. "Yeah. They have their books open already."
Adam poked him in the back. "Just open the door so we can get in there and start class."
When the three walked into the classroom, all eyes focused on them. A boy sang out, "Dun, Dun, DUN."
Several kids snickered.
"Welcome, gentlemen," Miss Campbell said. "Take your seats so we can continue without further interruption."
Conner dropped his backpack onto the floor. As he bent to retrieve his English textbook, he heard whispers. The unknown hushed words imitated the sensation of bugs crawling on his skin. He could feel it down to
