I grit my teeth, reminding myself who I am. I'm not going to let these rich jerkoffs run all over me and this town. I takethe back stairs up to the lawyer man's room and pop the lock, stepping inside.
"Boom, motherfuckers."
I’m not sure what I expect to find, but I’m still going to look anyway.
Chapter Six
PIERCE
Jimbob shakes his fist at the TV mounted over the fireplace. Pissed off at a football game that is a rerun of the one from Christmas. You’d think he’s got money on it with how upset he is.
The bar is small and right off the entryway. I’d guess at one point it was a parlor. There are only a handful of seats at the bar, but there are a couple of tables scattered around the room. One large bay window lets you see out the front of the house to the town. Now that it’s night, those red and pink lights are making the town glow. I'd come down here hoping to milk any information I could get out of the townspeople.
"You're a fan?" Jimbob asks, nodding toward the television.
"It's entertaining enough." I never played past a few games as a kid in an open field. Anytime I hit a new high school, the coaches would try to get me to play because of my size alone.
I shot up after middle school, not only in height, but I'm built broad. I only ever used my size on asshats who had it coming. I was able to stick up for some of the other kids in the system. We always had a target on our backs for easy bullying.
I didn't play ball because while I might have been built for it, I value my brain. Sports weren't getting me into college with a full ride; I mean, maybe, but you had to depend on a whole team.
Academics I could do solo, and when it provided information, I inhaled it. It was as easy as breathing to me. Back then I knew I could only count on myself. That was the world I had always lived in. I'm getting a good sense that New Hope isn't that way. The little time I’ve spent here has already shown me that they are protective of one another.
“How about you?” I ask to make small talk, taking a sip of my drink. I’m not great at it, but it’s a necessity here. I can when I need to.
“Nah, the football team was shit here.”
“Really? Thought small towns were always big on football.”
“Not so much here.” Jimbob flips the channel over to the news, muting it. “Now the theater club, that’s what everyone went to see every other Friday.”
“As in the high school theater club?” Never heard that before.Interesting. That word keeps rolling around a lot in my mind each time I learn a new detail about this town. It really is a unique town.
"Yep, it's a fight to get a ticket toThe Nutcrackereach year."
"Seriously?" People are fighting for tickets to a play at the high school?
"Oh, one year there was a giant scandal. Tins got the idea to start scalping tickets that year, bought all of them out, and was trying to resell them at double the cost.”
"Tins?" This getting information thing might be easier than I thought. I've been here a few minutes, and I'm already hearing her name.
"Tinsley Blake. If you're around for a few days, I'm sure you'll meet her. You can’t miss her.”
“Jimbobs!” A girl with bright red hair and a white sweater with a chicken and a red stain on it comes bouncing into the bar area.
“Hey, Katherine,” Jimbob greets her. Katherine—that name had been in the information I’d gotten on Tinsley; she’s the best friend. This isn’t a coincidence. Nothing ever is.
“Can I get something fruity?” She does a little wiggle before grabbing the chair right next to mine.
“Coming up,” he tells her, his eyes looking behind her. “Your other half with you now that she’s back?—”
“No!” Katherine squeaks loudly, cutting him off. Her gaze shifts to me before quickly glancing away, clueing me into her already knowing who I am. I’ll give it to them; for a small town, word sure does travel fast.
I smile internally. If Katherine knows I’m here, then my little spitfire surely does too. I’m guessing her wheels are already spinning as to why that might be.
“All right then.” Jimbob fights a smirk. “I was telling—” He pauses. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Dead man walking,” Katherine mutters under her breath.
