Alex comes back into the kitchen with a frantic Troy. His breathing is rapid as he scans the room. “Where is he?” We point to the spare room, and he rushes off to check on Seb.
Troy comes back out a few minutes later and stands beside Zander. “Explain now.”
Bay looks around at us, then begins. “Summer needed the washroom, so I took her upstairs. I was waiting outside the door for her when a fight broke out in the hallway. The two guys ran into me as they were swinging at each other, so I tried to break them apart.” Bay looked at me and says, “Summer yelled my name, and while I was trying to get to the bathroom, those guys attacked me.”
“A guy named Ben came into the bathroom while I was washing my hands, but I swear I locked the door. He, um, locked and put the chain on the door and wouldn’t move when I told him to. I grabbed my phone, but he rushed me and pinned me between himself andthe sink. I flinched and panicked, dropping my phone. He tried to touch me, so I started fighting him off. I kneed him in the balls and he let me go. There was a second door at the other end of the bathroom that I ran through. It was a connecting bedroom, and I saw…” I say, choking up a bit.
Bay wraps an arm around me for comfort, so I continue. “Cara was on top of Seb in her underwear, but I noticed Seb wasn’t conscious.” Gulping in some air, I wipe my cheeks. “Cara was screaming at me to get out,” I tell them. “When she came at me, I punched her in the face. Then Nick came through the bathroom door, after knocking Ben unconscious, and the rest of the guys charged through the hallway door.”
Zander looks a little stunned for a minute, then he comes over and picks me up into a hug. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you? Were you triggered?”
“Yeah, I was, but I’m okay now.”
“I’m so, so sorry,” Bay says again, looking ashamed, his eyes down-turned.
“Not your fault,” I remind him.
“Did you say you were triggered?” Alex asks.
Zander and I look at each other. I nod, and he sets me down. “The second foster home I was in was awful, and something bad happened.” Zander squeezes my shoulder, and I look up at him. “That’s how I could get past my panic. Ben touched my skin with his hand, and it cleared my mind,” I tell him as a tear falls on my cheek.
“Fuck,” Zander says, wrapping me in another hug. “Did he…touch you?” He swallows.
“No. I went crazy on him before he could,” I reply, shaking my head. He puts me down, and I take my seat again between Bay and Nick.
Nick puts his hand on my thigh, squeezing gently. “Keep going, Bay,” he tells him.
“When I couldn’t get through the bathroom door, I called the guys. Nick and E busted the bathroom door open and broke the chain, but you weren’t there. We all left searching for you except Nick, who took care of Ben. Then I heard him yell, so we broke through the locked bedroom door and found you.”
Zander gives Nick a fist bump. “Thank you for getting to her,” he tells everyone.
“How did Seb get drugged?” Troy asks.
“I don’t know,” E shakes his head. “We were sitting on the patio with a bunch of people, sipping a beer. Seb had to pee and went into the house. He was gone for a while, so I got up to check on him and met Nick on the way. He told me about Summer, so we ran upstairs to help Bay.”
“Did you drink something someone gave you? You guys know better than that.” Troy asks, disappointment lacing his tone.
“No, we didn’t. We had a case of beer beside us on the patio. I cracked open my bottle and Seb’s. We had them in our hands the whole time. We didn’t set them anywhere.”
“Did this girl drug him? Where is she? Who is she?” Troy asks rapidly.
“Cara Stroud. And we don’t know. She says she didn’t, but she was drunk herself, so we don’t know for sure,” E answers.
“Goddammit,” Troy shouts.
“Who is this Ben?” Zander asks.
“He started school in January. He was trying to befriend Nick shortly after school started,” Alex tells him.
Troy looks up at that. “Nick, did you check him out?”
Nick nods. “No connection that I could find.”
“To your father?” Zander questions. Nick nods his head. “Dig deeper, Nick. I want to know everything about this guy,” Zander demands, as Nick readily agrees.
“He’s been interested in Summer. Flirting with her whenever he can,” Bay adds.
“The guy from the tournament,” Troy says, a spark making the connection.
