Playing with Fire (8 page)

“Well, it's only been a week. Maybe he just needed some time to chill, you know, after getting out of the cooler.” She laugh at her joke, then looks sorry. “Not that he was in prison exactly. But after the way he described the place, I'm guessing it might've felt like that sometimes.”

I nod as I sling the strap of my bag over my shoulder. “You're probably right.” And part of me really does believe that's it. Zach just needed a break. Now that he's had a
week off, he'll probably get back on track, and everything will be fine.

Garrett and I have been in something of a standoff this week. I mean, we're still lab partners and everything, but our conversation has been a little stilted. At first I thought it was me chilling him out since I was irked that he refused to take that drug test. But then it seemed like he was the one giving me the cold shoulder.

“So are you going to be mad at me forever?” he finally asks as we sit across the table staring blankly at each other before chem class starts.

“I'm not mad.”

He rolls his eyes.

“Okay, I just don't know why you wouldn't want to get the charges dropped.”

‘ He shrugs. “It's my life, and I happen to believe in my rights and that I am supposed to be innocent until someone
proves
me guilty.”

“But why go through all that when you could've gotten off like Olivia and me?”

“I'll get off,” he assures me.

“Whatever.”

“Did Olivia quit the band like she said she was going to?”

I nod as I take a pen out of my bag. “She told Cañneron why she was quitting, and he was really bummed.”

“If he's that bummed, maybe he should lose Jack McAllister.”

“Olivia said that Cameron said Jack doesn't do meth.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Seriously,” I tell him. “Cameron seemed pretty sure of it.”

Then Cameron is in deep denial.”

I study Garrett as Mr. Dynell goes to the front of the class. “How can you be so sure?” I ask, but the bell rings, and it's time for another exciting chem test. TGF. Still, I wonder what makes Garrett such an expert. I also continue to wonder if there's another reason he refused to take the drug test. Maybe sometime, when we have more time, I'll ask him specifically.

After school, Olivia drops me off at the police station. Ebony asked me to come in and discuss some things with her. As it turns out, the department is creating a task force to really focus on the growing meth problem in our community.

“Because of that dream you had,” Ebony tells me, “which I assume was meth related, I think you should be on the task force.”

“Sure. I'd like to be.”

“Naturally, this is an internal task force. No one on the outside should be aware of your involvement. The chief will be especially pleased to learn that someone from the high school will be participating.”

I consider this. “Does that make me a narc?”

She frowns. “That just comes with the department territory, Samantha. I assumed you knew that.”

I nod. “I guess I do know that. But sometimes I need a reminder.” I force a smile. “It's like I have a double life, you know? High-school student by day, secret agent by night.”

Ebony laughs. “Well, the main goal of the task force isn't to nail high-school kids who are using,” she explains. “Not that addiction issues don't concern us. They do.
But what we want to do is to backtrack up the drug line until we find the ones at the top. The manufacturers and distributors. That's where we want to make some big arrests.”

“I always thought that meth came from somewhere else,” I say. “I mean, we always hear about the 1-5 Corridor, and I figured it was coming up here from California or Mexico or someplace far away.”

“A lot of people figure that same thing, and it's partially true, but we have reason to believe that a fair amount of the substance is coming from right here in Brighton.”

“Oh…”

“That's why we're taking this all very seriously.”

I nod.

“They did some more testing on the meth residue in the baggie from Olivia's car. We have reason to believe it was locally manufactured as well.”

“Really?”

“And we would love to find out who put that in Olivia's car.” She leans forward now. “Do you have any ideas?”

“To be honest, I'd kind of put it out of my mind.”

“I can understand that. But I'd like you to give it some thought.” She leans back and sighs now. “I guess I'm even hoping that God might help you out on this. It's disturbing to think that high-school kids are getting drugs from local manufacturers.”

“Why?”

“Oh, I suppose it's because it makes getting meth seem so much easier, so much more accessible.” She shakes her head.

“Well, I'll do what I can.”

Ebony gives me a notebook with some printed material
in it. “Go over this information when you can. There'll be a task-force meeting on Wednesday.”

I thank her, and she asks how Zach is doing. I smile and act like everything is okay, and she nods and seems pleased. But as I leave the police station, I feel like a liar and a hypocrite. This is Ebony, my trusted friend and Dad's old partner. She deserves my honesty. So why didn't I tell her the truth? Maybe it's like Olivia said. Maybe it's too soon to jump to conclusions. It's only been a week, and Zach probably just needed a break. I'm sure he'll get it together by the beginning of next week. Perhaps he's meeting with Casey right now. Or maybe he'll attend an NA meeting this weekend. I happen to know, since I studied the schedule, that there's one at a local church on Saturday night. Maybe I can encourage him to go. I could even offer to go with him. I've heard that it's good for family members to get involved.

But on Saturday morning when I attempt to encourage him in this direction, he sort of shuts me down. Not in a rude way exactly. But he informs me that he and Tate already have plans for Saturday evening.

“Have you met with your sponsor yet?”

He frowns at me. “No offense, Sam, but you're starting to sound like a nag.”

“I'm sorry. It's just that I care about you, Zach.”

He smiles. “I know you do. And I promise that first thing next week I will start going to NA, and I'll meet with Casey.”

“Really?”

He nods. “You happy now?”

“Yes, thanks.” And so I feel hopeful.

“Hey, Zach, how's the job search going?” Mom asks
him a little later when we all happen to be in the kitchen at the same time.

“Okay,” he says as he stares into the refrigerator with his back toward her.

“Meaning?” Mom stands behind him, waiting, I'm sure, for a more complete answer. She hasn't said anything specifically yet, but I think she's getting impatient with Zach. And I suspect she's a little worried too.

“Meaning…I have some good prospects.”

“Where?”

He turns and looks at her, and it's hard to read his expression. “Here and there.” Then he takes out a soda, closes the refrigerator door, and walks out of the kitchen.

Mom frowns. “I hope he's taking this seriously,” she says to me as she pours a cup of coffee.

I nod. “I think he is.” But even as I say this, I'm not totally sure. I guess I just want to believe that it's true. If Zach wasn't in the family room right now, I'd use this opportunity to tell Mom what Ebony said to me a few weeks ago. As it is, I don't really want him to hear me saying something so negative.

Besides, it's not like he's done anything wrong. I think we're all a little apprehensive. And I know it's hard to figure out what our roles are with each other after having been apart. I mean, I want to encourage Zach to go to meetings and to talk to his mentor, but how do I do that without sounding like a nag? Mostly I think I need to pray for Zach. I need to ask God to continue the healing miracle that has already begun in his life. I pray that Zach will succeed and make everyone proud. I know, with God, this is within the realm of possibility.

I
s that Tate and Zach?” Olivia asks after we exit the movie I theater on Sunday night. Conrad and I are double-dating with Olivia and Alex. It's their first “official” date as a couple, and I can tell that Olivia is being careful not to act overly interested.

I glance over to where a couple of guys are getting into a dark-colored Toyota across the street, but it's rainy and dark, and I can't see them well enough to be sure. “That does look like Tate's car,” I say as we huddle underneath the awning, waiting for Conrad and Alex to bring the Gremlin by to pick us up.

“I wonder what they're doing over there?” Olivia peers at the run-down apartment complex on the other side of the street.

“Maybe Tate lives there,” I suggest, although I had assumed he was living at home to save money. The Toyota pulls away just as Conrad's bright orange Gremlin pulls up.

“Our chariot awaits,” says Olivia, and we dash over and hop in.

As the three of them discuss the movie, which I thought was a little lame, my mind is elsewhere. Primarily on Zach
and Tate. What are they up to tonight? And does Tate really live in one of those grungy apartments? Somehow it just doesn't fit with his image. Although I could be all wrong about that guy. The more I think about it, the more I really do wonder about him.

Even though Tate works at his uncle's automotive store, he and Zach have really been hanging together a lot this past week. Tate's often at our house when I come home from school. I wonder how he has time to work. Maybe that's part of the reason Zach hasn't gotten a job yet.

I feel partially responsible for bringing Tate into the picture with Zach, but I'd assumed he was a “safe” friend. Now I'm not so sure. For one thing, I suspect he and Zach have been drinking together. Naturally, this is a huge concern, because drug addicts are supposed to avoid alcohol. Just from what I've recently read for the task force, I know that alcohol is a gateway to more addictive drugs. Especially for teens. And earlier this week I thought I smelled alcohol on Zach's breath. But he was also chewing mint gum, so I couldn't be sure, and then I convinced myself I was just being paranoid.

But last night after I got home from youth group and while Mom was still out with Steven, Tate dropped Zach at home. It wasn't that late, not quite eleven, but when Zach walked through the kitchen, I felt fairly certain he'd been drinking. I could smell it, and he was acting a little funny. I asked him about it, and he got pretty defensive.

“Look,” he said with an offended expression, “I know you're a Christian and have really high moral standards, Sam. And that's great for you. But you can't expect me to live up to them too. I mean, I know I blew it with drugs,
and I'm not going back there. But I can't live like a saint either.”

“No one expects you to be a saint. I just don't want you to blow it now.” I softened my tone. “I really care about you, Zach.”

He sort of smiled then. “Thanks, Sis. I appreciate that. Just don't worry so much, okay?”

And that was pretty much the end of it. I decided I should tell Mom, but so far I haven't had the chance. She wasn't up when I went to church this morning, and then she and Steven had taken off to the coast by the time I got home afterward. They were still gone when I left for the movie tonight.

“You're being pretty quiet, Sam,” Olivia says from the backseat.

“Yeah,” Conrad says as he pulls into his favorite burger joint. We all agreed to have a late dinner tonight. “The movie was that bad, huh?”

I sort of laugh. “Well, it wasn't fantastic.” But then, not wanting to sound like a complainer, I tell them about the part I actually did like. And I push my worries about Zach and Tate from my mind as we go inside and sit down. We laugh and joke, and I'm so thankful that I have such good friends. I just wish my brother did too. I've asked him to go to church or youth group, but he refuses.

“Cameron Vincent called me this afternoon,” Olivia says after our food arrives.

“Why?” Alex asks in a slightly jealous tone.

“He wants me back in the band.”

“I thought you told him why you couldn't stay with them,” I say as I squirt ketchup on my fries.

Olivia's eyes get big. “He told me he kicked Jack out. He said he agreed with me about him.”

“No way,” says Conrad.

“I thought he was positive that Jack wasn't doing drugs,” I point out.

“I thought so too,” says Olivia. “Guess he changed his mind.”

“But you're not going back with them, are you?” asks Alex.

“I don't know…” Olivia looks perplexed. “I mean, I told Cameron I'd think about it…and pray about it…but I'm not really sure.”

“It seems like an invitation for trouble,” says Alex.

“Or an opportunity to share your faith,” I suggest.

She nods. “Yeah. That's what I was thinking.”

“And you have to hand it to Cameron for kicking Jack out,” I add.

“But man, is Jack going to be mad at you now,” says Alex. “You might be needing a bodyguard, Olivia.” He winks at her. “Maybe I should apply for that position.”

“I'll get back to you on that,” she teases.

As they continue to joke about all this, I begin to put together a plan. I'm thinking that since I'm on the drug task force, I might be able to do a little surveillance work around school. I know Ebony said that the police aren't focusing their attention on teens who use drugs but rather on those who make and sell the crud. Still, if I could track Jack's whereabouts, maybe it would lead somewhere. The only problem is that I don't have a car. And Ebony said my involvement in the task force is supposed to be covert, so I'm not sure I can
tell Olivia about it. I'll call Ebony tomorrow for some more clarification.