WAKE (Wattpad edition)

29. Worst pastor.

{Kadee}

There was a crowd of teenagers around the basketball net at the south end of the church parking lot, as usual: older boys shooting hoops with their shirt tails untucked, a few girls in the mix with them, and more on the sidelines angling so their Sunday clothes showed to their best advantage.

"Kadee!" Madison called and waved as Kadee crossed to her car with Cary. Kadee gave him an apologetic look, biting the corner of her lip. "It's probably about the party. Five minutes—don't leave, 'kay?"

"I'm not leaving," he said quietly.

When they got closer, Madison drew her into a knot of girls to talk about the guest list and the DJ and the thousand little details Kadee loved planning with her girlfriends. She couldn't help getting caught up in the bubbly energy of their conversation, like it was old times.

Nearby, Curtis—who was studiously pretending Kadee didn't exist—and his brother were shooting hoops with another boy from the neighbourhood. Cary leaned against a parked car beside Kadee and her friends, half-watching the pickup basketball game while he waited.

Suddenly a name snagged Kadee out of the flow of conversation about party snacks.

"...hear about Jon White? I guess you fixed him up, hey Douglas."

Cary didn't respond, idly turning his head away like he hadn't heard. At least, Kadee hoped he hadn't heard. It became hard to hold the thread of conversation with her girlfriends—it seemed like the guys were taking as many shots at Cary and Jon as they were at the basket.

Finally, Cary pushed off the car and leaned down to speak in Kadee's ear. "I'm out," he said quietly. His eyes were smoldering and his fists were folded tightly under his elbows. She stood quickly, waving the gaggle of girls away. "Look, make an event page and we'll chat later. I have lunch plans."

On the court, Todd brayed a laugh. "My dad says his dad won't last much longer. He's taking the church's money and not doing any of the work he's supposed to do. Of all the pastors we ever had, Pete White's the worst."

Cary slowly turned back to the game. Kadee had barely registered what Todd had said, but Cary's electric stillness got her attention. Curtis said something neutral, and the other guy replied, "My parents say half the church doesn't get calls or visits and most days no one in the office even knows where he is." His voice was cold. "I guess it makes sense that his kid's on drugs now—he's just as much a fake at home as he is—"

Cary was moving, and Kadee caught his arm. "Don't—" But he shook her off and strode across the basketball court to slap the ball out of Todd's hands, sending it bouncing across the parking lot. The three guys startled back, staring at him. "Shut your mouths about shit you don't know," he growled.

Todd glanced at the crowd of his friends lining the court, a grin playing on his face. A couple of the guys were already getting to their feet. "What the hell, Douglas? You got a problem with the way I'm talking about your new dad?"

Kadee pushed between them, her hands outstretched. "Guys—seriously. This is the church parking lot." Her heart was hammering, watching the Klassen's football friends shifting their bodies, alert and hungry. She caught Curtis' eyes, hoping she still had some pull with him, even just a thread. "Curt, please. Just—stop it, okay?" He looked away, dropping back a step.

But Todd leaned in. "Curt, stop it—" He pitched his voice high, imitating her. "Never heard you say that before, little slut—he told me you always wanted more—"

She slapped him, hard as she could, blood and spit flying from his lips as his head snapped to the side. He shook it, growling, "You little bitch—"

Then Cary was in front of her, rushing her off the court so fast he was practically carrying her. He dropped her on her feet in the parking lot. "Stay outta this," he snapped. "Go home."

She caught his sweater, urgently trying to catch his eyes. "Come with me—they aren't worth your time."

There was a sickening thud of something hitting Cary's body. He staggered and fell to one knee. Kadee stared open-mouthed at Todd, who was behind Cary, his fingers opening and closing on the neck of a baseball bat. "Come on, Douglas. I've been waiting for this all summer."

Cary surged to his feet, and she might as well have tried to stop a freight train. He drove into Todd, pinning his arms in a bone-cracking hug. The force of his push carried them across the asphalt, the bat in Todd's hand pinging uselessly against the ground as it dragged alongside him. Todd struggled and cursed until he hit the side of a parked car and lost his breath. Someone started screaming as Cary slammed his knee into Todd's body over and over, until his hand spasmed open and he dropped the bat. Cary kicked it, and it spun harmlessly under the car. He drew his fist back to finish the other boy—then abruptly shoved Todd away and backed off, breathing hard. Todd slumped to the ground. Kadee pressed her hands over her mouth, stuffing the scream back inside.

Cary turned, stumbling a little and raking the stunned bystanders with his dark eyes, his mouth flat and grim. He found her and took a deep breath, lifting his hands up, open. Curtis was coming for him. "You psycho—what the hell did you do to my brother?"

Cary flinched his arms closer to his head. "I don't want to fight."

The group around the court had recovered from their shock and were closing in, rumbling with tension. Kadee whirled and started to sprint across the parking lot to the church building, hearing Curtis' tight, angry voice behind her—don't give a shit what you want, Douglas—is he even breathing? She kicked her flats off, her throat aching, to fly faster for help.