BooksBarbecue
Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

Hunter gave a dry laugh. “Oh, yeah?”

Trip looked at him. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

“Will didn’t say anything to you?” Hunter asked.

“Will hasn’t been in a talkative mood lately.”

“That’s for sure. The last time I saw him he stormed out of here without saying more than ten words to me, none of them nice. And he almost took . . .” Hunter paused and then seemed to decide not to finish his thought. “Anyway, some shit went down. I don’t think I’m going to be seeing too much of him.”

Trip was surprised. “I thought you two were inseparable. Heading off to Princeton, arm in arm,” he said sarcastically.

“I’m not going to Princeton,” Hunter said. “I’m out.”

“You’re kidding me. Can they do that before you’re convicted?”

“I’m going to take a plea, but it doesn’t really matter,” Hunter said. “My spring transcript was a mess. My GPA was 1.9. I shouldn’t have even graduated, but my dad pulled some strings. Princeton wasn’t having it, though. They said I can apply again next year, but I don’t know. Anyway, who cares, right?”

“Will cares,” Trip said. “He’s looking at doing a year if he’s convicted. If that happens, it’s the end of Princeton. All for a stupid party.”

Hunter nodded but didn’t say anything.

“So what happened between you and Will?”

“I messed up,” Hunter said with a sigh. “That night at the party. I made a pass at Maddie. It was so dumb. I don’t even know why I did it. I was bored, I guess. And drunk.” He took a deep breath. “And I’m afraid that’s why Maddie went upstairs by herself, where that guy must’ve followed her. To get away from me.”

“Shit,” Trip said.

“Yeah,” Hunter replied. “Like I said, I really messed up. Maddie won’t come near me, and I don’t think Will is going to speak to me again.” He looked over at Trip, but Trip just shrugged. “So, what’s the favor?”

Trip hesitated. He’d been counting on Hunter’s help, but now he wasn’t sure. On the other hand, Hunter would probably want to make it up to Will.

“I’m going to try to get Will out of this,” Trip said. “I’m taking a plea. I’m going to tell the cops that Will was never there, that it was just me everyone saw. They’ve got this crazy idea that he organized the whole thing. They’re hot for someone to blame—like there was one person who was responsible. If Will ends up getting convicted, it’s going to kill my mom. He’s her golden boy. I have a feeling that I’m not getting out of this one anyway, not with that suspended sentence hanging over my head. The least I can do is take the fall for Will.”