The Junior

Chapter Twelve - Rolling in the Deep

Emily's POV

I returned to my apartment and dug my evidence board out of my closet, pinning up the photo of Nathan. "It can't be... am I imagining things?" I asked. I compared the picture of Nathan and his car to the traffic photo of Tyler's accident. There was no doubt they were the same car. "Oh my God... Nathan was the driver all this time! I have to tell Tyler the truth. Hell, I have to tell everyone! I don't want him to feel overwhelmed or ganged up on... Maybe I should just invite the people closest to him. I'll text Abbie and Sebastian."

******

That evening, Tyler arrived at my apartment in response to my text, and found Abbie, Sebastian, and I waiting to greet him. The three of us ushered him to my bedroom, where I had laid out the evidence board on my bed. "Abbie? Sebastian? What are you all doing here?" Tyler asked. "Don't tell me this is some kind of an intervention."

"You've been different since you started hanging with the Alphas. And not good different," Abbie said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Tyler, the Alphas humiliated Abbie today and you just stood there and let it happen," I said.

"Look, all my friends were fighting and I just froze up."

Sebastian stepped forward, his eyes sad. "That's just it, Tyler. The Alphas aren't your friends. Friends don't use and manipulate you," Sebastian said.

"I can't believe you guys. The moment I do anything outside of our little freshman friend circle, you all gang up on me!"

"That's not true! What about your DnD group? Or your game jam team? We never had an issue with them," I said.

"And where were they when I shattered my leg? The Alphas had my back. They paid for all my hospital bills. I owe them."

"No, Tyler. It's the other way around." I held up my evidence board and pointed to the photo of Nathan and his car. "Tyler, does this car look familiar to you?"

"That car... it's... it's the car th-that..." His hands started to shake. "I can still remember those headlights bearing down on us, thinking they might be the last things I'd ever see..." Tyler's face went white, and he half-sat, half-collapsed onto my bed. Abbie rushed to his side. "When the Alphas first approached me, I never questioned why they were so eager to help me. But... it must have been because Nathan felt guilty for not coming forward."

"I think he was covering his butt. Nathan would do anything to protect the Alphas' reputation. He made that clear today. As a witness who could potentially rat him out, you were a liability. By befriending you, he could find out what you knew."

"And by making you feel like you were in his debt, he could keep you loyal," Abbie said.

"And it's not just Nathan. Beau and Kassidy helped, too. They've been messing with our friends all year."

I walked him through the other evidence on my board and briefly filled him in on my experience with the Alphas. Tyler dropped his head into his hands, kneading his temples for a moment before looking back up at me. "I am so sorry. I'm... I'm such an idiot! If they could lie to me about all that..." Tyler said. "Sebastian, Nathan told me that your dad was an Alpha, and you used to be one as well. Was that a lie, too?"

I exchanged a glance with Sebastian, remembering our conversation at Thanksgiving. "I sincerely wish it was. But no, it's all true. And that's not all..." Sebastian said. Sebastian sighed. "There are a lot of things I haven't told you. I tried to. But I was ashamed, and afraid of what would happen if I spoke out. Alpha Theta Mu has been around for a long time, and for almost as long, it's housed a secret inner circle. A club within the club. And this inner circle doesn't care about bettering Hartfeld or the community. It only cares about causing mayhem and getting away with it."