Cough Syrup (Zach Dempsey)

Chapter 8

My mom surprised me this weekend and we had a girls day, it was just what I needed to forget the mess that was my life. I finished off my last two days of detention so I was allowed to go back to practice. Which kept me really busy because I was so behind. It didn't help that Chloe was once again put in charge and coach put me in the back to catch up

I was stretching when Sheri came over

"Hey Perri, we missed you." She said softly, I just looked at her I could tell she finished the tapes.

"Hi."

"You want to grab a coffee after practice?" She asked nervously

"Sure." I said after a little thought

"Cool." She said with a small smile, as coach started practice. After practice I drove to Monet's were I was meeting Sheri as I walked in and ran right into Courtney

"Hi Perri." She said and I just glared in return

"What do you want?" I never really liked Courtney before. Now after the tapes, I don't even want to be in the same room as her

"Well, I just wanted to let you know we're meeting tomorrow before school to hang posters."

"What?"

"Principal Bolan says you're supposed to help with the anti-bulling campaign."

"Oh yeah I forgot about that...fine, I'll see you in the morning." I said then I found a table.

Sheri showed up a few minutes later we ordered then sat at our table in silence

"So, you know?" She spoke up

"You know I do that's why we're here right?"

"Look I messed up."

"Messed up? Sheri you didn't forget a step in a cheer routine. You destroyed public property, which in turn caused an accident, that got one of our friends killed." I said and she started crying

"I know and I'm so sorry."

"Sheri I'm not the one you need to apologize to, everyone thought Jeff was drunk driving that night. I just don't understand why didn't, you call the police?"

"I was scared."

"You could have made and anonymous call about the stop sign. You could've made the call when you got home."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you? Were you drunk?"

"No, no I wasn't I swear I just got distracted I looked away for two seconds, then it happened. I've been trying to fix it."

"How can you fix this? Jeff is dead and he's not coming back."

"The man that Jeff hit... His name is Norman Cantrell I've been going over there every day, we don't have practice just helping him and his wife anyway I can."

"Have you told them?"

"I can't..... You see the first time I went over there I had every intention of telling them, but I couldn't. Mr. Cantrell is still recovering, and Mrs. Cantrell says he still has nightmares about the accident."

" Sheri, what about Mr. and Mrs. Adkins? They lost their only child."

"I just can't face them yet. Perri I wake up feeling so much guilt everyday, sometimes I can't look myself in the mirror."

"You know between you and Zach I don't know which one of you hurt or disappointed me more. I know you two have hearts and for you to do the things you did........ Just shocked me."

"Well why haven't you said anything?"

"About the tapes?"

"Yeah."

"Honestly I don't know those tapes are the key to everything. The Bakers just want answers, and everyone that treated Hannah like shit would get their just due. Especially Bryce. Then I think about it I'm number nine, and you're ten none of us has said anything so what does that make us?"

"Jessica says it's a lie..... What Hannah said about the party."

"Justin told her that. I wasn't there when it happened, I just have no reason not to believe Hannah."

"I don't think she was lying either. As much I wish I could say she was, everything on my tape was true."

"Mine too......so what do we do?"

"I don't know." She said

These tapes were too much for my 17-year-old mind to handle alone so maybe we could do It together.