PART 2 — THE MAN WHO WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE
Jack Mercer released Brandon’s collar.
Not gently.
But he did release it.
Brandon stumbled backward and rubbed his throat.
“You can’t touch me,” he snapped, though the tremor in his voice betrayed him. “My dad will sue you.”
Jack looked at him.
“Then tell your father to call me.”
Officer Ruiz stepped closer.
“What are you doing here?”
“Visiting.”
“You still with the department?”
“No.”
Ruiz glanced around at the gathering students.
“This isn’t the place.”
Jack’s expression hardened.
“Looks exactly like the place.”
Ethan was still on the ground.
That seemed to suddenly occur to Ruiz.
He hurried over.
“Ethan, are you hurt?”
“My shoulder.”
“Can you move your neck?”
“Yes.”
“Any head impact?”
“No.”
Jack immediately crouched beside Ethan.
Up close, he seemed even larger.
But his voice changed when he spoke to him.
“Can I help you sit up?”
Ethan nodded.
Jack moved carefully, placing one hand beneath Ethan’s shoulder and another behind his back. He lifted him with a gentleness completely at odds with the man who had just seized Brandon.
Ruiz retrieved the wheelchair.
Together they helped Ethan back into it.
Brandon stood several feet away, watching.
The smugness was gone.
A dozen phones were recording now.
Ruiz faced him.
“Brandon, did you push Ethan?”
“No.”
The answer came too quickly.
Ethan stared.
“You’re lying.”
Brandon looked at the crowd.
“He tipped over.”
“You shoved me.”
“No proof.”
A girl raised her phone.
“I recorded it.”
Brandon turned.
“What?”
She was perhaps nineteen, petite, with glasses and a gray knit cap.
Her hand shook, but she did not lower the phone.
“I saw the whole thing.”
Brandon walked toward her.
“Delete it.”
Jack stepped between them.
Brandon stopped.
Jack said nothing.
He did not need to.
Officer Ruiz pointed toward the administration building.
“Brandon. You’re coming with me.”
“My dad’s going to hear about this.”
“I assume he will.”
“He sits on the board.”
Ruiz’s jaw tightened.
“So?”
Brandon stared at him.
It was the first time Ethan had ever heard anyone at Westbridge answer that threat with a simple so.
They began walking away.
After several steps, Brandon turned back.
He looked directly at Jack.
There was fear in his eyes.
But also recognition.
“You really are him.”
Jack did not respond.
Brandon continued.
“My dad said you were gone.”
Something passed across Jack’s face.
“Your father says a lot of things.”
Ruiz pushed Brandon toward the building.
When they disappeared inside, the crowd slowly began to break apart.
Some students approached Ethan.
