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    K.C.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Shepherd's Crook - 17. Chapter 17

Time passed slowly while Gibby waited for the final bell to ring at the end of the day. He had forgotten to get his books out of his locker before heading to his last class, so he still needed stop and pick up what he would need for homework tonight, which would be wasting more precious time that he needed for rushing for the school bus. He wasn’t happy about having to ride the bus, but at least Jonathan had agreed to let him go into town instead of heading straight home.

With five minutes to go, Gibby packed his belongings into his satchel. Since Tanner never appeared again after lunch, Gibby didn’t know which bus would take him into town. When the bell rang, he bolted out of the classroom and ran to his locker at the opposite end of the building. The halls were crowded and he growled when he got trapped behind a group of kids that stopped to talk.

“C’mon,” He muttered under his breath and slipped through when he saw a crack in the crowd. Gibby reached the top of the staircase and took the stairs two at a time.

“Mrs. Bosley,” Gibby gasped, out of breath from running, when he rushed into the office. The woman was busy sorting papers into the teachers’ mailboxes. She stopped and turned around.

“Yes, Mr. Robinson, may I help you?” She asked cheerfully with a smile on her round face.

“I’m supposed to take the school bus into town, to the library, but I don’t know the bus number, can you tell me which one it is?” Gibby blurted out in one breath, running all of his words together.

The woman giggled. “That would be bus number thirty-three, dear.”

“Thank you,” Gibby shouted as he turned and raced back out of the office. On several occasions, he hadn’t even unlocked his bike before the buses were already driving off. The drivers were quick to get rolling at the end of the day. Scared that he would miss it, Gibby ran a little faster. Reaching the main entrance, Gibby let out a small sigh of relief that the buses were still lined up along the semi-circular drive at the front of the school.

A few stragglers made their way to the idling buses. When he noticed that they weren’t parked in a rational order, Gibby started to panic. The big black numbers painted on side of the first three buses ranged all over the place.

He ran to the next bus and leaned in to get the driver’s attention. “Excuse me, where is bus thirty-three?”

When the old man pointed further up the row as the first bus in the line pulled out, Gibby jumped back and ran towards the bus ahead. His heart pounded. The other kids knew the routine. They’d probably all ridden the same bus their whole lives. Not Gibby. He wasn’t accustomed to racing for a school bus. Back home, he took the subway to school and if he missed that or the city bus, there was always another coming in about seven to ten minutes, depending on the time of day. Out here in the middle of nowhere, if Gibby missed the school bus, he would have to call and tell his dad. It was that or a long walk home, alone.

“Wait!” Gibby hollered just as the driver of bus thirty-three closed her door. He banged his palm on the glass to get the woman’s attention. She opened the door so he could climb inside. “You’re lucky kid, another second and we would have been gone,” She said pointing out the windshield at the other buses already leaving.

“Thanks!” Gibby said as he plopped down into the first empty seat he came to. He glanced down the aisle, not recognizing anyone and didn’t want to venture further back then he had to.

***

“We have trouble,” Amanda said as she grabbed Ethan’s arm swinging him around to face her.

Running his fingers through his dark hair, Ethan clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “I don’t care” He said, looking defeated. With the deep purple rims under his eyes, he looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. His cheeks were sunken and his tight skin was pale.

“Well you had better care because Gibby Robinson fucking knows!”

As she squeezed his arm a flicker of pain flashed over his face. “How could he know?” Ethan hissed. “I haven’t told anyone so unless you’re running your big mouth--”

“Not that you dumbass,” She growled between her teeth, “He knows about us cheating!”

“So?”

“So?” Amanda almost screamed at him. She bit down on her lower lip to keep from slashing him with a long list of verbal assaults. “We can still get kicked out of fucking school. If someone finds out about the cheating, there’s going to be questions, Ethan. Don’t you understand? If they figure that out, they might figure out what happened to Tanner, too!”

Ethan considered what she was saying.

“What are we going to do about it?” He asked.

“First, we have to find out what the freak knows.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Ethan waited for her to fill him in on her idea.

An evil grin curled her perfect pink lips, “I think I can come up with a way to make Gibby talk and if he knows too much…we eliminate the threat.”

***

The bus ride was short. Unsure of where the next stop was going to be, when Gibby noticed the surrounding buildings and that they were less than a block from the Police Station, he got up and made his way to the front of the bus.

“Can you let me off here?” He asked the driver. She glanced up at him and shook her head. “Sorry, I can’t make any unscheduled stops, but the next bus stop is only another block away.” She smiled at Gibby.

A few minutes later, she hit the brakes and opened the door so he and another girl could get off. The girl wasn’t old enough to be in any of Gibby’s classes. Without a second glance, she skipped her way up the street as Gibby backtracked towards the Police Station.

“Jeez, I never thought you would get here,” Tanner said when Gibby opened the door to walk inside. He had gotten so used to the ghost boy popping in on him all the time that he didn’t jump anymore.

“Where the hell have you been?” Gibby kept his voice low to avoid suspicion.

Tanner shrugged his shoulders as his eyes cast down to the floor. Gibby had seen that look before and knew that Tanner had been with his family. They were devastated by his death. He was trying to make this easier for them, but he couldn’t. There was nothing Tanner could do to take away their pain.

“Hey man,” Gibby whispered, “I’m sorry.” Twisting his fingers together, Gibby let out a worried sigh. “What if this doesn’t work--”

“It will,” Tanner interrupted Gibby as he crossed his arms over his chest with a huff.

“But…what if it doesn’t? What if they don’t believe me? What will we do then?” Gibby’s brown eyes filled with worry. “Amanda has everyone fooled, what if she tricks the police, too?”

The muscles flexed in Tanner’s jaw as he shook his blond head, “No, not this time, babe. We’re going to make sure that Amanda and Ethan pay for what they have done.” Tanner was confident, but Gibby was still hesitant if their plan was going to work.

Gibby gave Tanner a weak smile. “I hope you’re right.”

The inside of the Police Station was empty. There wasn’t anyone in the waiting area. The only person around was a petite woman with short black hair sitting behind the reception desk. She looked up and smiled when Gibby approached the desk. “May I help you?” The woman noticed Gibby, but she didn’t see Tanner standing beside him.

“Yes,” Gibby nervously fidgeted with a colorful braided string tied to the strap of his satchel. “I need to speak to Officer Blackfeather.”

The woman quickly inspected his clothes and his demeanor, assessing the situation for any hidden dangers that Gibby might impose. “Is he expecting you?” She asked.

Gibby shook his head. “No, but it’s really important that I speak to him. I called yesterday and was told that he would be in today.” Just for good measure, he gave her his most innocent puppy dog eyes and added, “Please?”

“Your name?”

“Gibson Robinson.”

“Are you Dr. Robinson’s son?” She quickly asked him. Gibby felt his face flush red under her intense scrutiny. It was too late now, she knew who he was. In a small town like Shepherd’s Crook everyone knew each other and the woman had probably already known who Gibby was, by process of elimination, the very moment he walked through the door.

“Okay, wait here,” She said before disappearing down a hallway that led to the back of the building.

“Do you think my dad is going to find out that I was here?” Gibby whispered to Tanner.

“Don’t worry about that right now,” Tanner said slipping his hand into Gibby’s and gently squeezed. “All that matters is the police knowing the truth.”

“Mr. Robinson,” The woman called his name from the doorway, startling Gibby and making him jump, “You can come on back, Officer Blackfeather will see you now.”

Rounding the large reception desk, Gibby wove his way between two very neat and tidy desks. The receptionist led him down the hallway to the last office, which was the biggest of the private offices in the back of the building. She opened the door and ushered Gibby inside.

“Hello, Gibby. Please come in and take a seat,” The officer said, pointing to the big leather chairs in front of his desk. Gibby and Tanner both quickly sat down. “So, what can I do for you, today?”

Gibby suddenly felt sick. His stomach did somersaults sitting here in the police station. Fighting the bitter taste of bile rising in the back of his throat, Gibby reached into his satchel and pulled out a wad of little papers. “I have information about Tanner Mitchell’s murder,” He blurted out as he dumped the handful across the officer’s desk.

Officer Blackfeather looked confused. He flipped through the innocent seeming papers before glaring back up at Gibby. “What is this?” He demanded. The man’s dark eyes were hard to read.

“T-t-those are t-t-test answers,” Gibby nervously stuttered.

“It’s okay, babe, just take a deep breath. They need to know the truth.” Tanner set his hand on top of Gibby’s hand clutching the arm of the chair. The electric tingles on his skin felt good and reassuring. It was familiar. Gibby closed his eyes and took a long drawn out breath like Tanner told him, before facing the officer again.

Gibby straightened his shoulders and looked the policeman in the eyes. “Tanner Mitchell told me that he and several of his friends have been cheating on their tests and quizzes for the last few years. If you flip them over, you’ll see that he wrote the dates and classes on the backs of each cheat sheet.”

The officer picked up a handful of papers and turned them over. The tiny sheets held a variety of information. The fronts were neatly typed answers with multiple choice letter, fill in the blanks, several true/false answers, and even a few quick hints to complete any written questions, but the back is what really interested the lawman. “Is this Tanner’s handwriting?”

“Yes sir,” Gibby croaked keeping his eyes fixed on the man.

“How did you get them?” Officer Blackfeather narrowed in on Gibby.

“Tanner told me where to find them--”

“The Mitchell kid is dead,” Gibby flinched when the officer raised his voice.

“He told me before he died!” That was a lie. Gibby’s heart raced. He wanted to tell the officer the truth, but he and Tanner had rehearsed every scenario that the officer could come up with.

Gibby nervously licked his lips, but it didn’t help. His face was hot and his mouth was so dry it was hard to form his words. “Officer Blackfeather, I know that my dad and I just moved here, but Tanner and I were friends. We were lab partners in science class…and had become friends outside of school, too. He was nice to me…he was the only person in Shepherd’s Crook who’s been nice to me since we arrived.” Taking a calming breath, Gibby continued, “Tanner told me that he thought he was in danger after he pissed off the leader of the school’s little cheating club when he announced that he wanted out.”

“Club? You mean there’s a lot more than just one or two student cheating in Shepherd’s Crook?” The officer looked astonished. Shepherd’s Crook didn’t have all of the problems of a big city; at least they didn’t until Tanner Mitchell was murdered. It had been over twenty years since their last homicide.

Gibby nodded his head.

“You have to tell him, Gib,” Tanner encouraged him to tell the officer what he knew.

“Amanda Grady is the mastermind behind the cheating. I’m sure if you search Principal Grady’s computers you’ll find a template that matches the answer sheets she’s been making for her friends for years.”

“Who else is involved in this?” Officer Blackfeather’s voice was cold and hard. It was time for the truth to come out.

Closing his eyes, Gibby didn’t want to see the man’s reaction when he told him the names of the other students involved. “Besides Amanda, Ethan Conroy, Mike and Mark Butler, Bethany Miller...and…and…”

“And?” The officer bellowed making Gibby flinch in his chair.

“Sunshine Blackfeather,” Gibby whispered the last name, but the officer already knew the last student named would be his daughter.

“Are you sure?” Officer Blackfeather clenched his jaw while he spoke through his teeth.

Nodding his head, Gibby told him he was sure. “Tanner wanted out. He even told me himself. When he confronted Amanda and told her that he didn’t want to cheat anymore, he said that she went crazy, accusing him of trying to get the rest of them in trouble. Amanda Grady is dangerous and she was determined to keep Tanner quiet by any means necessary.”

Soooo, the truth is out...will it finally set Tanner free?
(I couldn't help but add my school experiance from my bus riding days! :P I missed the bus almost everyday. This chapter should be dedicated to my bus driver Jerry :lol:  )
Let me know what you think. http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/34479-shepherds-crook/page__st__75#entry375774
KC
Copyright © 2012 K.C.; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Chapter Comments



Amanda is plotting something! Watch out Gibby!

 

I'm not sure what the police will do but hopefully they'll do something. Great chapter.

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On 07/30/2012 01:13 AM, Rebelghost85 said:
Amanda is plotting something! Watch out Gibby!

 

I'm not sure what the police will do but hopefully they'll do something. Great chapter.

Thanks Rebel, yep, we are coming down to the end. Thanks for reading, It's going to go really fast from here on out :D
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I guess your screw-up is our gain! lol, sorry the autopost thing didn't work~ no I'm not! :lol:

Next chapter is the swat team storming Satan's house and taking that bitch out. Oooooh death by cop! Please, please, please????

Can't wait till the next chapter, you have my permission to screw-up again and post early next week too :P

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And the truth will set you free...We've only just begun and I see a fun ride in our future.

Great chapter, KC.

I guess I can't say, I can't wait till Monday eh? but this is a cool Sunday Treat!

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On 07/30/2012 02:33 AM, Shadow Runner said:
I guess your screw-up is our gain! lol, sorry the autopost thing didn't work~ no I'm not! :lol:

Next chapter is the swat team storming Satan's house and taking that bitch out. Oooooh death by cop! Please, please, please????

Can't wait till the next chapter, you have my permission to screw-up again and post early next week too :P

beg all you want, I'm not telling! Just for being too happy about the auto posting screw-up... doesn't anyone feel sorry for me? **looks around** I guess not. :(

 

I hadn't thought about death by cop. I might have to put that on my list: 50 ways to kill Amanda Grady.

 

I'm glad you're still reading, Rosie! :D

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On 07/30/2012 03:15 AM, charlieocho said:
Fast-moving, very smooth, and fun to read. Great job!
Believe it or not, this is one of my slower paced stories :P Thanks for reading Charlie, I'm glad you like it :)
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On 07/30/2012 06:07 AM, Naptowngirl said:
And the truth will set you free...We've only just begun and I see a fun ride in our future.

Great chapter, KC.

I guess I can't say, I can't wait till Monday eh? but this is a cool Sunday Treat!

Well, Kim it could be 3 scenarios:

1 auto post works and chapter is up on Monday :D

2 auto post doesn't work and it posts like it did today (early) :(

3 auto post doesn't work and I have to post it when I get home (late) :pissed:

 

The truth is out there, let's see what Officer Blackfeather does with it. Thanks for reading!

KC :lol:

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The B isn't going to make another sting is she? Thank the fates for screwups so i get to read this early.

Will just have to wait over a week now until you give us more.

 

Thanks

RC

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On 07/30/2012 10:47 AM, Swhouston44 said:
The B isn't going to make another sting is she? Thank the fates for screwups so i get to read this early.

Will just have to wait over a week now until you give us more.

 

Thanks

RC

Well I am glad that so many people are enjoying my screw-up :lol: Amanda has something up her evil sleeve but so do I :P Thanks for reading and your encouragment! Now, until next week :D
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So exciting to read KC :) I really do hope she gets what she deserves. I know I loved her at first but bad character turned bad, bad.

I like how Gibby's nerves played out in the cop scene. I felt for him. So,so exciting, cant wait.

Brilliant chapter KC :hug:

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How great to finally be able to read about Gibby on a monday too!! lmaosmiley.gif And what a great chapter again. Good that he found the guts to go to the police (especially since the daughter of the officer is in the cheat gang too!) Can't wait to see what happens next. I hope Amanda gets really humiliated and punished (and I'm still hoping she gets dragged to hell! (litteraly)) Great story!

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Hey at least you HAD buses! I had to walk. Elementary school, Jr. High (we called it Jr. High back then) and High School. In the rain, in the snow....I wish we had buses!

 

Gibby should get out his cell and pretend he's talking to someone when Tanner's with him in public. It'll look less like he's crazy! lol

 

And why is Officer Blackfeather so nasty to Gibby? Glaring at him, raising his voice; he's being a real ass.

 

But...if he can take down Queen B, then so be it! I hope he investigates this (shit, Gibby should have made copies of these notes, just in case they miraculously disappear) and nails her to the wall. And I most certainly would not want to be Sunshine right about now. lol

 

Excellent chaper KC! :) Sorry about your mix-up (not) even though I didn't read this until today. =)

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On 07/31/2012 12:41 AM, Mark92 said:
So exciting to read KC :) I really do hope she gets what she deserves. I know I loved her at first but bad character turned bad, bad.

I like how Gibby's nerves played out in the cop scene. I felt for him. So,so exciting, cant wait.

Brilliant chapter KC :hug:

Yeah, I've had a love/hate relationship with Amanda myself. I need to decide her fate and quick, we are coming down the home stretch! Thanks, Marky for reading! :hug:
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On 07/31/2012 01:35 AM, Rocarules said:
How great to finally be able to read about Gibby on a monday too!! lmaosmiley.gif And what a great chapter again. Good that he found the guts to go to the police (especially since the daughter of the officer is in the cheat gang too!) Can't wait to see what happens next. I hope Amanda gets really humiliated and punished (and I'm still hoping she gets dragged to hell! (litteraly)) Great story!
I;ll mark down your vote for 'drag kicking and screaming to hell' :P It was a tough decision for Gibby to go to the police but it was the right thing to do. Now gotta see where this leads us. I'm glad you're enjoying your Monday fix :lol: Thanks!
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On 07/31/2012 04:54 AM, Lisa said:
Hey at least you HAD buses! I had to walk. Elementary school, Jr. High (we called it Jr. High back then) and High School. In the rain, in the snow....I wish we had buses!

 

Gibby should get out his cell and pretend he's talking to someone when Tanner's with him in public. It'll look less like he's crazy! lol

 

And why is Officer Blackfeather so nasty to Gibby? Glaring at him, raising his voice; he's being a real ass.

 

But...if he can take down Queen B, then so be it! I hope he investigates this (shit, Gibby should have made copies of these notes, just in case they miraculously disappear) and nails her to the wall. And I most certainly would not want to be Sunshine right about now. lol

 

Excellent chaper KC! :) Sorry about your mix-up (not) even though I didn't read this until today. =)

We only had buses for High school. Elem and Jr. High had to walk too. I think that's why I had such a hard time adjusting and I missed the bus all the time!!! :lol:

 

Office Blackfeather isn't being 'mean' it's more like an interrogation tactic to get the truth. My best friend's dad is a cop and he still makes me nervous when we're talking! :P

 

I'm glad so many people enjoy my blunders :lmao: Just for that I should 'accidently' screw-up next week and make everyone wait! :P (jk) Thanks, Lisa!

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So evidence has gone forth, but there are problems. Is Chief Blackfeather ready to see his own daughter pay the price? It is one thing to do the correct thing, but it is another whole story when it means seeing your own child pay the price. Then you have Amanda who is already working on finding out what Gibby knows. Can you imagine what will happen when she finds out that her father was skipped and it was the police chief who was involved? There is so much mess swirling around this little town and I don't think we have even seen the half of it yet. All I can really say is poor Gibby. Tanner better be ready to have a ghost for boyfriend too.

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On 07/31/2012 08:16 AM, comicfan said:
So evidence has gone forth, but there are problems. Is Chief Blackfeather ready to see his own daughter pay the price? It is one thing to do the correct thing, but it is another whole story when it means seeing your own child pay the price. Then you have Amanda who is already working on finding out what Gibby knows. Can you imagine what will happen when she finds out that her father was skipped and it was the police chief who was involved? There is so much mess swirling around this little town and I don't think we have even seen the half of it yet. All I can really say is poor Gibby. Tanner better be ready to have a ghost for boyfriend too.
I see you've caught up with me! Shepherd's Crook has a mess going on right now. This can go in so many different directions. How far is someone willing to go to protect their kid? We have a cop, a doctor and a principal... and not to mention a lot of kids involved....

 

So many prickly ends, I don't know if they will all fit into one neat bow :lol: Who am I kidding? Let's shred this sucker!!!!

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Uh oh looks like Amanda is going to be gunning for Gibby next. Too bad Gibby already took the evidence to the police. I hope he takes Gibby seriously and actually looks into this. Tanner and Gibby planned it out perfectly it seemed. Gibby's mishap with the bus is so familiar *raises hand* i have had this experience many times lol . Still do when i encounter a route i have never taken. In anycase I liked this chapter a lot. Enjoyed Tanner keeping Gibby calm and giving him the strength to do what they had practiced. Can't wait to see what happens next KC

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Grhhh...

I have a bad felling what is Amanda planing for Gibby...somehow I think that it will be something with fire..:(

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On 07/31/2012 05:07 PM, Jammi said:
Uh oh looks like Amanda is going to be gunning for Gibby next. Too bad Gibby already took the evidence to the police. I hope he takes Gibby seriously and actually looks into this. Tanner and Gibby planned it out perfectly it seemed. Gibby's mishap with the bus is so familiar *raises hand* i have had this experience many times lol . Still do when i encounter a route i have never taken. In anycase I liked this chapter a lot. Enjoyed Tanner keeping Gibby calm and giving him the strength to do what they had practiced. Can't wait to see what happens next KC
I missed the bus all the time, Jammi! I would have ridden my bike to school was closer.

 

Gibby just posted a big target on his back! Hard to tell what Amanda is going to do... until next week! I'm glad you're still reading :D

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On 07/31/2012 10:15 PM, Kiltie69 said:
Worms, can, open. OMG, can't wait.....next chapter please....
*distracted by the cool crawlies**

 

Bugs :wub:

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On 08/01/2012 12:50 AM, rogi24g said:
Grhhh...

I have a bad felling what is Amanda planing for Gibby...somehow I think that it will be something with fire..:(

So are you placing your bet on that Amanda is going to cause a fire? :D There are sooooo many possibilities. Thanks for reading!
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I missed this post last week! But I'm kind of excited because now I can read two in a row :) At least now someone besides Gibby knows.

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