Free The Chamber of Five by Michael Harmon Page A

contempt oozing from his mouth. “Kennedy, if I want advice from a pile of shit, I’ll consult a horse’s ass. Be quiet. And if you ever call me
dude
again, I’ll have you neutered.”
    Frowning, Kennedy sat back. “I didn’t mean—”
    Carter slammed his palm on the table, his eyes blazing, his neck strained. “SHUT THE FUCK UP! I want whoever did this in front of me by tomorrow after school! Got it?”
    Kennedy stepped back, putting his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, Carter. Sure. I got it.”
    I caught up to Woodsie on the front steps after we’d adjourned, completely confused about what had just happened. “Hey.”
    He turned. “Hey.”
    “What was that all about?”
    Woodsie smiled. “Somebody is having fun. Dangerous fun.”
    “With a bottle of vodka? How?”
    Woodsie looked back at the school. “Remember I told you Carter’s father was thrown off the bench?”
    “Yeah. For drunk driving.”
    He nodded. “Yeah. He’d been drinking vodka tonics all night.”
    “So what? Is Carter that neurotic to think that’s what the bottle meant?”
    Woodsie’s eyes met mine. “He’s not being neurotic.”
    “Why?”
    Woodsie stared across the grounds. “Because the name of the bar he was drinking at before they nailed him was The Blue Sapphire.”
    I whistled, remembering the shot glass. “Whoa.”
    “Yeah, whoa. That’s the closest I’ve ever seen him to going ballistic, Jason. He’s on the edge.”
    “I didn’t do it.”
    “He thinks you did.”
    “I didn’t even know.”
    He shrugged. “What you know doesn’t really matter, Jason. What I know, on the other hand, is that you and Carter have issues. Big ones.”
    I stared off across the street, watching traffic pass. “The only reason I’m in the Chamber is because of my dad getting this school money for the new wing.”
    “I wasn’t born yesterday. I know why I’m in the Chamber, too.”
    “And you’re okay with that?”
    He sighed, facing me. “Jason, what you’re not understanding is that what I’m okay with and what you’re okay with doesn’t matter. We have absolutely no way of controlling what happens here. Our parents do, and they control it through the list.”
    “You know about the donation list?”
    “Yes. The Chamber president picks new members from it each year. It’s tradition.”
    “So that’s why Carter doesn’t like me?”
    He nodded. “See, Carter
has
to pick the highest on the list, so he had to pick you. And you represent a threat.” He looked away. “You’re different.”
    I thought about it for a minute. “If you could change the Chamber, would you?”
    He didn’t answer.
    “Would you?”
    “I don’t know.”
    I almost spilled my guts out to him, but I decided I wasn’t ready. Not yet. I had something to take care of first.
    “Why, Jason?”
    I blew it off. “No reason. Just sucks what we have to do sometimes, you know?”
    “Sure does.”

CHAPTER TWELVE
    I SAT ACROSS THE CAFETERIA table from Thomas and watched him eat a bologna sandwich. I’d been sitting there for minutes, and we’d not said a word to each other. Bite, chew, swallow. Nothing else. We were playing a game. His eyes never left mine. I cleared my throat, finally tired of the game. “I might have come on a bit strong the other day.”
    He set his sandwich down, meticulously dabbing crumbs from the table with his finger and flicking them at me. I ignored it. He burped. “Get a new windshield yet?”
    I shrugged. “I know you did it, and I don’t blame you. But I didn’t have anything to do with the food drive.”
    He smiled. “If somebody screwed with my car, they’d pay. Big-time pay.”
    “You’re not me.”
    “Thank God. I’d hate to be a coward,” he said, opening up a baggy of Fritos.
    I sighed. “You hate this school, right?”
    “No. I love it. And I love you. In fact, I think I’m gay for you. Want to make out?”
    “I’m serious, Thomas.”
    “Me too. I want your tongue in my mouth.”
    I cleared my