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“It’s fine.”
She inhales, putting her pen to her pad, and smiles brightly. “Right, I’m going to take your order then go cry to my dad about being rejected, then cry some more about doing it in front of a potential date. So, what can I get ya?”
I giggle a little, but it turns into a laugh when Banner turns pale.
“Let’s not talk to your dad about me, okay?”
Fi turns to Banner and chuckles. “I’m joking. I’ll do that stuff privately. My dad would probably come out here and thank you for not going out with me. He doesn’t want me seeing boys.” She pauses, seeming to think of something. “Then again, he’ll probably go mad again for you not wanting to go out with me because you think there’s something wrong with me. Keeping it to myself seems like a good idea.”
Banner relaxes in his chair. “That would be great.”
“What can I get ya?”
We both rattle off our order, then wait for her to leave before facing each other.
“Okay, who is she and who is Alec? Why don’t I know about him?”
He rubs the back of his neck before resting his forearms on the table, leaning in closer. “Did you read about what happened last year, around Halloween?”
I did. I think the whole world did. Two lads from the university were raping girls and kept a record of it. When they were arrested, more girls came forward.
“Yeah, why?”
“The girl who got them arrested was best friends with one of the rapists. She didn’t know what he was like until he raped her. Alec is the guy who was going out with her when they started school. I’d met Alec before for football trials started and he seemed like an okay lad. He cheated on her a few times—that I know of—but who am I to say something,” he tells me.
I nod, trying to keep up. “Okay.”
“Anyway, when she was raped, he accused her of cheating on him because of it being her best friend.”
“And you don’t like him because of that?”
Banner grits his teeth, leaning back in his chair. “No, I don’t like him because there was a picture going around of attack and he spread it. Logan, the guy who raped her, was also on our team. Not many of us liked him, and the ones who did are no longer on the team as the school couldn’t prove they weren’t involved too. They filed a dispute and signed a petition to get him to play, causing trouble around the campus, so in the end, they got expelled. When Alex spread that shit, and we found out it was rape, and that Logan did it, we all stopped playing until they were dropped. Logan was pulled from the team straight away until the university investigated, but Alec got away with everything.”
“He’s still on the team?” I ask, shocked and appalled they’d let someone like that play. Football around here is a big thing. People from all over come to watch them play. I remember when Banner first started. He got pumped because his captain got chosen to play for an actual league.
He frowns, fiddling with the salt from the table. “Yeah. We tried to get him off the team, but without proof he sent some of those messages, there was nothing we could do.”
“Couldn’t you show them the sent messages?”
“No. Anyone decent deleted that shit straightaway. The ones who didn’t sure did after Liam Cole threatened retribution to anyone who had it.”
“Who’s that?”
“One of the best rugby players I’ve ever met. He’s also now with the girl who was raped. I heard rumours that those who didn’t delete the picture found themselves with no money, their grades disappearing, and their application for housing next term declined.”
I gasp, shocked and kind of impressed. Not that they didn’t deserve it; they did. “He did all that for his girlfriend?”
Banner laughs. “No, his best friend, CJ, who is a computer whizz, did it. I’ve never actually met him, but others think he’s a god. They both are. They’re legendary around here.”
“Impressive,” I whisper, still amazed someone had the brains to do all that and get away with it.
I sit back when Fi walks over with our drinks and food, placing them down in front of us. When she leaves, I pick up my fork and face Banner.
“Has everything been sorted with that? I mean, a girl was murdered.”
He winces. “I’m not sure about the murder. But Logan and Jamie were arrested.”
“That’s good.”
