Birthday fic - Casey & Zeke - Car-Stealing (1/4)
Dear honeyandvinegar
I've managed to write a little something for you. Hope you like ... though it's just the first chapter of the story. I promise, I will try to write more as soon as possible ;)
Title: Car-Stealing (1/2)
Fandom: Zeke & Casey
Rating: R
Disclaimer: of course, not mine
Author's notes: remember this post aliensouldream made some time ago? I always thought it makes a good premise for a new story ;)
Monday. School was almost over. Still a double lesson biology left. As much as Casey hated mondays, biology was like a bright spot for him since three weeks. Mondays meant to go back to school, back to the Jocks who always seemed to come back with new ideas to bully him after every weekend. Today he had managed well to stay out of their way, apart from this little incident with Gabe during Lunch. And now the day was almost over.
Casey dropped down onto his chair and put his books onto the table. The place beside him was still empty. Which didn't make him wonder. Zeke was always late ... and sometimes he didn't even bother to show up at all.
Zeke Tyler. The 'bad boy' at school. The reason why Casey liked biology. Since Mr. Furlong three weeks ago had asked Zeke to sit down beside Casey and not at his usual spot in the back row of the class he shared a lab table with him. Not that they did talk much. Not to mention the team work. Casey did what he always did - he worked quick and thoroughly. Zeke just smirked, pulled out his books and started to do small caricatures of the teachers or the other students. Or to read the secret notes he always got. Notes with painted hearts and lipstick kisses from the girls. Notes with only a few incoherent words from the guys.
It was obvious what the girls wanted from him - a date - even if it would be only for one night. Everyone knew it: Zeke Tyler didn't like serious relationships. The boys ... Casey was not sure about them. Zeke made his dealings. He sold them whatever they wanted: booze, porn, home-made drugs. But there were rumors that there was even more between Zeke and one of the guys ... of course, no one would dare to call Zeke 'gay' 'queer' or even 'a fucking fag' ... like they did to him ... but it was possible ... Everything was possible.
Zeke was so unfathomable. As much as everyone admired and respected him, Casey was not sure if he really gave a shit about it. He only seemed to use everyone, he took all the money and the kisses, but there was no one he really cared about.
Mr. Furlong tore him out of his thoughts when he entered the classroom, closely followed by Zeke.
"Oh, Mr. Tyler, nice to see you here," said Mr. Furlong and smiled slightly.
"Would you do me the favour and sit down now, so that we can start with our lesson? Wednesday we've talked about amino acids. Today ... "
It was the same as ever. Mr. Furlong talked about proteins and enzymes and how it worked together. As always he tried to make a little joke now and then because he knew it was not the most interesting stuff. He was a nice guy, though Casey was sure, most of his classmates didn't care in the slightest. They learned this stuff by rote, just to get through the next test but they would have forgotten most of it at the end of the year.
"And now lets have a look at this formula," the teacher told the class and reached for a piece of green chalk.
"Who can mark the most important part of it? Simon? Come on up here, please."
When Simon took the chalk and marked a part of the formula Zeke groaned loud.
"Geez! What a dumbhead!"
Casey glanced at the scribbling in his book - a half finished caricature of Mr. Furlong - a good one that made him almost giggle. But as uninterested as Zeke always acted, he knew more than most of the others in class. Casey was sure he could go to the black board and mark the right part without hesitation. He could get a straight A in every test. He could be one of best in class. If he only ...
Mr. Furlong couldn't finish his anew explanations about the formula because of a sharp knock at the door before it was opened. Everyone looked up from their books, the interruption was welcome. Mrs. Johnson, the schools principal entered the room, followed by two unknown men. She looked tense when she turned to Mr. Furlong and talked to him shortly. He nodded.
"I understand," he murmured.
"Zeke ..."
Zeke looked up and his eyes met the two men beside principal Johnson. He smirked.
"Oh, Officer Bennett! Nice to see you. So, what is it this time?"
Officer? Casey frowned. These two men were police officer? And they wanted to talk with Zeke? What could be so important that it couldn't wait until after school?
"We need to talk, Zeke," the man answered.
"Let's go into Mrs. Johnson's office!"
"Why?"
Zeke leant back into his chair and stretched both arms up into the air. He didn't bother to stand up.
"I've nothing to hide. So, talk here!"
The second man looked annoyed.
"This is no fun, Mr. Tyler. Not anymore. You've gone too far. This time there will be serious consequences."
Casey knew that everyone was staring at their lab table now and though he had done nothing wrong, his hands suddenly felt clammy. Only Zeke was not nervous in the slightest. He looked highly amused.
"Consequences, huh," he mocked.
"Like the last time when you tried to arrest me because I helped a friend out with a few Advil?"
"Zeke," the first man, Officer Bennett, said.
"Don't be like that! I know, you're not a bad guy. But this time you've crossed the line. What the heck is gotten into you? How could you steal a car? You didn't even need one."
For one moment the world seemed to stop to run around. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop at class, only one girl from the back row was giggling nervously. It was Zeke who found his words again first.
"What kind of car? I hope it was worth it!"
"You can play dumb, I know you like doing this. But we will supply evidence this time. You were spotted near Miller's Garage last Wednesday afternoon. At the same time someone broke down the gate to the yard, destroyed half of the garage with blind rage and finally drove away with an almost brand-new Audi," said the second officer sharply.
"You don't need to say anything, Mr. Tyler, we already know enough. This time you will not get off cheaply."
Casey swallowed. It was evident that the man was more than pleased with all this. As if he had waited for such an opportunity all too long. He dared a quick glance at Zeke. He didn't act as if he was guilty. But ... he never did, right? Even if he got caught red-handed at school ... because he was smoking at the parking lot, cheating at a test or handling whatever sort of business ... even if he got detention or suspension for some days ... he always came back with the same 'I give a shit-grin' onto his face as if nothing had happened.
"Well, I guess, we should go to the police house now," Officer Bennett stepped in once again.
"This is nothing we should discuss at school."
Zeke shook his head and grinned.
"Am I arrested?"
But Officer Bennett stayed serious.
"Zeke, really, this is not a monkey shine. Maybe you should call your parents ... I guess, you could need some help this time."
Zeke stiffened, Casey could feel it, and snorted slightly.
"Yeah, sure!"
Finally he got up and started to threw his books into his backpack.
"They will jump into the next airplane and fly in in an instant. Pfft. No, thanks! I don't need their fucking help.
Okay, I'm ready. We can go now!"
Officer Bennett still looked concerned, but Zeke already turned to the door, the second officer close behind him, as if he was afraid that Zeke suddenly would take his heels and run. Casey almost wished he would. His heart was in his mouth. Why did no one step in? Mr. Furlong. The principal. Someone needed to help Zeke. They were going to put him into prison, Casey was sure of this.
"Mr. Furlong?"
The teacher turned round.
"Yes, Casey?"
He took a deep breath. This was stupid. What was he going to do? But it was too late, there was no holding him back anymore.
"Zeke didn't steal the car. He was not even near to the garage!"
Mr. Furlong raised an eyebrow and looked at him surprised. Zeke and both police officer turned back to him too. Officer Bennett looked curious, but the other one was outright glaring at him with dark eyes. It made him shiver and almost regretting what he had done.
"What do you mean, Casey?"
Principal Johnson sounded as calm as ever.
"What do you know?"
Casey swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in his throat.
"Zeke ... he's not guilty. He can't be! It happened last Wednesday, right? But last Wednesday Zeke was ... he was together with me.
We worked for school. Math. We had a test next day and Zeke ... he asked me to help him."
He could feel it how everyone was staring at him now. And he refused to look up, preferred to stare at the lab table in front of him. He knew it anyway. Mr. Furlong would look at him sceptical. The officers would be confused ... almost furious, at least the second one of them ... because he just had given Zeke an alibi. And the other students ... oh yes, this would be the number one topic of conversation for the next few weeks. Zeke ... and Casey. Zeke Tyler, the most wanted boy from school and Casey Connor, the town's greatest geek. Zeke ... no ... he would not start to think about him now. Anyway ... Zeke would probably kill him!
"I guess there is someone who can prove this true?"
The voice of the officer was sharp. And Casey started to feel annoyed. What gave him the right to suggest that Casey was not telling the truth? Finally he looked up, with defiantly sparkling eyes.
"No! We didn't want to be seen together. So we met at my house. My dad has a computer and I can use it for my homework. We didn't even need to go to the library."
"Your dad was at home?"
"Of course not. He was at work and so was my mom. We were alone."
"Alone, huh? That's interesting. So you could leave the house whenever you wanted for a little trip. Like ... to go to Miller's Garage and ... Do you own a car, Casey?"
Casey's eyes widened when he realized what the officer tried to imply. But before he found his words again, Mr. Furlong stepped in.
"Now officers, I think, we should finish this conversation here. Casey isn't even legal. He should not talk to you without his parents any more."
It looked as if the officer wanted to protest, but Officer Bennett nodded quickly.
"Yes, that's right. Casey, I just need to beg you, to come to the police house as soon as possible, together with one of your parents. We need to record your information."
He smiled at him reassuring when Casey murmured: "Yeah, okay."
"Don't worry. As long as you tell us the truth there is nothing you have to be afraid of.
Zeke, let's go now! There are still some things we need to solve."
Suddenly Casey's knees felt like jelly and he needed to look for hold at the lab table. His eyes met Zeke's who stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"You are such a stupid dumbhead," he hissed before he followed the two officers out of the classroom.
+++
His dad had been shocked when he got the call that Casey was released from school for today because he had to show up at the police station. Principal Johnson tried her best reassure him that Casey has done nothing wrong.
"It's great how much he cared about others," she said.
"I guess it's not always easy to deal with Zeke. And how he stood up for him today ... you can be proud of him!"
But all this had not calmed his dad down much. In silence they drove to the police office and on their way back home, he had told him, that Casey would be grounded for indefinite time.
"And no matter what Mrs. Johnson says, I don't want you to help this boy again. He definitely has a bad influence on you. You never did lie to us before. Do you understand me, Casey? I don't want to see you even talking with this boy again!"
All Casey had done was to shrug with his shoulders.
"Okay!"
He knew, it would be easy to keep this promise. He just needed to think of Zeke's killing look.
+++
Part 2