Condemned by Christopher Renna (iphone ebook reader txt) 📕

"All right. So, we've decided that we're definitely going to go to the funeral, right?"

Trevor and Adam both nodded.

"It's probably soon." He locked eyes with Adam. "That means we might be skipping school."

"I know. One unexcused absence won't kill me. I mean, I don't think it will. Right?"

Conner chuckled. "You're so paranoid."

Trevor draped his arm around Adam's shoulders. "Dude, you're the star basketball player. Skipping school one day isn't going to matter to the recruiters already kissing your ass. Toughen up, man."

Adam tugged Conner by the shirt and hooked his arm around Conner's neck, pulling him close. "Fine. I won't worry about skipping school. We're in this together. Always and forever."

At their lockers, Trevor leaned against the metal door. "You know, we should have kept that promise with Jared too."

Conner sat on the bench and hung his head. "Guess we let him down, huh?"

"Yep," Adam muttered. "But we didn't turn against him. He turned against us."

"We're doing the right thing," Trevor said. "It won't make up for not being friends anymore. But we'll be there for him."

The gym teacher, Mr. Chambers, appeared at their sides. Legs spread in a wide stance, he dropped his hands to his hips and exhaled as if annoyed. "Let's hustle, boys. You ain't even undressed yet, and most of the other guys are already headed to the gym. We're lifting weights today. Better get your asses in gear."

The boys whipped off their shirts and started kicking off their shoes.

"You might be the most popular studs in school," Mr. Chambers continued, "but if someone has the weights before you, you're going to wait your turn like everyone else."

"Aye aye," Adam replied.

"That's right!" Mr. Chambers bellowed and then walked off.

Conner laughed as he slipped into a pair of gym shorts. "Like we're going to wait in line."

Fresh out of the shower, Adam tossed his wet towel into his locker. "Oh. Hey. Got a text from Kayla." He tugged on his briefs and then sat on the bench. Tapping on the screen, he said, "She said the funeral is Friday morning at ten o'clock. There's gonna be a really short service at the church. Then he's gonna be buried at Trinity Cemetery. I don't know where that is. Do you guys know?"

"My grandpa is buried there," Trevor said. "It's not that far. It's like five miles away."

"Really?" Adam asked, apparently surprised by the information.

"Jeez, man," Conner uttered. "We drive by it almost every time we go to away games."

"Oh." He shook out his jeans, then slid a leg into the denim. "If it was called Newman Cemetery, I'd probably know exactly where it was. Why's it called Trinity?"

"Not all cemeteries are named after the town they're in," Trevor said. "It's probably named after the Holy Trinity."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"The Father," Conner said, "the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

"Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah, I knew that."

Trevor shoved his foot into his sneaker. "Which reminds me. Are we really going to try to talk to a priest?"

"Don't know," Conner said. "Maybe we won't have to."

"Yeah, right! Like his parents are just going to tell us the whole freaky story."

Conner snatched his backpack from the locker and dropped it at his feet. "I don't think anyone would want to tell us that story. Seriously, think about it, guys. We're talking about the devil and possession and strange, creepy crap like that. Would you just tell anyone a story like that even if it was true?"

The school bell rang.

"Crap. Gonna be late." Adam slammed his locker shut and then jumped over the bench. "See you guys at lunch."

Conner watched Adam zigzag past a few guys and out of the locker room. He turned toward Trevor. "I don't know what we're going to find out about Jared. Maybe nothing. But I want to try."

As Conner headed to his next class, he thought of Jared's parents. Surely, they would be glad to see him, Trevor, and Adam at the funeral. Mr. Smith would shake their hands firmly. And despite her grief, Mrs. Smith would offer a half-hearted smile and gently hug them. Then Conner would tell Mr. Smith how much Jared enjoyed watching reruns of Frasier because he liked to watch his dad laugh, even though Jared didn't always understand the humor. Trevor would tell Mrs. Smith how Jared always smiled when he smelled lasagna or freshly baked bread or toffee pudding because it reminded him of his mother. And Adam would tell them what a great friend Jared had been—of course, failing to mention the details of the past five months when Jared had ignored them as if they hadn't been friends since the second grade.

*   *   *

The day continued as usual. All talk of Jared's death had dwindled to brief comments slipped into conversations about school, sports, and other unrelated topics. However, at the end of the day, Jared's name had returned to the lips of the boys' teammates.

As the three walked to Trevor's car, they caught sight of Scott Reed dashing toward them across the parking lot. "Do you guys know if it's true?"

They stopped in their tracks and looked at their lanky power guard.

"What?" Conner asked with an exhale.

Scott narrowed his eyes. "Someone said that Jared was possessed by a demon."

Exasperated, Adam replied, "Shut the hell up, Scott."

"I'm serious. I just got a text from Eric."

"Which Eric?"

"Eric Hughes"

"How the hell would he know?" Trevor asked. "And we don't know nothing about that."

Evidently, the possibility that Jared died under extraordinary and sinister circumstances had generated renewed curiosity. At that moment, Conner understood that Jared's death would once again be the popular topic at school the next day. Increasing remorse pulsated stronger with each beat of his heart. He didn't want Jared's memory to be scarred by spooky stories about his alleged condition.

"You don't really believe in that crap, do you?" he asked Scott.

"I don't know. But it would be hella extra if it were true."

"What?!" Adam exclaimed. "For real?"

"I'm just saying."

"You're talking crap," Conner said. "You don't know anything about