well.” He helps me to my feet without looking at my face. “You were skating. And badly.”
“Hey.” I slap his arm. “You said I was doing great.”
“Oh, come on, Allie, you know guys will say anything when they’re trying to impress a girl.” The idea that Blake might be trying to impress me feels weird, wrong, but good, too, even though I know he was just kidding around. He turns around and grabs both of my hands. “C’mon, I owe you a slushy.”
“Andrew.” I cover my mouth. “I completely forgot about him. He’s probably bored out of his mind.”
Blake laughs and points behind me toward the snack bar. “I’d say Andrew is doing just fine.”
I grab on to the wall and turn myself around. Andrew is still at the snack bar but not alone. There’s a flamboyant redhead perched on the table in front of him. She’s holding a slushy to his mouth while he drinks out of the straw.
I stare in shock. “Who is that?”
Her name is Caitlyn, and she has dangly blue earrings, an embroidered tunic top that’s retro 1970s, and neon-blue skinny jeans. She’s enthusiastic about absolutely everything and thinks my freaky eye is totally cool, and her dad is a mortician. They live above the morgue. I find out all this in about five minutes, after Blake and I join them at the snack bar. I also find out that she and Andrew have been chatting online for the last couple of months. He and Blake definitely planned this.
I study Caitlyn while she talks, wondering if she could be considered pretty. Her jeans are too tight, her face is red and kind of splotchy, and she laughs too loudly, with her mouth open. She sounds like a donkey. But she has a nice smile, brilliantblue eyes, and hair the most amazing color of red I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if it’s her real color. In another era, Caitlyn would probably have been considered beautiful. I’m just not sure which one.
I can tell Andrew thinks she’s gorgeous. She kisses him on the cheek when she leaves. Protective instincts fire like mad when I see her with him. He’s never had anything close to a girlfriend before. I wish I knew more about her.
I watch her go outside and I’m shocked to see the sun going down. I didn’t realize we’d been gone so long. I wonder what “home late” means for my parents. If Mom and Dad get home before we do, they’ll freak out.
“We’d better go,” I say to Blake. Andrew nods, but he’s still smiling. It’s good to see him happy, and I actually had fun. If we can make it home without getting busted, today might be okay.
Chapter
14
On the way home, Andrew falls asleep with his head on my shoulder. I’m jittery the whole way. Blake reaches over and puts his hand on my bouncing knee. “Relax,” he says. I’m not sure if Blake’s hand on my knee makes me relax or makes me more tense. I focus on keeping my legs still, but he doesn’t move his hand.
Blake is driving fast, trying to get us home before Mom and Dad do. As we get into town I want to tell him to slow down, but I’m afraid it’ll make him mad. Then I see blue lights in the rearview mirror. Blake swears and pulls over, right in front of Big J’s, the only restaurant in town besides the café, and where everyone from the high school hangs out. I slide down into the seat and wish Blake had tinted windows.
Detective Weeks gets out of the now-familiar black Charger and shines his flashlight into Blake’s eyes, and then mine. Hetakes note of Blake’s hand resting on my knee. “Do you have any idea how fast you were going?” Four sophomores gawk at us as they pass beside Blake’s car on their way into Big J’s. I pull my hat down and keep my eyes focused on the dashboard.
Blake taps the speedometer, stuck on 100 miles per hour. “This thing doesn’t work.”
Detective Weeks points his flashlight at the dash. “How long has it been broken?”
“It stopped working a couple of hours ago.” Blake grits his teeth. I’m sure the speedometer has been
“Hey.” I slap his arm. “You said I was doing great.”
“Oh, come on, Allie, you know guys will say anything when they’re trying to impress a girl.” The idea that Blake might be trying to impress me feels weird, wrong, but good, too, even though I know he was just kidding around. He turns around and grabs both of my hands. “C’mon, I owe you a slushy.”
“Andrew.” I cover my mouth. “I completely forgot about him. He’s probably bored out of his mind.”
Blake laughs and points behind me toward the snack bar. “I’d say Andrew is doing just fine.”
I grab on to the wall and turn myself around. Andrew is still at the snack bar but not alone. There’s a flamboyant redhead perched on the table in front of him. She’s holding a slushy to his mouth while he drinks out of the straw.
I stare in shock. “Who is that?”
Her name is Caitlyn, and she has dangly blue earrings, an embroidered tunic top that’s retro 1970s, and neon-blue skinny jeans. She’s enthusiastic about absolutely everything and thinks my freaky eye is totally cool, and her dad is a mortician. They live above the morgue. I find out all this in about five minutes, after Blake and I join them at the snack bar. I also find out that she and Andrew have been chatting online for the last couple of months. He and Blake definitely planned this.
I study Caitlyn while she talks, wondering if she could be considered pretty. Her jeans are too tight, her face is red and kind of splotchy, and she laughs too loudly, with her mouth open. She sounds like a donkey. But she has a nice smile, brilliantblue eyes, and hair the most amazing color of red I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if it’s her real color. In another era, Caitlyn would probably have been considered beautiful. I’m just not sure which one.
I can tell Andrew thinks she’s gorgeous. She kisses him on the cheek when she leaves. Protective instincts fire like mad when I see her with him. He’s never had anything close to a girlfriend before. I wish I knew more about her.
I watch her go outside and I’m shocked to see the sun going down. I didn’t realize we’d been gone so long. I wonder what “home late” means for my parents. If Mom and Dad get home before we do, they’ll freak out.
“We’d better go,” I say to Blake. Andrew nods, but he’s still smiling. It’s good to see him happy, and I actually had fun. If we can make it home without getting busted, today might be okay.
Chapter
14
On the way home, Andrew falls asleep with his head on my shoulder. I’m jittery the whole way. Blake reaches over and puts his hand on my bouncing knee. “Relax,” he says. I’m not sure if Blake’s hand on my knee makes me relax or makes me more tense. I focus on keeping my legs still, but he doesn’t move his hand.
Blake is driving fast, trying to get us home before Mom and Dad do. As we get into town I want to tell him to slow down, but I’m afraid it’ll make him mad. Then I see blue lights in the rearview mirror. Blake swears and pulls over, right in front of Big J’s, the only restaurant in town besides the café, and where everyone from the high school hangs out. I slide down into the seat and wish Blake had tinted windows.
Detective Weeks gets out of the now-familiar black Charger and shines his flashlight into Blake’s eyes, and then mine. Hetakes note of Blake’s hand resting on my knee. “Do you have any idea how fast you were going?” Four sophomores gawk at us as they pass beside Blake’s car on their way into Big J’s. I pull my hat down and keep my eyes focused on the dashboard.
Blake taps the speedometer, stuck on 100 miles per hour. “This thing doesn’t work.”
Detective Weeks points his flashlight at the dash. “How long has it been broken?”
“It stopped working a couple of hours ago.” Blake grits his teeth. I’m sure the speedometer has been
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