on her car… on Amar in the backseat. “Just tell your brother to stay away from the booze at the next costume party, okay? At least he called for a ride rather than drive drunk.”
“Don’t worry.” Jacqui patted his arm and then let go as she hustled around to the driver’s side. I followed her lead and plopped down in the passenger’s seat. “This way, he owes us big time.”
Without waiting for a reply, she started the car and we left. I kept glancing behind us to see if the cop followed, but there was no sign of him.
I spun to face her as she drove. “What happened?”
“Do you want to tell her? Or shall I?” Jacqui glanced back at Amar, then at the road again.
Amar snorted. “Your friend nearly got attacked.”
“What?” I twisted in my seat more to see him better and dodged the edge of his wing.
“It was nothing. Some local guy asking for my name, number, you know those kinds of things.”
“And?”
“Well, he was cute, so I gave him my phone to type in his number.”
“Jacqui! This isn’t the time to pick up guys.”
She flipped her blond hair over her shoulder, ignoring me. “Then birdboy here dashes out of the car and tosses him on the hood of the car. And of course, a cop coming out of the store sees it.” She waves a hand. “So I had to step in and smooth things over.”
“What happened to the guy?” And why had Amar reacted that strongly to him? Did he have feelings for Jacqui and I fooled myself that he might have an inkling of attraction toward me?
“He left.” Jacqui gave a snort. “I doubt he’d answer if I called him.”
“If the Blood Spirits got ahold of him, they might glean from torturing him that he saw us.” Amar crossed his arms over his chest.
“And why would they snag some guy off the street on the off chance that he ran into us?” Jacqui gripped the steering wheel like she wanted to choke Amar. “Anyway, I had to convince the officer that Amar was just overprotective and his wings were a costume.”
“Quick thinking.” I adjusted back into the seat and away from Amar. “How long before we’re at the Keys?”
“I’d say about an hour.” Jacqui pointed to the bags on the floor. “Hand me one of those juices, will you?”
After I rummaged through the bag, I opened the grape juice and handed it to her. Then I lugged out two more and gave one to Amar, keeping the other for myself. Potato chips! I pried open the bag and Jacqui was already reaching for a handful, then I offered Amar some. He took a handful, stuffing them into his mouth in one go.
I rolled my window down a crack and sniffed. The saltwater and sun drifted over me, making me giddy. No wonder my dad lived here. I would too if Mom… I stopped my thoughts and shoved potato chips into my mouth.
Palm trees waved on either side of us as we drove. The late morning sun blinked on the horizon as we drove onto the bridge. Mile markers showed shops for now, but I knew from pictures that the bridge and offshoots would narrow to one long stretch of the ocean. I couldn’t wait to see it.
We picked up food to go from a pancake house and I carried the boxes back to the car. After finding a semi-vacant rest stop, we carried our food to a distant concrete bench and table. Amar plopped down beside a willow tree, allowing the long hanging branches and leaves to hide his wings.
“This is delicious. What do you call it?” He stuffed another piece in his mouth.
“It’s a pancake.” Jacqui flipped her hair off her shoulder. “Seriously, did they not have food in your time? Or anything good?”
“Stop it.” I tossed my crumpled napkin at her. “We are in this together, remember?”
“He eats so much we’ll have to get money again soon.”
“Maybe we can get my dad to give us some.” He owed eighteen years of child support, right? So a few thousand dollars should be easy.
“Your food looks different than mine.” Amar raised his chin as though trying to see into my Styrofoam container.
“Don’t worry.” Jacqui patted his arm and then let go as she hustled around to the driver’s side. I followed her lead and plopped down in the passenger’s seat. “This way, he owes us big time.”
Without waiting for a reply, she started the car and we left. I kept glancing behind us to see if the cop followed, but there was no sign of him.
I spun to face her as she drove. “What happened?”
“Do you want to tell her? Or shall I?” Jacqui glanced back at Amar, then at the road again.
Amar snorted. “Your friend nearly got attacked.”
“What?” I twisted in my seat more to see him better and dodged the edge of his wing.
“It was nothing. Some local guy asking for my name, number, you know those kinds of things.”
“And?”
“Well, he was cute, so I gave him my phone to type in his number.”
“Jacqui! This isn’t the time to pick up guys.”
She flipped her blond hair over her shoulder, ignoring me. “Then birdboy here dashes out of the car and tosses him on the hood of the car. And of course, a cop coming out of the store sees it.” She waves a hand. “So I had to step in and smooth things over.”
“What happened to the guy?” And why had Amar reacted that strongly to him? Did he have feelings for Jacqui and I fooled myself that he might have an inkling of attraction toward me?
“He left.” Jacqui gave a snort. “I doubt he’d answer if I called him.”
“If the Blood Spirits got ahold of him, they might glean from torturing him that he saw us.” Amar crossed his arms over his chest.
“And why would they snag some guy off the street on the off chance that he ran into us?” Jacqui gripped the steering wheel like she wanted to choke Amar. “Anyway, I had to convince the officer that Amar was just overprotective and his wings were a costume.”
“Quick thinking.” I adjusted back into the seat and away from Amar. “How long before we’re at the Keys?”
“I’d say about an hour.” Jacqui pointed to the bags on the floor. “Hand me one of those juices, will you?”
After I rummaged through the bag, I opened the grape juice and handed it to her. Then I lugged out two more and gave one to Amar, keeping the other for myself. Potato chips! I pried open the bag and Jacqui was already reaching for a handful, then I offered Amar some. He took a handful, stuffing them into his mouth in one go.
I rolled my window down a crack and sniffed. The saltwater and sun drifted over me, making me giddy. No wonder my dad lived here. I would too if Mom… I stopped my thoughts and shoved potato chips into my mouth.
Palm trees waved on either side of us as we drove. The late morning sun blinked on the horizon as we drove onto the bridge. Mile markers showed shops for now, but I knew from pictures that the bridge and offshoots would narrow to one long stretch of the ocean. I couldn’t wait to see it.
We picked up food to go from a pancake house and I carried the boxes back to the car. After finding a semi-vacant rest stop, we carried our food to a distant concrete bench and table. Amar plopped down beside a willow tree, allowing the long hanging branches and leaves to hide his wings.
“This is delicious. What do you call it?” He stuffed another piece in his mouth.
“It’s a pancake.” Jacqui flipped her hair off her shoulder. “Seriously, did they not have food in your time? Or anything good?”
“Stop it.” I tossed my crumpled napkin at her. “We are in this together, remember?”
“He eats so much we’ll have to get money again soon.”
“Maybe we can get my dad to give us some.” He owed eighteen years of child support, right? So a few thousand dollars should be easy.
“Your food looks different than mine.” Amar raised his chin as though trying to see into my Styrofoam container.
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