all gray. I try to say something , but she cuts me off , as if she can’t hold it inside anymore.
“I spared him, but you didn’t, Skye.”
Oh.
It’s as if a film has been lifted from my field of vision, and now I see the world clearly. I had never realized it… Of course I did! I just never took responsibility. I should have—
“You didn’t spare him,” she repeats. “And neither did Jane.”
Chapter 21: Drake
I glare at the buzzing alarm clock as if it is the reason I have to face school once again. Another Monday means another whole week of suckness ahead.
At least the week after the party passed without any more surreal moments.
Apparently, The Predator was the only one who saw Jane and me together. Nobody is talking about it in school. It woul d be embarrassing, but I also wonder how the free publicity could improve my social life.
I learn it’s easier not to be the kiss-and-tell guy when you actually never kiss any girls. Now that I have made out with two mega- hotties , it’s hard to keep it bottled up .
You’d think this ego boost would make me more confident with girls, but I feel gloomy and conflicted. It seems my romantic life has already peaked, and it’s all downhill from here.
The guilt about Skye crushes me . She’s gone forever, but after the make- out session with Jane I feel like I have betrayed Skye . No, not her. I betrayed my feelings for her.
Boulder would tell me to think like a man.
Mona bangs on the door. “Wake up, driver!” s he yells.
***
My sister always take s the bus, but today she gets i n her head that I should drive her to school. Since it was part of the bargain with Dad, I have no option.
Sh e settles in the passenger side and fiddles with the radio.
“Hey,” I say, “never touch a man’s radio.”
Mona shoots me an angry look. “It’s not a man’s radio. It’s yours.”
Everybody I know is a smart ass.
“Drop me off at Pain’s,” she mumbles.
“What?” That’s why she didn’t want to take the bus. “Are you skipping school?”
She lets out a deep sigh. “Drake, don’t give me the ‘ tude . It doesn’t suit you.”
Who is this devil possessing my little sister? Am I supposed to believe that two -year-old ball of cuddliness turned into this girl ?
“So, we’re going to the House of Pain?” I ask.
She snorts. “You really believe you’re the first one to make that joke, right?”
Well, I thought it was a good one. “Do me a favor, will you? Don’t come back home with a face tattoo, okay? Or knocked up or something.”
She looks at me as if I’m made out of snot. “You don’t need to be a jerk about it.” Her voice, for the first time in years, betrays a little frailty.
Remembering what Skye said to me , sitting i n the same place, I wonder : why don’t we talk more? What is the big deal, anyway?
“Are you still mad about the car?” I try to break the ice.
“No. Not after I’ve seen the car,” she replies.
The conversation dies. This is going to be harder than I thought .
“So,” I say, excising any contempt from my tone. “What’s the deal with Pain?”
“What now, Drake?”
“Does she go to school with you?”
“You ’ve know n her since forever. S he’s being going to school with me since k indergarten ! Becca ? Hello?”
“ Becca ? Not p igtails Becca ? Not p rincess d ress - u p Becca ?” I remember their play dates.
“You’re such a moron!” Mona says, searching for something in her purse.
I still can’t get over it. “Little p igtails Becca calls herself ‘Pain’ now?” I say, sounding like an eighty-year-old. “Why?”
“Why do you care , Drake ? E ew .”
What? “N o, no.” Double- eew myself. “I didn’t even kno w w ho we were talking about. I’m not into little girls. ”
“Why the interrogation, then?” She gets a purple lipstick out of her purse, swings down the sun visor , and applies the Halloween - ish ma ke-up while looking at
“I spared him, but you didn’t, Skye.”
Oh.
It’s as if a film has been lifted from my field of vision, and now I see the world clearly. I had never realized it… Of course I did! I just never took responsibility. I should have—
“You didn’t spare him,” she repeats. “And neither did Jane.”
Chapter 21: Drake
I glare at the buzzing alarm clock as if it is the reason I have to face school once again. Another Monday means another whole week of suckness ahead.
At least the week after the party passed without any more surreal moments.
Apparently, The Predator was the only one who saw Jane and me together. Nobody is talking about it in school. It woul d be embarrassing, but I also wonder how the free publicity could improve my social life.
I learn it’s easier not to be the kiss-and-tell guy when you actually never kiss any girls. Now that I have made out with two mega- hotties , it’s hard to keep it bottled up .
You’d think this ego boost would make me more confident with girls, but I feel gloomy and conflicted. It seems my romantic life has already peaked, and it’s all downhill from here.
The guilt about Skye crushes me . She’s gone forever, but after the make- out session with Jane I feel like I have betrayed Skye . No, not her. I betrayed my feelings for her.
Boulder would tell me to think like a man.
Mona bangs on the door. “Wake up, driver!” s he yells.
***
My sister always take s the bus, but today she gets i n her head that I should drive her to school. Since it was part of the bargain with Dad, I have no option.
Sh e settles in the passenger side and fiddles with the radio.
“Hey,” I say, “never touch a man’s radio.”
Mona shoots me an angry look. “It’s not a man’s radio. It’s yours.”
Everybody I know is a smart ass.
“Drop me off at Pain’s,” she mumbles.
“What?” That’s why she didn’t want to take the bus. “Are you skipping school?”
She lets out a deep sigh. “Drake, don’t give me the ‘ tude . It doesn’t suit you.”
Who is this devil possessing my little sister? Am I supposed to believe that two -year-old ball of cuddliness turned into this girl ?
“So, we’re going to the House of Pain?” I ask.
She snorts. “You really believe you’re the first one to make that joke, right?”
Well, I thought it was a good one. “Do me a favor, will you? Don’t come back home with a face tattoo, okay? Or knocked up or something.”
She looks at me as if I’m made out of snot. “You don’t need to be a jerk about it.” Her voice, for the first time in years, betrays a little frailty.
Remembering what Skye said to me , sitting i n the same place, I wonder : why don’t we talk more? What is the big deal, anyway?
“Are you still mad about the car?” I try to break the ice.
“No. Not after I’ve seen the car,” she replies.
The conversation dies. This is going to be harder than I thought .
“So,” I say, excising any contempt from my tone. “What’s the deal with Pain?”
“What now, Drake?”
“Does she go to school with you?”
“You ’ve know n her since forever. S he’s being going to school with me since k indergarten ! Becca ? Hello?”
“ Becca ? Not p igtails Becca ? Not p rincess d ress - u p Becca ?” I remember their play dates.
“You’re such a moron!” Mona says, searching for something in her purse.
I still can’t get over it. “Little p igtails Becca calls herself ‘Pain’ now?” I say, sounding like an eighty-year-old. “Why?”
“Why do you care , Drake ? E ew .”
What? “N o, no.” Double- eew myself. “I didn’t even kno w w ho we were talking about. I’m not into little girls. ”
“Why the interrogation, then?” She gets a purple lipstick out of her purse, swings down the sun visor , and applies the Halloween - ish ma ke-up while looking at
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