out online. When the bell rang, I tucked the brochure in my locker and went to my next class.
***
“Y ou need a ride?” Caroline appeared just as I slammed my locker door. “I looked for you at lunch, but you disappeared.”
“Sorry, a guidance counselor stopped me. She wants me to try out for the same scholarship you are.”
Her expression turned guarded. “I just told her I’d take the test to make her stop talkin’. I dunno if I’m gonna go.”
“Oh. Well, yes, I’d love a ride. I don’t live far.” I paused. “But I can’t give you directions. Any chance you know where Colt lives?”
She laughed. “Shelby, of course I know where he lives.” She made a circle with her thumb and forefinger and pressed it to her eye. “Town’s about this big, you know?”
“Good, because I suck at directions. And don’t say get a GPS. Those only make me more confused.”
“Can’t find your way out of a wet paper bag, huh?” Her laughter was friendly, not derisive.
“It’s why I don’t have a car. My mom’s afraid I’ll end up lost. Or in Egypt.” The lie forestalled the obvious next question.
“My dad’s having my new car delivered today.”
Envy pierced me. “Really? How nice. What’s the occasion?”
“I turn eighteen tomorrow.”
I grabbed her arm. “Hey, no way. Me, too. I’ll be eighteen tomorrow.”
“Really?” She grinned. “I knew we were gonna get along as soon as I saw you get out of that sweet-ass ‘Vette.” She raked her nails through my hair. “You got that shade of auburn that just sets off a red car, you know?”
I sensed the girl at the locker next to mine stared so, I looked over. “Hi.” I smiled.
She rolled her eyes and slammed her locker door closed. “If you’re her friend, don’t even speak to me.”
“Well, okay then.” I gaped as she strode away. She met up with two other girls a few steps down the hall. Whatever she said made them look over their shoulders in our direction. Then they burst out laughing and turned away.
“Bitches,” Caroline muttered.
I blew out a breath and rolled my eyes. “Without mean girls, would it still be high school?”
“Good point.” She tugged my sleeve. “C’mon. Brandon hates when I make him wait.”
We joined the crowd in the high school lobby, waiting on rides. “So, wanna go out tonight?”
“I dunno if I can. I have a ton of homework.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire. I wanted to be home to see Colt. Which was stupid.
“Well, call me if you change your mind.” We exchanged numbers. I couldn’t miss the disparaging look she gave my old cell phone, but I was used to that kind of scorn. Not that many people ever called me. I didn’t do the social media thing. Never had anything worth posting. I eyed her shiny iPhone, the latest model, but felt no envy. Mom was still making payments on my prized MacBook Pro. It was all the fancy technology I cared about owning.
Caroline led us to the same truck I’d seen this morning. She climbed in first, sliding to the center of the wide bench seat. The man behind the wheel leaned forward to stare when I plopped down at Caroline’s side. “Shelby, Brandon. Brandon, Shelby. Can you drop her off at Colt’s house?”
“Gas or ass?” He didn’t smile. If he felt any kinship over our shared hair color, none showed in his face.
Caroline drove her elbow into his ribs. “Don’t even. It’s on the way home and you know it.”
His scowl deepened. “You know I just washed this truck.”
“I don’t mind if you let me out at the top of the road,” I interjected as he pulled away from the curb.
“Don’t think I won’t,” he retorted. He used the same side road Colt had taken this morning. When the truck passed the spot where we’d parked, my cheeks heated, but Caroline was talking about her car, so no one paid me any attention. To my relief, the heavy after-school traffic stopped Brandon from driving the way Colt had. Despite the stop sign at the end of the
***
“Y ou need a ride?” Caroline appeared just as I slammed my locker door. “I looked for you at lunch, but you disappeared.”
“Sorry, a guidance counselor stopped me. She wants me to try out for the same scholarship you are.”
Her expression turned guarded. “I just told her I’d take the test to make her stop talkin’. I dunno if I’m gonna go.”
“Oh. Well, yes, I’d love a ride. I don’t live far.” I paused. “But I can’t give you directions. Any chance you know where Colt lives?”
She laughed. “Shelby, of course I know where he lives.” She made a circle with her thumb and forefinger and pressed it to her eye. “Town’s about this big, you know?”
“Good, because I suck at directions. And don’t say get a GPS. Those only make me more confused.”
“Can’t find your way out of a wet paper bag, huh?” Her laughter was friendly, not derisive.
“It’s why I don’t have a car. My mom’s afraid I’ll end up lost. Or in Egypt.” The lie forestalled the obvious next question.
“My dad’s having my new car delivered today.”
Envy pierced me. “Really? How nice. What’s the occasion?”
“I turn eighteen tomorrow.”
I grabbed her arm. “Hey, no way. Me, too. I’ll be eighteen tomorrow.”
“Really?” She grinned. “I knew we were gonna get along as soon as I saw you get out of that sweet-ass ‘Vette.” She raked her nails through my hair. “You got that shade of auburn that just sets off a red car, you know?”
I sensed the girl at the locker next to mine stared so, I looked over. “Hi.” I smiled.
She rolled her eyes and slammed her locker door closed. “If you’re her friend, don’t even speak to me.”
“Well, okay then.” I gaped as she strode away. She met up with two other girls a few steps down the hall. Whatever she said made them look over their shoulders in our direction. Then they burst out laughing and turned away.
“Bitches,” Caroline muttered.
I blew out a breath and rolled my eyes. “Without mean girls, would it still be high school?”
“Good point.” She tugged my sleeve. “C’mon. Brandon hates when I make him wait.”
We joined the crowd in the high school lobby, waiting on rides. “So, wanna go out tonight?”
“I dunno if I can. I have a ton of homework.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire. I wanted to be home to see Colt. Which was stupid.
“Well, call me if you change your mind.” We exchanged numbers. I couldn’t miss the disparaging look she gave my old cell phone, but I was used to that kind of scorn. Not that many people ever called me. I didn’t do the social media thing. Never had anything worth posting. I eyed her shiny iPhone, the latest model, but felt no envy. Mom was still making payments on my prized MacBook Pro. It was all the fancy technology I cared about owning.
Caroline led us to the same truck I’d seen this morning. She climbed in first, sliding to the center of the wide bench seat. The man behind the wheel leaned forward to stare when I plopped down at Caroline’s side. “Shelby, Brandon. Brandon, Shelby. Can you drop her off at Colt’s house?”
“Gas or ass?” He didn’t smile. If he felt any kinship over our shared hair color, none showed in his face.
Caroline drove her elbow into his ribs. “Don’t even. It’s on the way home and you know it.”
His scowl deepened. “You know I just washed this truck.”
“I don’t mind if you let me out at the top of the road,” I interjected as he pulled away from the curb.
“Don’t think I won’t,” he retorted. He used the same side road Colt had taken this morning. When the truck passed the spot where we’d parked, my cheeks heated, but Caroline was talking about her car, so no one paid me any attention. To my relief, the heavy after-school traffic stopped Brandon from driving the way Colt had. Despite the stop sign at the end of the
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