Read Online Have Mercy (Have a Life #1) by Maddy Wells - Free Book Online Page A

obviously they did it once to get me, but I haven’t seen any evidence since that they’re in love or anything.  The only time The Griffin ever stays here longer than a few days is when he needs to dry out—which  has actually been three times that I can remember—but no one acts regular then.  I mean, Jane doesn’t invite the neighbors for potluck and The Griffin doesn’t mow the lawn.  He spends a lot of time sitting in the dandelion patch in a yoga position humming.  Maybe this is how he composes or something, because, he told me, the regular thing that alcoholics in recovery are supposed do—go to church to talk to Jesus—he just can’t bring himself to do.  One time I caught him blowing on the white dandelions heads, laughing as the seeds floated out over the neighborhood like he just didn’t give a damn that me and Jane had to live here the rest of the time and listen to the neighbors bitch about our yard.               
                  “You look good, babe,” The Griffin said.
                  “You too.  Look, I have to go to the prom…” and before she finished saying what she wanted to say, he said, “I’m too old to be your prom date, honey, you should have asked me sooner,” and they started laughing hysterically again.
                  The Griffin squeezed in next to her on the sofa, carefully rearranging his tail.  He didn’t seem a bit phased that Rob was pressed against her other side.  “Are you going to tell me again all the things I stopped you from doing?”
                  “I never said you stopped me from doing anything, I only said….” And then I guess she remembered I was there and what she was going to say, so she shut up.  “I promised that I would chaperone.  You should have given us notice.” 
                  The pretty Goth girl had come up behind the sofa and was digging her black fingernails into The Griffin’s neck.  She’d unzipped her studded jacket to make clear that she had something The Griffin would probably want to see.  The Griffin looked back at her and smiled. “Don’t worry about us,” he said.  “We know where everything is.” 
                    “I guess you do,” Jane said.  She took Rob’s hand and got up from the sofa.  “Why don’t you come help me redecorate the gym?”
                  The Goth girl bent and whispered something in The Griffin’s ear.  Rob looked at The Griffin, obviously weighing what the chances were if he left that he would get to show The Griffin how he could make a guitar talk.  “Sure, sure,” he said to Jane, running his hand through his hair.
                  “Do you have a car?”  Jane asked. 
                  “I rode my bike.” 
                  Jane laughed and glared at the pretty Goth girl.  For a moment Jane looked really sad and I wanted to punch the Goth, but then Jane shook herself and smiled.  “This younger generation.  And there’s always a younger one, isn’t there, Grif?  They ride bikes instead of cars.  We’ll take my car.  It’s a present from The Griffin,” she said directly to the Goth girl.
                  Rob kind of bowed to The Griffin.  “You’ll be here later, right?”
                  I was stuffing what was happening into my Figure Out Later box as fast as I could because a lot was going on that needed figuring out when Captain Kirby pounded me on the back.  “Oh, my god!  Wait till you see the trick Bang showed me on the drums.  I’m a thousand per cent better already.  Come on!  Everyone’s in the Trap.  We’re waiting for you.”
                  And everyone was in the Trap and the place exploded with applause when The Griffin tugging the Goth girl behind him and I came down the stairs.  Kids were texting like mad about us and I felt famous and I know fame is