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what’s up?” he asked.
    “I want to know what makes you think I stole a car.”
    I waited as he finished his slice and washed it down with Red Bull. He was enjoying himself.
    “I saw you,” he said.
    I waited some more.
    “I couldn’t believe it. Alton Wright’s Hummer, that was so cool.”
    “You saw?”
    “I was sitting right across the Pit, having a smoke. I see you and that scrawny what’s-his-name get out of the Hummer and, y’know, I was thinking I had me some good weed, but not hallucinating good, and then you went and sank yourself. Laughed my ass off. Surprised you guys didn’t hear me.”
    “I was sort of busy trying not to drown.”
    “Yeah, no shit.”
    We sat for a few seconds without talking, me trying to figure out how to keep Deke from telling everybody what he’d seen, and worrying about it getting back to Alton Wright.
    Deke said, “I got busted for auto theft last year, y’know.”
    “You did?”
    “Yeah. That’s how come you didn’t see me around school.” He leaned toward me and lowered his voice. “Actually, me and Marsh, we were going for fifty, like in Gone in Sixty Seconds. You ever see that?”
    “Yeah,” I said. “It was stupid.”
    “No shit. But it was cool too. Anyway, Marsh and me got cracked on number fourteen. Both of us.”
    “You stole fourteen cars?”
    He put his hand over his heart. “I swear. Only I had to give it up.”
    I waited.
    “On account of I just turned eighteen. I got off with sixty days in juvie, plus probation, which I’m still on. That’s how come I’m working here now. Got to stay employed, be a productive member of society. I get nailed again, I’m screwed.” He stood up. “I’m going for another slice. Want one?”
    “I’ll take a Coke,” I said. I watched him saunter over to the Sbarro counter, walking like he knew I was watching him, which I was. I may not have mentioned that despite his ridiculous name and tough-guy attitude and retro-thug clothing, Deke was kind of okay-looking. Not that I was interested, but at least it wasn’t hard to look at him like it was with Marsh and a lot of other guys. Plus I wanted to know more about the car thing. I knew Deke had been in trouble the year before, but I hadn’t realized it was for auto theft. I’d figured it was more like vandalism or stealing garden gnomes. Knowing that he was a genuine criminal type made me trust him more. I know that sounds stupid, but I figured if he was a career criminal he’d be less likely to rat me out to Alton Wright or the police.
    When he returned with my Coke and another slice for himself, I asked him straight out, “You aren’t going to say anything to Alton about me and his Hummer, are you?”
    “Alton Wright is a rich piece of shit.” He looked me in the eye then, completely serious. “I think you should steal his new FJ and see if it floats.”
    It wasn’t exactly I-swear-on-all-that-is-holy-I-will-never-tell, but it was something, his letting me know we were on the same team.
    I felt myself relax, just a little.
    He said, “Y’know, what I said yesterday? I was serious. About making some money?”
    I didn’t say anything.
    “Look, you get caught doing something when you’re underage, they don’t do shit.”
    “They locked you up for two months.”
    “Yeah, but I already had a record. Plus, you’re a girl. Girls always get off easy.”
    I sat back and crossed my arms and looked at him. “You think I should become a professional car thief?”
    “I’m just saying you could make some money if you wanted. I still got the connections. I just can’t get caught behind the wheel. I—” He sat up straight. “Shit, my break’s been over for like three minutes.” He stood up and picked up an apron he’d been sitting on and a crushed paper cap. He punched the cap back into shape. Printed on the front were the words WOK ON THE WILD SIDE . With an embarrassed smile and a shrug, he put the cap on his head and tied on the apron.