Read Online Living Backwards by Tracy Sweeney - Free Book Online Page B

car trouble, and I had just left her twenty minutes ago. If she had said something, I could’ve looked at it.
    “Sure, sure, Miss…”
    “Cross. Jillian,” she replied. I didn’t think she even realized I was in the class and for some reason it irritated me that she hadn’t made eye contact yet.
    “Okay, Jillian, can you pull it into the bay over there,” he asked pointing to the middle doorway. As she pulled the car in, I noticed the white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe.
    “So, what seems to be the problem?”
    “Jillian!” I turned and noticed Megan Dunn running over. “Jeez, can you trust me and not go running off when I’m trying to help you?” she fumed.
    “I’m sorry, Megan,” Jillian replied sounding exasperated. “I’m sure you think you know what the problem is, but I’d like a professional opinion.”
    Megan turned to Mr. Scanlon, her arms crossed in front of her chest and her head held high.
    “It’s a blown head gasket,” she stated matter-of-factly. “The engine is overheating. It miss-fires and the check engine light comes on. And she’s always adding coolant to the radiator.” She turned to Jillian. “He needs to do a cooling system pressure test for you to see if there’s a leak in the system.”
    “Can you please let Mr. Scanlon decide what’s best to do?” she countered.
    “Actually, Jillian, your friend here is right. Let me grab the kit.” Jillian watched him walk over to his tool cabinet. As she scanned the room, she noticed me standing by the door, gave me a small smile and winked. Then it started making sense. This was part of whatever scheme she was talking about. Under any other circumstance, I would’ve been pissed that she was taking up time I could be using to fix my bike, but I was finding the show amusing. As I looked around the room, it appeared that the other guys in class were too. Maybe too much.
    “Here we are,” Scanlon began when he returned with the small black case.
    “Mr. Scanlon, may I?” Megan asked holding out her hand towards the case.
    “Oh, it’s a little complicated, Miss…”
    “Megan Dunn. And I’ve used one before. I need to prove to my friend that I know what I’m talking about.”
    “Well, let me help you,” he replied tentatively. Megan pulled open the hood stretching up tall, and looking down onto the engine. I don’t think there was a person in the room other than Scanlon that was looking inside the hood. All eyes were on Megan’s tight tank top and small jean skirt. I, on the other hand, found my eyes drifting over to the small brunette standing back and watching the scene unfold with a satisfied smirk.
    When Megan bent over the hood to attach the pump, brushing her hair off her shoulders, I watched Nate Barrett and a few of his football buddies suck in their breaths.
    “Could you hold this for me?” she asked Nate, reaching out to hand him one of the parts. He had to move closer in order to reach, but he seemed frozen in place. One of his friends gave him a quick shove forward which snapped him out of his trance. It was when she bent over again, pointing out the different parts of the engine that the entire room heard a very distinct groan emanate from his chest.
    I guess I know who the poor schmuck is now.
    “Sorry,” he replied nervously clearing his throat. “I’ve got a dry throat.”
    Is that what they call it these days?
    I hadn’t noticed that Jillian had slowly backed up next to me. I couldn’t stop fidgeting, turning the pivot bolt around in my hand.
    “And that is how it’s done,” she whispered enjoying her opportunity to gloat.
    “Pleased with your handiwork?” I asked, teasing her.
    “If I do say so myself,” she answered smugly.
    “How’d you know you had a blown head gasket?”
    “I didn’t,” she began wide-eyed like a kid telling a secret. “Megan figured it out. I was going to yank out The Baron’s spark plugs or something, but she took a look in the hood and told me what was