Jamie asked. âWhat did you say?â
âI can handle Oink-Oink,â Shark said.
âWhat are you going to do?â I asked.
Shark didnât answer. He climbed to his feet and started to walk rapidly to the shore.
âWhere are you going?â Jamie called after him.
He turned back. âFor a walk. Want to come?â
Jamie struggled to her feet and took off after Shark. Ada and I sat side by side in the grass and watched them disappear behind a clump of tall evergreen shrubs.
âThe cockroach thing is totally creepy,â Ada said, turning to me. âYou must have been so scared, Nate.â Her eyes were kinda watery, and her chin trembled.
Before I could reply, she grabbed my head with both hands and pulled my face to hers. She started kissing me, kissing me hard, moving her lips against mine.
Stunned, it took me a little while to kiss her back.
Ada had never been into me in any way. But here we were, holding each other, pressingagainst each other in the warm grass, and lip-locked so hard I could barely breathe.
I wrapped my arms around her waist as I kissed her. I felt her mouth open. Our kiss lasted for another minute or two. Then she suddenly pulled away. Her face was red, like she was embarrassed.
I wanted to act casual about it. You know, be cool. But I didnât really know how to do that. I just stared at her wide-eyed, breathing hard, until she laughed.
Was she laughing at me? Or laughing because she liked me? Did she like me?
I didnât have time to think about it because I saw Shark and Jamie returning from their walk. I jumped to my feet and brushed off my jeans with both hands. And pretended that scene with Ada had never happened.
âLetâs go,â Shark said.
I grabbed Adaâs hands and tugged her to her feet. Her face was still red, and she had a strange smile frozen there.
We walked to the car, put on our shoes, and climbed back inâShark and me in front, the girls in back.
I fumbled in my jeans pocket and foundthe key. The car started right up. âHey, this beats seventh-period government,â Shark said.
âWe should do this every afternoon,â I said.
âYou couldnât do that, Nate. Youâre such a good boy,â Ada said.
Now she was teasing me. What was up with her?
I shifted into reverse and lowered my foot on the gas pedal. I felt a jolt.
The car jerked forward.
âWhoa!â I let out a cry of surprise.
My right hand tightened on the gearshift at my side. I jammed it forward, then back into reverse.
The engine roared. The car bumped over the grass, picking up speed, shooting to the water.
âIt wonât back up!â I screamed.
I jammed my foot down on the brake.
I waited for the car to stop. No. The car picked up speed.
I slammed my foot down on the brake again. Again.
I froze in panic as I realized the car wasnât stopping.
We all screamed as it roared over the side of the shore.
I gripped the steering wheel with both hands as the car flew through the air, engine roaring.
Our screams stopped as we soared up, then crashed into the water, splashing up tall waves all around us.
The car rocked on the surface for a few moments.
âOpen the doors!â Ada shrieked. âOpen them! Get out! Get out! Hurry!â
I couldnât move. I felt dazed. Dizzy.
This couldnât be happening!
We were sinking, sinking fast to the bottom of the river.
âWeâre going to drown!â Ada wailed. âWeâre all going to drown!â
16
Dark green water rose halfway up the car windows. The car rocked hard, tilting to one side then the other as it sank to the bottom.
I grabbed my door handle and jerked it hard. I shoved my shoulder into the door.
The door wouldnât budge.
I jammed my shoulder into the door again.
No. It wouldnât move.
My heart thudded in my chest. I heard Jamie and Ada screaming in the back seat.
Ada shoved the back of my seat. âOpen the
âI can handle Oink-Oink,â Shark said.
âWhat are you going to do?â I asked.
Shark didnât answer. He climbed to his feet and started to walk rapidly to the shore.
âWhere are you going?â Jamie called after him.
He turned back. âFor a walk. Want to come?â
Jamie struggled to her feet and took off after Shark. Ada and I sat side by side in the grass and watched them disappear behind a clump of tall evergreen shrubs.
âThe cockroach thing is totally creepy,â Ada said, turning to me. âYou must have been so scared, Nate.â Her eyes were kinda watery, and her chin trembled.
Before I could reply, she grabbed my head with both hands and pulled my face to hers. She started kissing me, kissing me hard, moving her lips against mine.
Stunned, it took me a little while to kiss her back.
Ada had never been into me in any way. But here we were, holding each other, pressingagainst each other in the warm grass, and lip-locked so hard I could barely breathe.
I wrapped my arms around her waist as I kissed her. I felt her mouth open. Our kiss lasted for another minute or two. Then she suddenly pulled away. Her face was red, like she was embarrassed.
I wanted to act casual about it. You know, be cool. But I didnât really know how to do that. I just stared at her wide-eyed, breathing hard, until she laughed.
Was she laughing at me? Or laughing because she liked me? Did she like me?
I didnât have time to think about it because I saw Shark and Jamie returning from their walk. I jumped to my feet and brushed off my jeans with both hands. And pretended that scene with Ada had never happened.
âLetâs go,â Shark said.
I grabbed Adaâs hands and tugged her to her feet. Her face was still red, and she had a strange smile frozen there.
We walked to the car, put on our shoes, and climbed back inâShark and me in front, the girls in back.
I fumbled in my jeans pocket and foundthe key. The car started right up. âHey, this beats seventh-period government,â Shark said.
âWe should do this every afternoon,â I said.
âYou couldnât do that, Nate. Youâre such a good boy,â Ada said.
Now she was teasing me. What was up with her?
I shifted into reverse and lowered my foot on the gas pedal. I felt a jolt.
The car jerked forward.
âWhoa!â I let out a cry of surprise.
My right hand tightened on the gearshift at my side. I jammed it forward, then back into reverse.
The engine roared. The car bumped over the grass, picking up speed, shooting to the water.
âIt wonât back up!â I screamed.
I jammed my foot down on the brake.
I waited for the car to stop. No. The car picked up speed.
I slammed my foot down on the brake again. Again.
I froze in panic as I realized the car wasnât stopping.
We all screamed as it roared over the side of the shore.
I gripped the steering wheel with both hands as the car flew through the air, engine roaring.
Our screams stopped as we soared up, then crashed into the water, splashing up tall waves all around us.
The car rocked on the surface for a few moments.
âOpen the doors!â Ada shrieked. âOpen them! Get out! Get out! Hurry!â
I couldnât move. I felt dazed. Dizzy.
This couldnât be happening!
We were sinking, sinking fast to the bottom of the river.
âWeâre going to drown!â Ada wailed. âWeâre all going to drown!â
16
Dark green water rose halfway up the car windows. The car rocked hard, tilting to one side then the other as it sank to the bottom.
I grabbed my door handle and jerked it hard. I shoved my shoulder into the door.
The door wouldnât budge.
I jammed my shoulder into the door again.
No. It wouldnât move.
My heart thudded in my chest. I heard Jamie and Ada screaming in the back seat.
Ada shoved the back of my seat. âOpen the
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