knows about you. He’s watching you, too, and it’s only a matter of time. He’ll get what he wants from both of us.”
Brea opened her phone and started to dial Jaxon.
“Who are you calling? Abercrombie? You think he wants to help you?” Harmony scoffed. “You know what I know about him? He’s only with you to keep you away from me.”
“What are you talking about? Harmony, now you’re sounding paranoid.”
“It’s not paranoia. I heard him say it to that jock, retard buddy of his that day they crashed my locker. You asked me where I was, remember?”
The call went to voice mail and Brea dialed again. “Yeah, I remember.”
“I was in the janitor’s supply closet down the hall from our lockers. I saw you on the phone and I saw Jaxon, and Rachael, and what’s-his-name. He said his father needs some zoning thing approved by your mother. It’s a hoax, Brea. You’re the butt of his fucking joke.”
“You’re crazy. You just can’t stand the idea that I could have someone, too.”
“Think about it. You or that slut Rachael? If you were Jaxon, who would you pick?”
“You’re lying.”
“You believe that? After everything we’ve been through? All the times I helped you out? You think I’d lie about something like this?”
Finally, Jaxon answered the phone.
“Hello?” Brea wandered off, talking quietly so Harmony couldn’t hear her.
“You think I’m lying?” Harmony shouted. “Ask him about his new Audi.”
Brea hung up and stomped over to where Harmony was sitting. “You know what? This paranoid track you’re on, you’re going to end up just like your mother.”
Harmony lit up a cigarette. “Funny you say that, you’re already like yours.”
14 .
Jaxon’s late model Passat pulled up to Oakwood in record time. If he’d been doing anything at all, he must have dropped it when she called.
Brea dismissed what Harmony said about him, though she couldn’t help but wonder about the details.
“Thanks for picking me up,” she said and kept her face turned toward the window.
“No problem.” He reached for her hand but she pulled away. “You want to tell me what happened in there?”
Brea kept from making eye contact. “What makes you think anything happened? I came with Harmony and Adam. He’s not back and she’s not ready to leave. That’s all.”
He flipped down the visor and opened the lit vanity. Her face was splotchy and her eyes were swollen from crying, visible apparently even from her profile “Let’s try this again. Want to tell me what happened?”
She pulled back her hair and sniffled. “I don’t want to talk about it. Just promise me you’re not going to say anything to my mother about me being here, okay?”
“Of course I’m not going to say anything, but you should know better than to skip school with Harmony of all people. Joan would eat you alive if she knew.”
“ Joan won’t know.” She hated that he was on a first name basis with her mother.
He handed her a Kleenex from his center console and brushed back the lock of hair that had fallen from her ponytail. “What do you say we make this my fault? You know school called her and told her you skipped. We’ll tell her it was a pre-prom date.”
Prom . She felt on-the-hook accepting his alibi. “I didn’t say yes, you know.”
He pulled out on Route 32 in the opposite direction of her house and school. “You will.”
“You’re always so sure.”
A couple miles down the road from Oakwood Cemetery was Miller’s Pond, a location popular with the driving-age teens because of its seclusion. Brea knew where it was, but had never been. Jaxon, on the other hand, obviously had.
He pulled down the gravel drive and Brea felt her whole body tense. Their secret dating made it easy to avoid telling him she was a virgin. Most of their time together was spent at her house and her mother insisted on the bedroom door staying open. There was no reason he should know, at least until
Brea opened her phone and started to dial Jaxon.
“Who are you calling? Abercrombie? You think he wants to help you?” Harmony scoffed. “You know what I know about him? He’s only with you to keep you away from me.”
“What are you talking about? Harmony, now you’re sounding paranoid.”
“It’s not paranoia. I heard him say it to that jock, retard buddy of his that day they crashed my locker. You asked me where I was, remember?”
The call went to voice mail and Brea dialed again. “Yeah, I remember.”
“I was in the janitor’s supply closet down the hall from our lockers. I saw you on the phone and I saw Jaxon, and Rachael, and what’s-his-name. He said his father needs some zoning thing approved by your mother. It’s a hoax, Brea. You’re the butt of his fucking joke.”
“You’re crazy. You just can’t stand the idea that I could have someone, too.”
“Think about it. You or that slut Rachael? If you were Jaxon, who would you pick?”
“You’re lying.”
“You believe that? After everything we’ve been through? All the times I helped you out? You think I’d lie about something like this?”
Finally, Jaxon answered the phone.
“Hello?” Brea wandered off, talking quietly so Harmony couldn’t hear her.
“You think I’m lying?” Harmony shouted. “Ask him about his new Audi.”
Brea hung up and stomped over to where Harmony was sitting. “You know what? This paranoid track you’re on, you’re going to end up just like your mother.”
Harmony lit up a cigarette. “Funny you say that, you’re already like yours.”
14 .
Jaxon’s late model Passat pulled up to Oakwood in record time. If he’d been doing anything at all, he must have dropped it when she called.
Brea dismissed what Harmony said about him, though she couldn’t help but wonder about the details.
“Thanks for picking me up,” she said and kept her face turned toward the window.
“No problem.” He reached for her hand but she pulled away. “You want to tell me what happened in there?”
Brea kept from making eye contact. “What makes you think anything happened? I came with Harmony and Adam. He’s not back and she’s not ready to leave. That’s all.”
He flipped down the visor and opened the lit vanity. Her face was splotchy and her eyes were swollen from crying, visible apparently even from her profile “Let’s try this again. Want to tell me what happened?”
She pulled back her hair and sniffled. “I don’t want to talk about it. Just promise me you’re not going to say anything to my mother about me being here, okay?”
“Of course I’m not going to say anything, but you should know better than to skip school with Harmony of all people. Joan would eat you alive if she knew.”
“ Joan won’t know.” She hated that he was on a first name basis with her mother.
He handed her a Kleenex from his center console and brushed back the lock of hair that had fallen from her ponytail. “What do you say we make this my fault? You know school called her and told her you skipped. We’ll tell her it was a pre-prom date.”
Prom . She felt on-the-hook accepting his alibi. “I didn’t say yes, you know.”
He pulled out on Route 32 in the opposite direction of her house and school. “You will.”
“You’re always so sure.”
A couple miles down the road from Oakwood Cemetery was Miller’s Pond, a location popular with the driving-age teens because of its seclusion. Brea knew where it was, but had never been. Jaxon, on the other hand, obviously had.
He pulled down the gravel drive and Brea felt her whole body tense. Their secret dating made it easy to avoid telling him she was a virgin. Most of their time together was spent at her house and her mother insisted on the bedroom door staying open. There was no reason he should know, at least until
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