being invited over to somebody’s house, except you didn’t leave for a while.
We dug into Mrs. Beckett’s meatloaf, trading stories about our days. It wasn’t a real family, but I was warm, I had food to eat and clothes to wear and people who wanted to hear what I had to say. People who planted flowers in the yard.
“Did that boy give you any more trouble?” Mr. Beckett asked, and Mrs. Beckett’s eyebrows shot up. I quickly shook my head.
“No, not at all.”
“Good.”
Mrs. Beckett cleared her throat. “So, Amanda. We’ve had a call from your social worker. Your mother’s requested a visit.”
The fork froze halfway to my mouth. “No.”
“Now, Amanda,” Mr. Beckett began, using his best sitcom-dad voice.
“No.”
“Amanda.” The fake voice was gone. In its place was Rental Dad, the voice that reminded me that even without breaking a rule, I could be shipped back at any time. I shut my eyes, but it didn’t help. I could see Mom’s face the night she was arrested. All she cared about was him . She never gave me a thought, and now she suddenly wanted to see me?
I would not let that happen.
Chapter 7
Reece
I should have done this years ago. If I had, would it have helped? I don’t know, and for that, I’m sorry.
“You should have been there, Alex. He was actually speechless.” I wadded up the cellophane wrapper around my sandwich and tossed it to my tray.
Alex looked up from his tablet and smiled. “Told you. Here.” He slid the tablet across the table. “Your move.”
I move a pawn ahead two spaces and gave him back the tablet. “We learned how to put on all the clothes. They’re called—”
“Turnout gear. I know.”
Of course he did. I rolled my eyes. “Sorry.” It was my turn again, so I moved a knight. “He didn’t teach much, just kind of demonstrated, but I was able to pick it up.”
“Go to YouTube, watch videos. And then read your text.”
“Done. I watched a dozen videos last night when I got home and—”
A throat cleared. I looked up and found Amanda Jamison standing next to me. My throat closed up. Under the table, Alex nudged my foot, and I jerked. “Oh, um, hey.”
“Hey.” She jerked her chin at me, then turned to Alex. “Hi, Alex.”
Wait, what? “You know each other?”
She shrugged. “Same English class.”
Oh.
Amanda turned back to me. “So, listen, Logan. The squad sits over there.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder where Gage, Max, Bear, and Kevin sat. Bear waved. I waved back, wondering what the hell she expected me to do with this information.
Her hair was down today, long and smooth, tucked behind her ears. She wore no earrings. Every girl in the school had pierced ears—some wore multiple rings. She wore a pair of well-worn jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie.
So why did my heart speed up?
“Logan?”
“Uh, sorry. What?”
“I said we have a lot of work to do to get you caught up.”
“We?”
“All of us. The whole squad’s gonna help you. Last night…well, it was kind of a train wreck.”
“Caught that, huh?”
Her lip twitched, but she didn’t smile. I shifted and looked away.
“Look, we’re not doing this for you,” she snapped. “Squad’s important. Whatever’s going on between you and your dad stays home. And that means you need to step up. You have a lot to learn in a short time. Meet me after school at the track.”
“After—Alex and I were—”
“After school. Alex can come too if he wants,” she called out over her shoulder as she strode back to the squad table.
“Okay, then.” Alex angled his head. “I guess I won’t see you later.” He gathered his trash and his books and stood up.
“Oh, hey, I’m sorry about this.”
“No, no, it’s okay. This is important. You need to go.”
I stood too. “Thanks, man. Really.”
Alex left through the side door. I made my way to the squad table.
“Logan! Nice of you to join us.”
Join them? I must have missed that invitation. “So what
We dug into Mrs. Beckett’s meatloaf, trading stories about our days. It wasn’t a real family, but I was warm, I had food to eat and clothes to wear and people who wanted to hear what I had to say. People who planted flowers in the yard.
“Did that boy give you any more trouble?” Mr. Beckett asked, and Mrs. Beckett’s eyebrows shot up. I quickly shook my head.
“No, not at all.”
“Good.”
Mrs. Beckett cleared her throat. “So, Amanda. We’ve had a call from your social worker. Your mother’s requested a visit.”
The fork froze halfway to my mouth. “No.”
“Now, Amanda,” Mr. Beckett began, using his best sitcom-dad voice.
“No.”
“Amanda.” The fake voice was gone. In its place was Rental Dad, the voice that reminded me that even without breaking a rule, I could be shipped back at any time. I shut my eyes, but it didn’t help. I could see Mom’s face the night she was arrested. All she cared about was him . She never gave me a thought, and now she suddenly wanted to see me?
I would not let that happen.
Chapter 7
Reece
I should have done this years ago. If I had, would it have helped? I don’t know, and for that, I’m sorry.
“You should have been there, Alex. He was actually speechless.” I wadded up the cellophane wrapper around my sandwich and tossed it to my tray.
Alex looked up from his tablet and smiled. “Told you. Here.” He slid the tablet across the table. “Your move.”
I move a pawn ahead two spaces and gave him back the tablet. “We learned how to put on all the clothes. They’re called—”
“Turnout gear. I know.”
Of course he did. I rolled my eyes. “Sorry.” It was my turn again, so I moved a knight. “He didn’t teach much, just kind of demonstrated, but I was able to pick it up.”
“Go to YouTube, watch videos. And then read your text.”
“Done. I watched a dozen videos last night when I got home and—”
A throat cleared. I looked up and found Amanda Jamison standing next to me. My throat closed up. Under the table, Alex nudged my foot, and I jerked. “Oh, um, hey.”
“Hey.” She jerked her chin at me, then turned to Alex. “Hi, Alex.”
Wait, what? “You know each other?”
She shrugged. “Same English class.”
Oh.
Amanda turned back to me. “So, listen, Logan. The squad sits over there.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder where Gage, Max, Bear, and Kevin sat. Bear waved. I waved back, wondering what the hell she expected me to do with this information.
Her hair was down today, long and smooth, tucked behind her ears. She wore no earrings. Every girl in the school had pierced ears—some wore multiple rings. She wore a pair of well-worn jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie.
So why did my heart speed up?
“Logan?”
“Uh, sorry. What?”
“I said we have a lot of work to do to get you caught up.”
“We?”
“All of us. The whole squad’s gonna help you. Last night…well, it was kind of a train wreck.”
“Caught that, huh?”
Her lip twitched, but she didn’t smile. I shifted and looked away.
“Look, we’re not doing this for you,” she snapped. “Squad’s important. Whatever’s going on between you and your dad stays home. And that means you need to step up. You have a lot to learn in a short time. Meet me after school at the track.”
“After—Alex and I were—”
“After school. Alex can come too if he wants,” she called out over her shoulder as she strode back to the squad table.
“Okay, then.” Alex angled his head. “I guess I won’t see you later.” He gathered his trash and his books and stood up.
“Oh, hey, I’m sorry about this.”
“No, no, it’s okay. This is important. You need to go.”
I stood too. “Thanks, man. Really.”
Alex left through the side door. I made my way to the squad table.
“Logan! Nice of you to join us.”
Join them? I must have missed that invitation. “So what
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