Tag Along by Tom Ryan Page B

I don’t understand why anyone would want to do that. It’s only going to end up upsetting people anyway, isn’t it?”
    She looks at me with such contempt that I instantly feel as if I’ve just said the stupidest thing ever.
    â€œI really don’t give a shit if it upsets someone,” she says. “And I definitely don’t give a shit that you don’t understand.”
    Roemi lets out a long, low whistle. I shrug and try to look like I’m not bothered by her rudeness. It’s not like I’m trying to offend her. I really don’t understand why anyone would want to climb up a cliff to spray-paint something that’s just going to annoy people. Plus it’s illegal.
    â€œWould it help if you had an extension ladder?” asks Paul. “There’s one in the back of my dad’s truck.”
    â€œAre you kidding me?” asks Candace. “Can I use it?”
    â€œNo problem,” he says.
    The thought of being an accessory to a crime isn’t very appealing to me, especially since I’m already in big trouble with my mother.
    â€œI think I’m going to get out of here,” I say.
    â€œOh, come on, Andrea,” says Roemi. “Live a little. What else are you going to do? Exams are over, remember? There’s nothing left to study.”
    â€œI don’t know,” I say. “I don’t really want to be involved in, you know…”
    â€œBreaking the law?” asks Candace, half laughing, half sneering. “Let her go,” she says. “She’s scared. Big deal.”
    â€œCome on, Andrea,” says Paul. “It’ll be fun. Something different.”
    â€œI’m not scared,” I say.
    Suddenly the last thing I want to do is give this strange girl the satisfaction of thinking I’m leaving because of her. I don’t really understand what Paul thinks will be so fun, but I have as much right to be here as anyone. Besides, it’s not like I’m going to be holding the spray can. To hell with her.
    â€œI guess I’ve got nothing better to do,” I tell them. “I might as well stick around for a while.”
    â€œOh goody,” says Roemi. “We’re all best friends again.”
    â€œWhatever,” says Candace, without so much as glancing at me. She looks at Paul. “So let’s go get this ladder.”

PAUL
    Candace and I walk back out to where I’ve parked the truck. I pop the door to the cap and lower the tailgate.
    â€œSo do you usually do this with other people when you’re in the city?” I ask as Candace and I haul the ladder out.
    â€œNo,” she says, shaking her head. “I used to, but now I keep it to myself. It’s easier that way.”
    â€œWhat about your friends?” I ask.
    â€œWhat about them?”
    It’s obvious that she doesn’t want to talk about it, so I drop the subject.
    â€œI like being by myself,” she says eventually. “It’s kind of hard to explain, but this is important to me. It’s my art, and when people think it’s stupid, I’m not going to go out of my way to change their minds.”
    â€œI don’t think it’s stupid,” I say. I don’t bother to tell her that I definitely would have said it was stupid before I met her.
    â€œYeah, well, most people do. Your friend back there does.”
    â€œWho, Andrea?” I ask. “Nah, Andrea’s cool. She’s just a really responsible person. I don’t think she meant anything by it.”
    â€œI know when someone’s judging me. I’m used to it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
    We carry the ladder back to the edge of the woods and lay it down on the side of the path.
    â€œI’m going to grab some rope,” I say. “Safety first.”
    We go back to the truck, and I rummage around until I find a coil of rope. I’m crawling back out of the truck when a car