arch. “What?”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing anyone has ever said to me.” Bea is just plain crazy—that’s why she’s being so nice. Still, I like her.
“Whatever.” She parks at SuperMart, and I can’t believe we’re already here. It doesn’t seem like we drove all the way across town. “Let’s get your crap. You better not expect me to pay for it, since I already gave you a ride.”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Her smile is different, this sly grin that says she’s joking.
We head into the store, which is the only place in Madison to get anything from the outside world. The other businesses have been here for decades, like the old diner and bowling alley on Main Street, or the community pool I haven’t had the guts to go to. SuperMart looks new. The red dust hasn’t seeped into its facade yet.
I head straight for the electronics in search of a phone I can buy without too many strings. I find the perfect thing—thirty days, no contract, one-time fee.
Bea frowns. “That thing is a piece of junk.” She holds up a flashy pink one I’d have picked myself. “What about this one?”
“I don’t have a lot of cash.” I only brought what I could find in my room when we escaped, and that was a few hundred.
She tilts her head. “You don’t?”
I gulp. For a second I forgot she doesn’t know why I’m here. She probably thinks I have all the money in the world. I would if I had Dad’s credit card. I search for a good excuse, any excuse. “Uh, I didn’t plan on being here so long.”
“Right.” The reality of this little friendship flits across her face—she’s talking to syndicate royalty—but then it’s gone again. She holds up the phone. “This is the one I’d get if I had the money. Mom and Dad can’t afford five cells, and I’m not working at Taco Bell, you know?”
I laugh wryly. “Taco Bell doesn’t sound so bad.”
She bites her lip, and I fear I’ve said too much for us to ever really be friends. She has to know affiliating with me is dangerous. “Sorry. I must sound like a jerk.”
“What?”
“It’s just …” She shakes her head. “Never mind. I swear I’ll figure out this friend-that’s-a-girl thing. What else do you need?”
“Just some food and stuff.” I pay for the phone there, since the salesperson won’t let me leave the area otherwise. Then I head for the aisles, trying to figure out why Bea hasn’t run for the hills yet. Whatever good vibe happened in the car seems to have died, and in its wake is some serious awkward silence. I grab a bunch of granola bars and Pop-Tarts, but not as many as I would have if Bea weren’t there. I can feel her watching, thinking.
“Do you like movies?” she finally blurts out.
I try not to laugh. This could not get weirder. “Yeah, I do.”
“We, uh, do a movie night at my house every Friday. I swear it’s not as lame as it sounds. My parents usually duck out. Brady and—”
“Wait.” I stop on my way to get water. “Is that why you stopped talking? You thought I’d think you weren’t cool?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. There’s probably a million exciting things to do in Las Vegas. Madison isn’t exactly the center of awesome. Hell, it’s not even the center of vaguely entertaining.”
I can’t help but smile. It’s like we’re both trying not to step on the other’s feet. “You think I got to do anything fun with people always watching me? Of course I’ll come.”
She smiles. “Great. Except for the fact that Brady will so rub this in. He swore you’d say yes.”
My cheeks warm. Brady wanted to invite me, too? Before I can reply, a guy floats into view and all the good feelings vanish. I shove Bea down the nearest aisle, abandoning the cart.
She stares at me. “What the hell?”
“I gotta go. Now.” I can’t seem to get air. This can’t be happening.
“What? Why?”
My voice is a whisper, as if he’ll hear me across the store. “Graham.”
Chapter
“That’s the most ridiculous thing anyone has ever said to me.” Bea is just plain crazy—that’s why she’s being so nice. Still, I like her.
“Whatever.” She parks at SuperMart, and I can’t believe we’re already here. It doesn’t seem like we drove all the way across town. “Let’s get your crap. You better not expect me to pay for it, since I already gave you a ride.”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Her smile is different, this sly grin that says she’s joking.
We head into the store, which is the only place in Madison to get anything from the outside world. The other businesses have been here for decades, like the old diner and bowling alley on Main Street, or the community pool I haven’t had the guts to go to. SuperMart looks new. The red dust hasn’t seeped into its facade yet.
I head straight for the electronics in search of a phone I can buy without too many strings. I find the perfect thing—thirty days, no contract, one-time fee.
Bea frowns. “That thing is a piece of junk.” She holds up a flashy pink one I’d have picked myself. “What about this one?”
“I don’t have a lot of cash.” I only brought what I could find in my room when we escaped, and that was a few hundred.
She tilts her head. “You don’t?”
I gulp. For a second I forgot she doesn’t know why I’m here. She probably thinks I have all the money in the world. I would if I had Dad’s credit card. I search for a good excuse, any excuse. “Uh, I didn’t plan on being here so long.”
“Right.” The reality of this little friendship flits across her face—she’s talking to syndicate royalty—but then it’s gone again. She holds up the phone. “This is the one I’d get if I had the money. Mom and Dad can’t afford five cells, and I’m not working at Taco Bell, you know?”
I laugh wryly. “Taco Bell doesn’t sound so bad.”
She bites her lip, and I fear I’ve said too much for us to ever really be friends. She has to know affiliating with me is dangerous. “Sorry. I must sound like a jerk.”
“What?”
“It’s just …” She shakes her head. “Never mind. I swear I’ll figure out this friend-that’s-a-girl thing. What else do you need?”
“Just some food and stuff.” I pay for the phone there, since the salesperson won’t let me leave the area otherwise. Then I head for the aisles, trying to figure out why Bea hasn’t run for the hills yet. Whatever good vibe happened in the car seems to have died, and in its wake is some serious awkward silence. I grab a bunch of granola bars and Pop-Tarts, but not as many as I would have if Bea weren’t there. I can feel her watching, thinking.
“Do you like movies?” she finally blurts out.
I try not to laugh. This could not get weirder. “Yeah, I do.”
“We, uh, do a movie night at my house every Friday. I swear it’s not as lame as it sounds. My parents usually duck out. Brady and—”
“Wait.” I stop on my way to get water. “Is that why you stopped talking? You thought I’d think you weren’t cool?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. There’s probably a million exciting things to do in Las Vegas. Madison isn’t exactly the center of awesome. Hell, it’s not even the center of vaguely entertaining.”
I can’t help but smile. It’s like we’re both trying not to step on the other’s feet. “You think I got to do anything fun with people always watching me? Of course I’ll come.”
She smiles. “Great. Except for the fact that Brady will so rub this in. He swore you’d say yes.”
My cheeks warm. Brady wanted to invite me, too? Before I can reply, a guy floats into view and all the good feelings vanish. I shove Bea down the nearest aisle, abandoning the cart.
She stares at me. “What the hell?”
“I gotta go. Now.” I can’t seem to get air. This can’t be happening.
“What? Why?”
My voice is a whisper, as if he’ll hear me across the store. “Graham.”
Chapter
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