like fifty years ago. My dad runs it now and his dream is to pass it on to me because I got lucky enough to be born his only son. So I have to work there a few days a week after school and on weekends. My dad hopes if he forces me to spend time there, eventually I’ll grow to love it.”
“But you don’t want to be a locksmith,” I said. “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t want to tell you,” Zac said, leaning his head back against the seat.
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll think it’s stupid. Hannah thinks it’s stupid.”
Being compared to Hannah felt like a punch to the gut. “I promise I won’t think it’s stupid.”
He extended his right hand toward me, pinky out. “Pinky swear?”
“You seriously want me to pinky swear?”
“Yes, or else I’m not telling you a thing.”
I lifted one hand from the steering wheel to hook pinkies. “I haven’t done this since like the fourth grade, you know.”
“Pinky swears are still one of the last bonds people know not to break,” Zac told me. “Think about it. Have you ever broken a pinky swear?”
I could only remember one major pinky swear, between Hannah, Elliott, and me. When we were six, we pinky swore to always be best friends and tell each other everything.
“Not that I recall,” I said, pushing the memory away. “Now quit changing the subject. What is this top secret dream of yours?”
He sucked in a deep breath before saying quickly, “I want to be a comedian.”
I glanced over to find him looking at me. “Seriously?” I asked.
“There’s nothing serious about a comedian,” Zac said. “That’s against the rules of comedy. But yeah, that’s what I want to do. I even do a few routines down at the Rose Castle. My dad would not approve, which is why he doesn’t know about it.”
“I didn’t know the Rose Castle had a comedy show.”
Zac nodded. “Oh, yeah. Every Saturday night.”
How was it possible I didn’t know this about a place that I went to often?
“Are you going to keep it a secret forever?” I asked. “You don’t exactly look happy working in a locksmith store.”
“Maybe not forever,” Zac admitted, “but for the next forty years or so, yes. My dad’s under a lot of stress. The store isn’t doing well and he’s been getting these offers from developers wanting to buy out the land and tear down the shop.”
We had reached Zac’s house and I pulled over to the curb in front of it. A few lights were on inside, casting golden squares onto the darkened lawn.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Zac stared at the shadowy house, his mouth turned into a slight frown. “My dad thinks the shop is like a family legacy or something. He doesn’t want to give it up and he’s hoping I’ll keep it running. But I’m not exactly the son he dreamed of. My dad says I lack focus and ambition.”
“You,” I said, turning in my seat to look at him, “do not lack ambition. I’ve been your business partner for two weeks and already I’ve seen ambition pouring out of you. You have so much of it I can barely keep up.”
Zac’s eyes sparkled in the light of the streetlamp across the street. “You should tell my dad that. Or Hannah.”
My smile faded at the mention of Hannah again. “She doesn’t think you have ambition either?”
“Hannah believes I think life is a big joke and can’t get serious about anything.” He shrugged. “I think Hannah spends too much time taking things seriously. She’s so worried about being number one and being the best at everything she does. No offense. I know you worry about those things too, but there’s more to life, you know? She doesn’t care about the reasons for being valedictorian, she only cares about the glory.”
“Can I ask you something?” I said. “It’s probably none of my business and you can tell me off for it, but I have to ask.”
“Okay,” Zac said slowly, eying me curiously.
“Why are you with Hannah?” I would never have asked the question any other time, but here in the darkness of my car, when we were the only two people around, the words couldn’t help coming out. “You two aren’t anything alike and she’s so…unlike you.” I didn’t want to say all the words that I could think of to describe Hannah. She was still Zac’s girlfriend.
Zac tapped his fingers on his knee. “I guess we suit each other. Hannah pushes