I’ve done. What I’m doing. What I brought here for him. “I’m sorry, Aubs, I should go.”
“No worries. I get it,” she says. “I just wanted to try—I mean, to invite you—that’s why I came over here. We’re going to study for finals together at my house, if you want to join. You’re welcome to. I mean, we want you to.” But I barely register her words because Max is across the room faster than I can extricate myself from Aubrey or the table.
“Hey.” He nods at her. It’s not enthusiastic, but at least it’s polite. “You ready? Let’s get out of here, Jailbait,” he says.
“Okay, coming.”
“Don’t bother,” Aubrey says, standing. “I’ll go.”
“Suit yourself, Andersson.”
“Max—” I try, but it doesn’t matter. She’s up and leaving. A few steps away, she stops and turns, arms crossed to her chest, voice shaking.
“For what it’s worth, JL? You shouldn’t be so hard on Meghan and Niccole. They know you don’t like them. And that makes it hard for me. And I’m trying here, so maybe you could try a little harder, too?”
Such a lie. Why can’t she see they have it in for me?
“Sure,” I say, trying to swallow past the dead thing in my throat. “I will.”
“Okay, see you later,” she says, and she’s gone.
“What was that about?” Max asks, sitting. I can barely look at him, barely talk, even though I’m desperately happy to see him. I want to fall into him, have him wrap his arms tight around me. I want school to be over. I want summer to be here. I want everything to be easier. I want to be sixteen, headed to California on the back of his bike.
Three weeks till my birthday. Three weeks till the end of school.
“Jailbait? What happened?”
“Nothing.” I shake off the question. I don’t want to focus on any of that bullshit. “Hold out your hand. Under the table.” I shouldn’t do this here, but I do. I pull out the wad of bills and slip it in his hand, closing his fingers around it. “There’s two there,” I say, my voice lowered. “That should be enough to fix Blue Morpho?”
He stares down and shoves the wad of bills into his pocket.
“Hundred?” he whispers. I shake my head. “Thousand?” I nod. His eyes grow big, concerned. “Jesus, are you sure, Jailbait?” I nod again. “No way. I can’t. Seriously.”
But I hold my finger to his lips and look him in the eyes.
“I want you to. Really. And I want you to take me with you.”
EARLY JUNE
TENTH GRADE
I pull Dad’s blue fluffy robe from my closet, and wrap it around me like a cocoon. Mom hasn’t said anything about me taking it or wearing it around the house like pajamas. It makes me feel close to him. It makes me believe he’s coming home.
I lock my door, and slide my desk dresser drawer open, and unwrap the rest of the wad of bills, the empty pink box still in Mom’s vanity.
Twenty bills gone. Fifty left.
Seven thousand dollars altogether.
How much had Max said we’d need? The stack I gave him should be enough for Blue Morpho.
I count the bills into stacks of ten, to be sure. Five stacks remain, the bills crisp and untouched, if curled from being rolled up so long.
My heart pounds in my ears. I’ve given Max two thousand dollars. What if I shouldn’t have given him so much?
But, no. Max loves me. He must if he’s asked me to go with him.
EARLY JUNE
TENTH GRADE
“Come on, Jailbait, we’re going for a ride.” Max walks over to the broken garage door and yanks it up, letting sunlight pour in. When he returns, he grabs two helmets down from a shelf, holds one out to me, and stands proudly in front of Blue Morpho. “Voila. Hop on.”
I stand there confused. “Already? How’d you fix her so fast?”
“Not fixed yet. Waiting for parts. But we’re not going far. She’ll be a little bumpy, but she can weather a short ride with my girl.” He takes the helmet from my hand and straps it on my head, wrestling a bit to tighten it. “Adorable,” he says, touching my nose.
I smile but can’t keep my nerves from showing. I’m barely comfortable on the dirt bike, but if I plan to ride this thing to California with him, I had better get used to it.
“Oh, and other than me,” he says, as I climb on the seat behind him, “you’ll be the first one on her, and that’s