My Kind of Crazy - Robin Reul Page 0,13

life delivers more than you can handle, but survival is a strong instinct.”

“Right. So since we’re basically strangers, I can walk away and not feel like a total douche, right?”

“Only you can answer that, Hank. I’m a fan of stayin’ out of other people’s shit. You are less likely to create expectations. And people never live up to those. So if you don’t know this girl and you don’t really care, then I say step off. Otherwise, you could be signin’ up for a whole lotta drama.”

I nod as she winks at me and kicks the car into reverse. The gravel crunches under her wheels as she backs down the driveway, shooting pebbles in all directions. She sticks her hand out the window and shakes one of her red nipple tassels in the air, waving good-bye as she drives down the street.

Dad’s still not home so I grab a soda from the fridge and head upstairs. I lie back on my bed to read the Shakespeare crap that’s due tomorrow in English, but my mind keeps drifting to this afternoon.

Picturing Peyton’s face when her mom’s boyfriend came outside.

The way Pete talked to her.

The way she’s put on this big, mouthy show whenever I’ve seen her, but clammed right up around him.

Wondering what happened when he dragged her inside.

I don’t want to think about Peyton. I don’t want to get in the middle of some crazy girl’s life and problems—I have enough of my own—but a nagging voice in my head tells me I should. That it’s the right thing to do. I just have to figure out exactly what I should do. So I reassure myself that there’s time to let it marinate and come up with a plan, that she’s not going anywhere anytime soon. But ironically, she does.

6

Peyton is not at school the next day. Or the day after that.

In fact, she’s not there for the rest of the week, and life is practically normal. She’s not showing up unexpectedly at my lunch table or lurking in the hallways or anything. It’s like she’s disappeared into thin air. While a part of me wonders where she is, I’m also relieved. I can finally breathe without worrying if my life is about to be turned upside down any second.

I’m in such a good mood that I don’t even mind when Kyle Jonas cracks yet another one-liner at my expense during gym. I just chuckle along with him and tell him he’s hilarious, which seems to rattle him. He waves his hand dismissively and takes off with his knucklehead simian buddies. Of course he takes his frustration out on me for the next half hour by throwing the dodgeball at me extra hard and always aiming for my balls. Fortunately, I’m quick on my feet.

“You have a serious death wish, man,” Nick tells me on our way to the locker room. His gym uniform is so oversize it makes him look even skinnier than he is, if that’s possible.

I wipe the sweat off my upper lip with the bottom of my gray school-issue tee and say, “I’m sick of putting up with that assclown.”

“He’s a fessacchione. Before you graduate you should find some way to get back at him.” Nick’s eyes light up, and he grins from ear to ear. “You could leave a pile of dead fish on the front seat of his car on a hot day. I saw that in a movie once.”

I laugh at the mental image. It’s glorious. “That would be pretty amazing except for the fact that the guy has a convertible, so it would never smell.”

“Trust me, you’d smell that shit two states over. Let me know if you’re ever interested. My dad’s friend owns a fish market. I could get you a good deal.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

We reach our lockers, and as we spin the dials on our combination locks, Nick asks me, “So did you hear about Amanda Carlisle?”

My mood perks up at the mention of her name. “No, what about her?”

“You know how some loser tried to burn down her house but she’s convinced it was all some romantic gesture?” He snickers.

I feel my cheeks get hot and redden. “Yeah. What a moron. The guy I mean. Not Amanda. But go on, what about her?”

Nick glances around, then leans in, speaking in a low voice. I can still smell the salami sandwich he ate at lunch on his breath. “Turns out she’s wicked serious about wanting to find