My Kind of Crazy - Robin Reul Page 0,69

with Nick Giuliani.”

She raises both her eyebrows. “Why?”

“Because he likes you and he wants to take you out. He probably never imagined you’d go for a guy like him otherwise. Being vulnerable like he was in front of the whole school takes a lot more guts than lighting a few sparklers and running away. When the truth gets out, he’s going to feel pretty shitty, so maybe we could keep this between us. Go to prom with the guy. It’s one night. It’ll probably be the best night of his entire high school existence. Then let him down easy. Consider it…community service.” I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Nick is my friend. He doesn’t deserve that kind of public humiliation.

She lets that marinate for a minute, then her face lights up. “Oh! I nearly forgot. In her letter, Peyton said that if we talked, I should give this to you.”

Amanda reaches in her purse, extracting a small, white envelope, the kind with the plastic window you use to pay bills, and hands it to me. It’s folded in half and secured with a rubber band. And my name is scrawled on it in Peyton’s writing.

I take it from her and tear open the envelope. Inside is a book of matches from Mo’s Boobie Barn. The o’s are white with red dots in the center that look like nipples. I burst out laughing. Amanda stares at me like I’m nutter, and then she starts laughing in that way people do when they don’t get what’s funny but think they’re supposed to, which makes me laugh even harder.

“What’s that?” she asks.

I smile and curl my fingers around the matchbook. I can’t even begin to explain. “It’s a sign,” I tell her.

She has no idea what the hell I’m talking about, of course, and there really isn’t a whole lot to say after that. My break is over anyway, so I thank her for stopping by and get out of her car. I imagine most people would swear I am out of my mind for walking away from Amanda for Peyton. But then again, I’m not most people.

20

Now that I know where Peyton is, I have to see her.

It’s going to be a lot harder to get past Bouncer Dude since it’s already dark outside and more customers will be there. I try to imagine what Freeze Frame would do in this situation. In each episode, after he freezes time, he only has a finite window to search for his love, Rowena, before time resumes, so his movements must be precise. Every second counts. Essentially, he has to create a diversion so that he can save her undetected.

And that’s how I come up with a plan so screwy it just might work.

I stop at home to ditch my Shop ’n Save uniform, changing into all black, and I purposely don’t shave. I can’t swing a five-o’clock shadow like Nick’s, so it adds maybe a year at best. I spike my hair with some gel and find an old, black eyeliner of Monica’s in the bathroom and draw a soul patch on my chin. The result is pretty damn hilarious, but I should pass for older.

I borrow Dad’s aviator shades to complete the look and grab an empty duffel bag from the hall closet. I fill it to capacity with whatever will fit from my CD collection, my old headphones that only work in one ear, and a bunch of wires from behind the stereo so that everything looks official. And then I’m off.

Mo’s Boobie Barn is definitely a lot busier at night. The parking lot is jammed when I arrive, and the music is so loud I can hear it from the street. I park my bike on the side of the building, don the aviator shades, extract the headphones from my bag, and put them on. They’re giant and metal and make me look like an air traffic controller, but it’s all good.

I carry the bag with a firm grip and walk to the door like I mean business. I try to ignore the signs plastered everywhere that say “No admittance under age 21. Violators will be prosecuted,” because I get one chance at this. Dad’s made it clear he’s not going to bail me out, so I’ll pretty much end up as someone’s prison wife if I screw this up.

Yes, technically I’m breaking the law, but I’m not hurting anyone or putting someone in danger. As far as I know,