in Round Top. Her father was always working in the yard, and he waved when Chad dropped her off. Mom should be glad he was seeing someone like Cindy.
“We’re out of beer.” Cindy sat up tall and winked at him, which caused his pulse to pick up, especially when she slid their books aside and moved closer. He’d never kissed her, but the playful way she leaned toward him made him think it must be on her mind too. She touched his cheek and pushed back a strand of his hair, sending shivers up and down his spine. “Hey,” she said, grinning. “Do your parents have any booze downstairs you can get your hands on?”
Chad pulled his eyes from hers and rubbed his forehead. “No. They don’t really drink. A glass of wine every now and then, maybe.”
“Wine will do.” Cindy leaned even closer.
“I—I think I better go look for Grace.”
Cindy pulled away with a slight frown, but then she smiled. “That’s cool.” She stood and picked up her backpack. “Can you just drop me at my house before you go look for her?”
“But I thought—” Chad stopped when Cindy raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, no problem. I’ll take you home first.”
“Great.” She walked to him and kissed his cheek. “You’re a doll.”
Chad was sure he’d remember her soft lips forever. But why was his stomach churning? He recognized the feeling. Guilt.
Grace picked up the pace as she walked home. She should have left study hall way before now. It was getting late. Mom was going to be worried. She didn’t like to cause problems for anyone, especially not Mom. Darlene Henderson was the best mother in the world, and Chad and Ansley had given her enough problems. Grace prided herself on the fact that she never stirred up trouble. She wanted to be “the good child,” so she handled her own problems, never dumped her worries on her parents, and made good grades. And staying at study hall today seemed like a good way to make sure she kept doing those things. It also was part of her new plan to improve herself. She held her head high, walked a bit faster, and silently said a prayer for God to give her strength.
She jumped when a car honked from behind her. Stepping farther into the grass, she made room, but the old Dodge pickup slowed to a stop. Grace peered through the open passenger window of the rusted brown truck. Skylar Brown?
“Need a ride?” Skylar lowered black sunglasses onto her nose, and Grace grimaced at the amount of black eye makeup Skylar was wearing.
Grace was certain that she and Skylar had never spoken to each other. “Uh, no. That’s okay. I don’t have far to walk.” She forced a smile. “Thanks, though.”
“Whatever.” Skylar ground the gears as she jerkily headed down the winding gravel road.
Grace started walking again. Skylar’s ride must’ve belonged to her great-grandfather. The engine was loud, and smoke bellowed from a pipe in the rear. But at least it was a ride. More than what Grace had. Hopefully that would change when she turned sixteen soon.
Then there was a loud pop . . . and a lot of smoke.
A minute or two later, Grace had caught up to the truck. Skylar stood beside it, staring at it. Then she kicked it. “Well, guess I’m the one who needs a ride now.”
“How far away do you live?”
“Far enough that I’m not looking forward to walking.”
Grace reached into her backpack and felt around. “Do you need to use my cell phone?” Mom insisted that they all have cell phones now that it was only ten dollars per person on the family plan. Grace pulled out the phone and held it toward Skylar.
“Uh, I have a cell phone,” Skylar said, rolling her eyes. “It doesn’t work here. I don’t know of any cell phones that work along this stretch of the road. But go ahead and check yours.”
Grace looked down at the display. “You’re right. No service.” She stuffed the phone in her backpack and set it down. “You can walk to my house with me and use our home phone. My house isn’t too much farther.”
“Or I can start walking toward my own house. Eventually I’ll get service and can call”—Skylar paused—“someone.”
Grace held her hand to her forehead to block the setting sun. “What about the truck?”
Skylar gave the truck another swift kick, her long black hair falling forward. She flipped it over her shoulder. “I guess it’ll have