given access to use another space, but they need help cleaning it out, so if anyone needs more volunteer hours . . .”
“We’re in,” I tell her.
She turns and smiles at me. “That would be great.”
Tucker’s hand shoots up.
“Yes, Tucker,” says Mrs. Leonard.
“Yes, ma’am, Waylon and I were actually hoping you could help us get excused from classes on Wednesday, because we would like to offer teachers free oil changes and we would need the whole day available.”
Mrs. Leonard gasps with delight. “Now, that is an incredible idea. So out of the box! I’ll see what I can do, gentleme—gentlepeople.”
“So I guess this means I should learn how to do an oil change,” I whisper.
Tucker reaches under the table and touches my thigh. “I got you,” he says, his gaze still concentrated on the front of the room.
His hand lingers there for a few seconds, before he pulls back and my brain turns to static for the rest of the meeting.
After our prom court meeting, I decide it’s best to get this over with and drive to the Gas n’ Go. I park on the side of the building, and there’s only one trucker filling up while the rest of the parking lot is completely empty except for Lucas’s truck.
Yanking down my visor, I give myself a good look in the mirror. I swear, every day I have more freckles. One morning I’m going to wake up and find out I’ve turned into one giant freckle.
I practice a few faces in the mirror, from fierce indifference to seductive gaze to calculated chuckle.
“You can do this.” I smile. “I’m so happy for you both,” I say. “You took him to meet your parents? How precious. Oh, wow. He’s so slim and trim. What a bod. You work out together for fun? How darling. You bench-pressed him for giggles? So adorable.”
After making sure everything is zipped and buttoned and smoothed, I saunter into the gas station, the bell above me ringing as I pretend I’m still wearing the robe I wore to the Hideaway this weekend.
Lucas is organizing cigarette cartons behind the counter and doesn’t notice me.
I clear my throat.
“Just a second,” he mutters.
“Lucas.”
“Waylon?” He turns slowly at first, but then once he realizes it really is me, he hops right over the counter.
Ugh, why is he such a charming little puppy?
A display of mini flashlights clatters off the counter and we both reach down to pick it up, our heads colliding.
“Ohhh, ow,” I say touching my hand to my head.
“Here, let me.” He gathers up the flashlights and they immediately spill out of his arms and back onto the floor.
“No, you know what?” He smirks, leaning back against the counter. “Never mind. I’ll get them later.”
“Hi,” I say.
He reaches for my hand at the precise angle I know is just out of reach of the security camera. “I’ve missed you.”
I don’t even try to hide my shock. “You have?”
“Well, yeah, of course. You were one of my closest friends and then you just . . . stopped coming around.”
I pull my hand back and cross my arms over my chest. “I wouldn’t exactly call us friends, Lucas. And if I recall, you were ready to ask someone to be your boyfriend. Someone who wasn’t me. What, did you expect me to come up here and check in on you? Oh, yeah, let me just go hang out at this gas station, so I can see how my old fling’s new fling is going.”
His expression hardens into hurt. “I thought you were supportive of me. I even told my parents.”
And at that my heart does twinge. “How’d they take it?” I ask gently.
“I think it’s safe to say they’re still taking it. Some days everything is normal—eerily normal—and on other days they act like I’m sending them both to an early grave. But they didn’t kick me out, so that’s a plus.”
I hate that not getting kicked out is the sunny side to this difficult situation, but I’ve heard of this exact thing going a lot worse for plenty of people.
“Well, that’s good. I’m—I’m proud of you.” I shake my head. “But that’s not what I’m here for. I need . . . beer. And liquor. And a lot of it.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t really do that so much anymore, and I definitely don’t supply for big parties if that’s what you’re getting at. Too risky.”
“Come on,” I tell him. “It’s one shindig for a bunch of queer kids at