fucking roll tonight!”
My father finally starts the car and drives away. Luckily Lorenzo is unconscious or the cops would’ve been here already.
As we leave the parking lot my father turns to me again.
“I’ve got an idea of my own,” he says before turning his eyes back to the road. “We’re gonna make a little trip, okay?”
“Okay. Where are we going now? It’s not another collection, is it? Because I just got my shoes clean.”
“Nah, it’s not another collection. I’m gonna introduce you to some people. Some friends of mine. That okay with you?”
I nod my head. “Sure. Of course.”
As we drive on the highway back towards St. Louis, I can feel it. Everything I thought I knew is about to change.
Alannah
“Alannah, wait up.”
I hear Dominic yelling for me as I walk down the hall towards the exit. School just let out, and now I have the luxury of waiting for my dad to drive from his job to come get me. Yay me. Luckily, Dominic has to wait too, so we get to spend some time together before we go home. His mom usually shows up before my dad does, though.
I turn around and watch as Dominic strides across the tile floor towards me. He smiles when we make eye contact, and everybody else in the hall disappears. He’s different now, in a lot of ways. Something has definitely changed about him over the couple of years we’ve known each other. For one, he’s much more confident lately. He carries himself with a certain pride that’s really obvious. He’s always looked like he has no fear, but now it’s different. It’s like he knows there isn’t a thing in the world that can touch him. He’s not arrogant, but he carries himself like he knows something the rest of us don’t. He doesn’t have a fear in the world.
Dominic’s also growing into his body. His shoulders have filled out and his lips don’t look too big for his face anymore. Nobody’s calling him Ugly Dominic now that we’re in junior high. His jaw is chiseled, his lips are full, and he has way more muscle than anybody else his age. He isn’t ugly. I’m not sure what I’d call him, but it definitely isn’t ugly. Those days are over.
“Hey, how was your last class?” I ask, as he catches up to me and we start towards the doors.
“Ugh, fucking stupid. Mrs. Shelton should not be allowed near kids,” he replies with a grin—the grin I’m starting to find myself liking in a way I didn’t used to. We’re both thirteen now, and Dominic is starting to talk and act like he’s twenty already. He’s definitely the most mature guy I’ve ever met, cuss words and all.
“Mine was dumb, too,” I reply. “Having Mr. Harrison for my last class just sets me up to be depressed for the rest of the day. He’s so annoying and monotone.”
“Oh yeah, I have him for first period. I blame him for my days being shitty.”
The two of us walk on the green grass and sit down at a bench in front of the parking lot. It’s a beautiful day outside with the bright sun shining in our faces making us squint. While Dominic settles himself on the seat and looks out at the road to see if his mom’s coming, I take a second to just look at him. His posture is big and bold, his clothes don’t have a bunch of brand names on them, but they’re really nice—a little too old-looking for his age, but it’s fitting, given Dominic’s demeanor and maturity. He carries himself like a guy who has already graduated from high school and now he’s just visiting, feeling above it all. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t look good on him.
“Mom running a little late today?” I ask, drawing his attention.
“Nah. Ma’s not picking me up today,” he says, still looking out at the road.
“No? Your dad?”
He smiles, but he doesn’t look at me. He’s smiling to himself. “Yeah.”
“Spending more time with him, huh? Usually it’s just the weekends.”
“Yeah, well, the arrangement between him and my ma has changed a bit. He wants to come get me and spend more time with me now.”
“What changed all of a sudden?”
He looks at me like he’s thinking about something I’m not supposed to know. I can see it in his face—that look you get when you’re wrestling with what you want to say next.
“You don’t have to tell me