Vicious Rebel (82 Street Vandals #2) - Heather Long Page 0,57

and Rome have the one by the window. So if Kellan doesn’t mind bunking with Jasper here at the door, Vaughn can take the bottom bunk over here with me up top. Unless you need the top?” The last was a question, but to be honest, he looked skeptical.

“Bottom is fine.” I didn’t really care where I slept. Jasper didn’t argue, but he did head over to the bunk and start ripping stuff off it. Milo shook his head.

“Don’t mind him. He doesn’t like change.”

Ms. Stephanie looked at me again. “I’ll be back to pick you up next Friday, if you want. I know it won’t be enough, but I can take you to see her weekly.”

Relief swarmed through me. I’d been afraid to ask. Mom had been straight with me that this last weekend might be our last time together. As much as I hated it, there wasn’t much I could do about it.

“I would,” I said. “If it’s not any trouble.”

“Of course it’s not any trouble.” Then she glanced back at the room. “Anything you boys need to tell me?”

“Nope.”

“No, ma’am.”

“All good.”

“Nothing.”

Milo said nothing, he just shook his head, and I didn’t believe any of them. From the look on Ms. Stephanie’s face, she didn’t either, but she let it go. While she lingered a few more minutes and helped me make up my bed, she finally left with the promise to see me at the end of the week. Friday seemed a long way away.

The other guys weren’t saying much, but they were watching me. Liam and Kellan more than Jasper, but I caught him staring when I wasn’t looking up. Milo was sprawled on his bed in the bunk above mine, flipping through some magazine. After I stored away the few items I’d been able to pack, I dug a book out of my backpack and settled down to read.

“When Jenkins is here, don’t push any rules. He’s a pasty guy with a bald spot,” Kellan said. “He’s usually only here on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But if someone gets sick, he shows up on the weekends.”

“Don’t let him catch you alone either,” Liam said. “Though I think you might scare him.” He actually sounded gleeful about that.

“Don’t risk it,” Jasper said abruptly. “Even if you’re huge. The guy’s trash.”

“He won’t,” Milo said from above. “We stick together in here.”

And that seemed to decide that.

Except Jasper eyed me.

“What?” I asked, because the longer he stared, the harder it was to focus on my book.

“Why is Ms. Stephanie coming to get you on Friday?”

“Dude,” Kellan said, sliding a piece of gum into his mouth. “None of your beeswax.” But he still looked at me as if waiting for me to answer.

Liam had picked up a ball and was tossing it into the air and catching it, and his brother was still busily scribbling away. The sounds of his pencil scratching and Liam’s ball hitting were the only sounds in the room.

I shrugged. “My mom’s in hospice. So Ms. Stephanie is taking me to see her.”

“She’s in the hospital?” Jasper asked, frowning. “So you’re just staying here until she goes home?”

I looked down at my book. I promised Mom I wouldn’t cry, and right now, my eyes burned. Better not to cry in front of these guys, anyway. “No. Hospice means she isn’t going to go home again.”

The room went silent.

Though no one asked, I continued, “She’s got cancer. She’s not getting better. And she’s too sick to take care of me. So I’m here.”

“Is she going to die?” Rome asked into the silence and Liam grunted as he bumped his brother, but I met the other boy’s eyes and nodded.

“Yeah. They did everything they could. But as long as she’s in hospice, Ms. Stephanie promised to take me to see her.”

The room went quiet again.

“Do you like to draw?” Rome asked, and Liam frowned.

“Some,” I said. I lifted my arm where I’d doodled all over it in pen. It looked like the inside of a robot arm. It was mostly hidden under my shirt, ’cause people seemed to not like it that I drew on myself so much.

“You can use my pencils and draw with me if you want.”

Kellan swung his head to look at Rome and so did Jasper. Above me, Milo chuckled. “See? He’s gonna fit right in.”

Chapter 15

Emersyn

The flush of heat spreading through my system collided with a chill rippling over my scalp and down my spine at the nascent threat in Jasper’s tone. Vaughn