Page 12 of Pride High 2: Orange

“I told him he had to wait in the car,” Mindy explained.

Silvia laughed, told her parents she would be right back, and stepped outside. As soon as she was down the steps, Omar began walking toward them.

“Am I allowed to approach?” he asked, despite doing just that.

“Yes, it’s fine,” Silvia assured him.

“Thank god,” he breathed. “Your personal Secret Service agent is hard to get around.”

Silvia smooched him when he was close enough and began walking toward the car, because her best friend had done exactly what Silvia wanted. Omar was a sweet guy, but she didn’t know if he was mature enough to handle the truth yet. She didn’t think he would have a problem with it, or do anything malicious, but the game she’d been playing her entire life required restraint. And tact. Neither of which were his specialty.

“I could taste turkey on your lips when we kissed,” he said. “You’re my Thanksgiving treat.”

“Oh my god!” Mindy said, looking mortified before she rushed away.

Silvia leaned against him. “Save the weird talk for when we’re alone.”

“The what?” Omar asked. “Oh, you mean the romantic stuff.”

“Exactly,” she said. “What’s going on? Whose car is that?”

Silvia watched as the doors opened and more people got out. She recognized Anthony, of course. They often hung out at the record shop where she worked. The other two she was less familiar with. Mindy had shown her a photo of Cameron in the school yearbook before losing interest after their first date. As for the smaller guy…

Silvia tensed, remembering a few days ago when a young man had stumbled in front of her truck and passed out in the middle of the street, hitting his head on the pavement in the process. He had nearly barfed on her after she’d helped him up. That was when she’d learned that Ricky had taken a bunch of pills intending to kill himself. She had rushed him to the urgent care center, and once learning that he’d be okay, quickly left again after the receptionist promised that Silvia would be a local hero. The last thing she wanted was for the spotlight to shine on her. Or her family.

“Hey!” Cameron said, extending a hand and introducing himself.

She reciprocated, her attention darting back to Ricky, because she wasn’t sure how much he remembered. None of it, hopefully.

“Hi,” Ricky said with a wave. “We were supposed to meet sooner except… Well, anyway, I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

“From me,” Omar supplied helpfully.

“And from me,” Anthony said with a smile and a nod. “How are things?”

“Good.” Silvia focused on Ricky again, watching him closely for a reaction when she said, “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Yeah!” he replied. He didn’t grab the sides of his head as a sudden memory came rushing back. Nor did he point an accusing finger at her. Ricky’s grin was carefree as he said, “How do you feel about Sweden?”

Silvia stared for a moment longer before answering. “I’ve never been there, but that’s where ABBA comes from, so it can’t be all bad.”

“Agreed!” Anthony said. “You know, I was just listening to their—”

“Nope!” Omar stepped between them with his arms outstretched like a traffic guard. “No music talk. We’re on an important mission.”

“I’m dying for a milkshake,” Mindy said. “And the boys want a burger. Come with us!”

“I already ate,” Silvia said.

“Same here,” Omar said. “But there’s always room for something sweet.”

“True,” Silvia admitted.

The others cheered.

“Jail break number six!” Ricky said, high-fiving Mindy.

Silvia laughed, and after they explained their plan, went back inside to tell her parents where she was going. While inside, she thought about the gift-wrapped VHS cassette hidden in the bedroom she shared with her little brother. Ricky had dropped it when passing out, and she hadn’t noticed that it was still in her truck until after she’d fled the hospital. Silvia didn’t know what to do with the gift, which was intended for Omar, but how could she explain why it was in her possession without giving away the rest? She toyed with the idea of bringing it along and leaving it in the station wagon, but surely that would raise even more questions. She decided to ignore the issue for now and rejoined her friends.