Page 74 of Room to Breathe

“Do you have your license?”

“No, but I’m a pretty good driver,” he said.

“Do you want McDonald’s?”

“I totally do,” he said.

“I’ll drive you.”

“You will?” he asked, taking me by the arms and playfully pushing me forward and backward. “You’re so nice.”

“Sometimes,” I said, thinking about how I’d just told off my friends.

“Well, nobody can be nice all the time,” he said with a big laugh. Then he hopped out of the car, ran around it, and jumped into the passenger seat. “You ready?”

“The bell is about to ring for sixth period,” I said. I probably shouldn’t have offered to take him to get food. I should’ve gottenout of the car and gone to sixth. I was already in enough trouble with the principal, with my parents.

“I’ll call in for you,” he said. “Tell them you had a doctor’s appointment.”

I chuckled a little. I’d never done that in my life—faked a parent phone call or even forged a parent’s signature. I’d always obeyed the rules. But I really didn’t want to go to sixth period. Both Beau and Harper were in my sixth period.

I climbed out of the back seat and into the driver’s seat. “Let me hear your best Dad impersonation.” I started the car.

“Hello,” he said in a deep voice. “This is Indy’s dad—”

“His name is Marcus. Marcus Blair.”

“This is Marcus Blair. Indy has a doctor’s appointment.” His impression wasn’t half bad. It didn’t sound like my dad, but it sounded like an adult. That’s all the front office would care about.

“Yeah, okay, you can call,” I said, starting the car.

“Blair is your last name?”

“Did you really not know that?”

“I didn’t. Do you know mine?”

“Pratchett,” I said.

He reached over and squeezed my side, causing me to jump. “Have you been stalking me? How cute.”

“I was not stalking you. You’re Harper’s neighbor. She warned me against you.”

“Did she, now?” he asked. “Well, Harper is no fun; of course she’d warn you against me. But you make your own decisions.”

I looked into my rearview mirror as I pulled away from the school. I didn’t know why I expected to see Beau standing there, his arms crossed in a disapproving fashion, watching me leave. Butnobody was there. Not Caroline or Ava. And definitely not Beau. I’d just blown up my friendships.

“Did you take some hydrochloric acid from the chemistry room when we were there the other night?”

He just laughed.

Chapter 31

Now

There they were, Beau’s closedexpression and hard eyes, back on his face. I wasn’t sure what my face looked like, but it probably wasn’t any better.

“Me?” he asked. “You’re blaming everything on me?”