Page 78 of Room to Breathe

“I could’ve taken you home first,” I said. “I’m the one with the car.”

He held up his skateboard. “I have wheels too.”

I smirked. “You really do go everywhere with that thing.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Thanks for hanging out with me. I needed that.” I wondered if he’d ask me why.

He didn’t, just said “Cool” before he pulled me forward by the side of my T-shirt and kissed me.

The kiss didn’t last long, because the front door swung open.

My mom’s angry face appeared. “Where have you been?”

I gasped, taking a step back. I pointed to Cody. “We were at the skate park.”

“Who are you?” my mom asked unkindly. That wasn’t how she normally greeted new people. But a lot of things weren’t like they normally were. Or maybe she recognized him from the break-in video the principal had shown her.

“Mom,” I said. “This is Cody.”

“Hi, Mrs. um…”

“Blair,” I said under my breath.

“Right, Blair. Nice to meet you.”

“You were supposed to be home for dinner,” Mom said. “You didn’t even text me.”

“I’m sorry. My location is on.”

She tilted her head as if to say that was not a good alternative. “Come in.”

I stepped toward the door and she turned to Cody and said, “No visitors tonight. Next time.” Then she shut the door.

“Mom,” I said in protest. “That was rude. He wasn’t even going to come inside. He was just saying goodbye.”

“Rude? You want to talk about rude? How about your behavior lately. Missing dinner entirely without an explanation?”

“Jessica,” Dad said from where he sat on the couch. The television was on, paused, the news anchor’s face distorted mid-word. It was the only light in the room, the sun not quite set. They must not have noticed how dark it had gotten in here.

“Right,” Mom said. “The story came out.”

“Jess,” Dad said again. “That’s not how we planned to tell her.”

“We planned to tell her over dinner. She missed that.”

“What story?” I asked, but then my brain caught up to me. “The investigation?”

“Yes,” he said.

My eyes shot to the television. “Wait…it made the local news?”

“It did.”

“Does this mean…?” Had the investigators found something?Were they going to arrest him? Charge him? Panic climbed up my chest and throat and cut off any more words.

“Nothing has changed,” he said. “We’re still waiting.”