Page 79 of When Ben Loved Tim

“Which is your dad’s fault. He always flips out like this! Actually, this is even worse than how he usually reacts.”

“I know,” she says with a swallow. “No way is Ronnie gonna keep seeing me. You should have seen his face.”

“Poor guy,” I say with a grimace. “And poor you. How long are you grounded for?”

“The rest of the month,” she says with an eye roll. “I don’t care. I just hope he doesn’t scare Ronnie away.” We slow at a stop sign, Allison glancing over at me. “Ireallylike him, Ben.”

As her best friend, I feel like saying that she shouldn’t let anything stand in the way. And maybe I would have told her that a few months ago, but I’m not so sure anymore. On the rest of the ride to school, we discuss how they could continue to see each other secretly, but it’s a dangerous game. Her dad will detonate if he catches them a second time. I’d be surprised if Ronnie is willing to try anyway. He wouldn’t be the first guy her dad has chased off. So when I’m sitting at the lunch table with Leon later that day, I’m puzzled when Allison and Ronnie show up together while smiling.

“How’s it going?” I ask casually.

“Good,” Ronnie says, bumping fists with Leon before sitting down.

“Really?” I ask, not hiding my disbelief.

“Ben knows what happened last night,” Allison explains.

Ronnie doesn’t seem to mind. Nor does Leon seem confused. Best friends are for confiding in, after all. Although words aren’t always necessary. I detect a hint of panic when Allison’s gaze meets mine.

“Everything will be fine,” Ronnie assures us. “I’m going to introduce myself to her father. Which is what I should have done in the first place.”

Allison’s eyes are pleading with me now. I don’t think she wants me to hold back.

“That’s a terrible idea,” I say.

“How come?” Ronnie asks.

My eyes dart to Allison again, whose lips are pressed together, but she nods.

My tone is incredulous. “You really need to ask?”

Leon backs me up. “He did ding your car, my dude.”

“He scratched it,” Ronnie says dismissively. “You can hardly tell.”

I scoff at this. “Yeah, but he was aiming for you!”

Ronnie appears hesitant, but he shrugs it off. “It’s not like he’s going to punch me in the face for knocking on his door, right?”

I shrug.

“He’s notthatbad,” Allison says. “And maybe he wasn’t trying to hit you.” That doesn’t mesh with what she told me just hours ago, but I hold my tongue, wanting to support her. “My dad has good aim,” she continues. “He’s a golfer.”

Ronnie perks up. “Hey, my dad plays golf too! That’s already common ground. I’m sure it’ll be fine. And anyway, I don’t blame him for being pissed. I’ve been sneaking around with his daughter. He probably thinks I’m a sleaze bag. That’s why I’ve gotta introduce myself to him.”

I’m not sure which stance Allison wants me to take, but she’s more than capable of speaking her own mind, so I leave him with a warning. “Just make sure you choose a good time,” I say, silently adding,like when he’s not drunk.

“I’m gonna stop by after school today,” Ronnie says.

I practically choke on a bite of sandwich, but I manage to swallow. “Maybe you should wait until he’s not as upset.”

Ronnie shakes his head. “Right now he’s got the wrong impression of me. I wanna change that before it solidifies or whatever.”

He’s a handsome guy with a good heart. I’ll leave flowers on his grave.

We move on to other subjects, but once fifth period rolls around, the potential showdown is the foremost concern on my mind and on my best friend’s lips.

“You have to help me!” Allison pleads, dragging me into a secluded corner of the choir room.