“We need to go.”
“O-kay… Um, see you guys tomorrow.” She tosses her long dark hair over her tiny shoulder.
“Dolly, you okay?” the stupid quarterback just has to ask. Like he gives two shits.
I pull Dolly behind me as I step forward. I’m tall but this creep is too. Although he’s rich enough to go to private school, he goes to ours because the football coach and the team always win championships, so scouts visit often.
Basically, he’s slumming and I’m about to lay him out.
“Edge.” Dolly’s hand snakes down my bicep and into mine as she smiles and says, “Troy you know my boyfriend Edge, right?”
He looks at me and a sneer forms on his pretty boy face. Everything about this dick is different from me. Starting with the fact that he gets to spend 90 percent of his day with my girl because Dolly is in the magnet program for the gifted and neighborhood kids. Meanwhile, I’m with all the losers. Not that I’m complaining. Give me the thugs any day over these pathetic wastes of life.
“And you know Gabrielle and Courtney.” She raises our hands to the tall brunette and short, voluptuous blond cheerleaders who look at me. The blonde’s eyes travel all the way down my body stopping at my biker boots.
“Um, yeah… Hi.” She giggles.
I look at Dolly whose chin is held high. Her long, thick, dark hair blows in the wind as she grips my hand tighter.
“So, you’re fine… with him?” Troy looks at me as if I’m exactly what I am: a Disciple. And if he doesn’t watch himself, he might not look so pretty come Monday.
“Of course.” She nods and tries to smile, her cheeks flushed with humiliation, which almost makes me want to shake her. Why does she want this or care?
She has me, the club. Why is she constantly trying to get in with the in-crowd when she will always be nothing but biker trash?
“We have a ride.” She smiles, her voice strained but bubbly. “I’ll see you guys in the morning?”
She lets go of my hand to hug Courtney. Gabrielle is already walking away talking on her phone.
Troy lingers for a moment, then says, “Take it easy, Doll. See you tomorrow.”
I say nothing until I can’t see them anymore then turn on her.
“Doll? Are you kidding me?”
The parking lot is pretty much empty, with a few remaining teachers and kids being picked up from sports.
“Oh my God, Edge, stop. He’s a nice guy.”
I almost start laughing. She can’t believe that, can she? But by the stubborn clench of her lips, I assume she does.
“What took you so long?” I snap and run my hands through my hair. Not only do I hate Troy, but the fact that now I have to face my old man makes me lose my temper.
“What has happened? I told you I would be a couple minutes. Just because we didn’t have practice doesn’t mean I didn’t have to hear about tomorrow’s stuff.” She looks tired and her cheeks are still flushed. The thought that I might embarrass her makes me want to shake her.
“Well, we’re screwed.” I tap my thumb on my leg.
“Why now?” She pulls her large backpack off and sits on it so that she doesn’t have to sit on the concrete.
“Because Chuckie’s being a dick and he left.” I look around at our options. We don’t have many. Hitchhiking with Dolly is not happening and I don’t have any cash for a cab.
Mr. Richardson walks past us. He’s my math teacher and is always dressed in expensive clothes with matching ties. Yet the other day when he wore a white shirt that couldn’t hide his dark ink, I noticed a full sleeve on his right arm.
“Mr. Daniels,” he says as he walks by us carrying what looks like a gym bag.
“Hey, Mr. Richardson.” I nod.
“You got a big test tomorrow,” he says over his shoulder. “You two need a ride?” He stops at his dark Dodge Viper. It’s a sweet ride.
“Um.” I look at Dolly who is already closing her history book and standing.
“Sure. Our ride left, so if it isn’t a big deal…”
He clicks his remote and the doors snap open. “This your girlfriend?” He pops the trunk button so that he can dump his bag.
“Yeah.” I guide Dolly next to me. He waits a beat and looks at us.
“What?” I glare at him. Mr. Richardson is cool and all, but if he’s after my girl…
“Are you going to use your words and introduce me?” He shakes his head as he walks to the driver’s door.
“Shit. I mean, this is my girlfriend Dolly.” My face burns. I hate feeling like white trash. Dolly hates it more; she’s always correcting me about manners.
“Nice to meet you.” He opens the door and pushes the seat up for Dolly to climb in. “Good thing you’re petite because there isn’t much of a back seat. Where to?” He starts up the engine, and I look at Dolly who seems uncomfortable.
“You okay?” She nods. “So… your house?”
“Yeah.” She leans forward and rattles off her address.
We spend the rest of the time talking about calculus and why it’s useful. I like Mr. Richardson. Not only is he cool, but he’s a good teacher. I think he loves what he teaches.
As we get close, around two blocks down the street from the house, my face reddens. Dolly and I live in shit neighborhoods. Small houses with dead yards. Nothing but bikes, dogs, and trucks parked outside.
“You can stop and let us off here,” Dolly speaks up. She hates our neighborhood too.
“You guys sure? I can take you to your house.”
“No thanks. Right, Edge?” She tugs on my shirt.
“Actually, Mr. Richardson, this is great. Thank you,” I say.
He pulls over and puts the car in park as I exit and help Dolly climb out of the back seat. “Thank you again.”
“Hey?” He takes a quick look around and says, “You two okay?”
“We’re fine.”
“All right. Make sure you study tonight. I expect you to ace this test tomorrow, Edge.” He nods at Dolly. “Nice meeting you.” She smiles and grabs my hand as he pulls away from the corner.
“Is your dad home?” If Chuckie wasn’t bullshitting me, my dad will be home waiting for me because I didn’t show up earlier.
He gets angry about everything. He’s lost a shit ton of weight and I can tell something’s wrong. I should care, but it’s hard when he’s so fucking mean. He’s still a big man, and I don’t want to get into it with him tonight.
“Probably. What’s your deal, Edge?” She twirls her dark hair around her finger as we walk.
I open my mouth to tell her the truth then shut it. She already knows I think her friends are shallow, plastic mean girls.
“Stuff’s going on,” I mumble. Her eyes look sad and again, I want to confess that I love her. That all my friends are having sex, and I can barely get a kiss—at least a kiss from her, the one kiss I want.
I look around, making sure no one is nearby as I pull Dolly over by a streetlight.
“Look.” I run my hand through my hair trying to sound normal. “I don’t want you hanging around Troy. He’s fucking bad.”
She pulls back and looks at me, confused. “What are you talking about? You don’t even know him.” She shifts her backpack to her other side and I take it from her, slinging it over my other shoulder as dread and bile churn in my stomach.