Gas or Ass (8 page)

I recognized the guidance counselor who’d spoken with me the day I registered. “Sure.”

I took a seat in her office. She handed me a brochure for a college I’d never heard of.

“They have a scholarship competition coming up. Your transcripts finally arrived from West Mecklenburg High. After taking a look at your grades, I think you should try out.”

The college was in South Carolina and for women only. “How far away is this place?”

“Two hours. I warn you, competition will be fierce, but you’ve nothing to lose by taking the test. It’s a full ride for four years at an excellent school.”

“Where’s the test administered?”

“At the college. You’ll spend the weekend on campus. Students give up their dorm rooms to the scholarship contestants. Testing is an all day affair on Saturday, but there’s a full weekend of activities. All expenses are covered except transportation.”

“When?”

She named a date that was two weeks away. I had no interest in an all-women’s college. But a full scholarship was a dream come true. “Sign me up.”

“You might look up Caroline Masters. Maybe you girls can ride down together.”

I blinked. “Long blonde hair, dark eye makeup, red cowboy boots?”

She smiled. “That’s her.”

I used an empty classroom to check the place out online. When the bell rang, I tucked the brochure in my locker and went to my next class.

***

“Y
ou need a ride?” Caroline appeared just as I slammed my locker door. “I looked for you at lunch, but you disappeared.”

“Sorry, a guidance counselor stopped me. She wants me to try out for the same scholarship you are.”

Her expression turned guarded. “I just told her I’d take the test to make her stop talkin’. I dunno if I’m gonna go.”

“Oh. Well, yes, I’d love a ride. I don’t live far.” I paused. “But I can’t give you directions. Any chance you know where Colt lives?”

She laughed. “Shelby, of course I know where he lives.” She made a circle with her thumb and forefinger and pressed it to her eye. “Town’s about this big, you know?”

“Good, because I suck at directions. And don’t say get a GPS. Those only make me more confused.”

“Can’t find your way out of a wet paper bag, huh?” Her laughter was friendly, not derisive.

“It’s why I don’t have a car. My mom’s afraid I’ll end up lost. Or in Egypt.” The lie forestalled the obvious next question.

“My dad’s having my new car delivered today.”

Envy pierced me. “Really? How nice. What’s the occasion?”

“I turn eighteen tomorrow.”

I grabbed her arm. “Hey, no way. Me, too. I’ll be eighteen tomorrow.”

“Really?” She grinned. “I knew we were gonna get along as soon as I saw you get out of that sweet-ass ‘Vette.” She raked her nails through my hair. “You got that shade of auburn that just sets off a red car, you know?”

I sensed the girl at the locker next to mine stared so, I looked over. “Hi.” I smiled.

She rolled her eyes and slammed her locker door closed. “If you’re
her
friend, don’t even speak to me.”

“Well, okay then.” I gaped as she strode away. She met up with two other girls a few steps down the hall. Whatever she said made them look over their shoulders in our direction. Then they burst out laughing and turned away.

“Bitches,” Caroline muttered.

I blew out a breath and rolled my eyes. “Without mean girls, would it still be high school?”

“Good point.” She tugged my sleeve. “C’mon. Brandon hates when I make him wait.”

We joined the crowd in the high school lobby, waiting on rides. “So, wanna go out tonight?”

“I dunno if I can. I have a ton of homework.”

Liar, liar, pants on fire.
I wanted to be home to see Colt. Which was stupid.

“Well, call me if you change your mind.” We exchanged numbers. I couldn’t miss the disparaging look she gave my old cell phone, but I was used to that kind of scorn. Not that many people ever called me. I didn’t do the social media thing. Never had anything worth posting. I eyed her shiny iPhone, the latest model, but felt no envy. Mom was still making payments on my prized MacBook Pro. It was all the fancy technology I cared about owning.

Caroline led us to the same truck I’d seen this morning. She climbed in first, sliding to the center of the wide bench seat. The man behind the wheel leaned forward to stare when I plopped down at Caroline’s side. “Shelby, Brandon. Brandon, Shelby. Can you drop her off at Colt’s house?”

“Gas or ass?” He didn’t smile. If he felt any kinship over our shared hair color, none showed in his face.

Caroline drove her elbow into his ribs. “Don’t even. It’s on the way home and you know it.”

His scowl deepened. “You know I just washed this truck.”

“I don’t mind if you let me out at the top of the road,” I interjected as he pulled away from the curb.

“Don’t think I won’t,” he retorted. He used the same side road Colt had taken this morning. When the truck passed the spot where we’d parked, my cheeks heated, but Caroline was talking about her car, so no one paid me any attention. To my relief, the heavy after-school traffic stopped Brandon from driving the way Colt had. Despite the stop sign at the end of the lane, cars peeled in both directions with shrieking tires, so the line moved quickly.

“Call me if you decide to go out. I’ll come get you,” she promised, when Brandon stopped at the entrance to the road in front of Dale’s house fewer than ten minutes later.

“I will.” Slamming the door, I scurried around the front of the truck and started the walk down the lane. I could hardly wait to shower and raid the fridge. Then I could start worrying about whether Colt knew to keep... whatever was happening between us a secret.

If not for my inner turmoil, I’d have enjoyed the short walk. There weren’t any houses between Dale’s place and the road, just woods. I thought there were houses further down, because I’d seen a couple of vehicles go by my windows, but I had the gravel lane all to myself.

I cut across the grass, scanning the front of the house. The place didn’t look like it housed two twisted stepbrothers. Or was it just Colt who was so perverted?

Colt wasn’t the only perverted one. He could tell Mom the truth and that would be worse than anything I could say. My only hope now was to keep what’d happened a secret. Surely, he wouldn’t want her to know any more than I did? Could we pretend nothing had happened?

I had a hunch he’d pull that off more easily than I could. Better to wonder if we could keep doing it, and still keep it a secret.

To my relief, the only vehicles in the drive were those I suspected were waiting for a decent burial. I dashed up the stairs. The Hannahs never seemed to lock the side door, but I was still relieved when the knob turned and the door opened. I stepped inside, shivering in the sudden warmth.

I smothered a shriek, but the person at the breakfast room table was Mom. Her laptop was open in front of her. She slammed it closed and gave me a bright smile.

“Hi.” Her gaze shifted to my book bag. “How was school, honey?”

Still nothing about the way my skirt was rolled up? “Fine.”

She sighed. “Have a seat.”

I pulled out a chair. Her eyes had that tight look that spelled trouble. My system went haywire, wondering if someone had seen Colt and me and called her. I had a hunch this place was exactly that kind of small town.

“Honey, I can’t believe I did this. Your birthday just sneaked up on me. I’ve been so distracted—

Relief swooshed through me. “Yeah, I know.”

“Dale said you could have anything you want for your birthday dinner. Want to help me make out a menu?”

“Anything?”

“Anything. Even crab legs.”

They were my favorite, a treat I didn’t get often. “Perfect. Can you make them in a big steam pot with sausage and corn and potatoes, like we had at the beach that time?” The time I’d almost drowned.
The beach
. Something clicked. I’d been so distracted by what happened with Colt, even I’d forgotten. “Wait a minute. You guys will be on the way to Daytona on my birthday.”

She studied me. I tensed for bad news. “I think I’m going to insist you go with us, Shelby. You’re a good student, you can make up the work. I can write an excuse, or even get a doctor’s note somehow. We’ll leave to come back as soon as the race is over. We can drive straight through without stopping, since Colt and Caine can help Dale drive. Leaving you here alone just doesn’t feel right.”

So, she’d forgotten my birthday and now she wanted me to make her feel better about that by making me go somewhere I didn’t want to go? I shook my head. “No, I can’t miss four days. Added to the five days I got suspended, if I get sick before graduation, I’m screwed.”

She sighed. “Then, either we can do a small celebration tonight or a big one when we get back. I realized after you left this morning that the date had slipped my mind. I’d have gone shopping but—”

Caine didn’t take her to the mall? “No transportation.”

“Right. I just checked my balance. Would you rather have the cash this year?”

No. I wanted a cake and presents and to still be the center of her world. “Sure.”

Her eyes kept straying to a spot behind me. I twisted, realizing she was looking at the time on the microwave. I turned back with a raised brow.

“I need to get dinner started. Dale likes his meal on the table when he gets home. Want to do your homework at the bar while I peel the potatoes?”

That was the moment I realized how committed she was to Dale. I’d always been her first priority. Even when she was seeing someone, she’d never make plans if I had something special happening. I felt jealous that she’d given away my position at the top, and just as fast, I felt shame for being so selfish. She deserved to have a life. It wasn’t required that I share it, I’d just always assumed that was how it would be, if she ever married. “No, I think I’m going to take a shower while there might be hot water.”

I detected guilt in her expression. “We’ll all adjust, sweetie. Give it some time.” I got to my feet. “Shelby?”

I couldn’t look at her. My emotions were too mixed up. Anger, jealousy, and guilt battled for priority, but then an unsettling buzz hit me when I thought about Colt and recalled Caine standing at the bathroom sinks this morning. Could she see any of that in my face? “Yeah?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t plan this. It just happened.” Guess she didn’t see a thing. She was too caught up in her new husband to notice. That was a good thing, right?

A couple of hours later, I glanced up to see a massive black motor home back into the driveway, then pull forward on the edge of the front yard. Colt’s red Corvette flashed past, roaring down the driveway. Caine’s truck followed the sports car, but he backed across the grass alongside the camper.

The three made several trips to and from the RV, carrying boxes and coolers until well past dark.
So much for wanting dinner at a specific time.

I didn’t come out of my room when Mom finally called down the hall. For the first time I could recall, she accepted my excuse of not being hungry without asking if I was sick. I curled under the blanket and turned out the light, waiting for the house to get quiet and wondering if Colt would sneak into my bed.

The television flared to life. Our mealtimes used to be our talk times, but from what I could tell, Caine, Colt, and Dale ate while watching television.

Two hours crept by before the annoying voice of the news anchor was silenced, mid-word. “Macy, time for bed,” Dale announced.

“We’re gonna bounce.” The voice was Caine’s. “See y’all later.” The side door squeaked open, then slammed.

I held my breath, but Mom passed my door without knocking. The loud Corvette motor cut through the silence, roaring up the driveway. Tears sprang to my eyes. I knew we had to play it cool. I should be glad he wasn’t acting like a buck in heat, but... complete silence was making me nuts.

I sat up and turned on the light. I didn’t have to wait long for the bed in the other room to start squeaking. I texted Caroline. She replied right away.

B there in 15.

I’ll b at the end of the road
.

C
ars wheeled into the McDonald’s parking lot, only to circle the building and exit, headed for Hardee’s a mile or so up Highway 29. We’d made that trip several times already and I’d been bored the whole time. Now, we were parked, just watching other cars go past. Was this my new life in a new place—dressed to kill and nowhere to go? Music blared, mostly the country variety, but the occasional snatch of rap or pop interrupted the endless loop of Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, and Hank Williams, Jr.

Every passing car, no matter how old or how new, gleamed with a fresh coat of wax. Racing stripes and flashy graphics abounded. Neon glowed from undercarriages and dashboards. People hung out of car windows, but everyone slowed when they passed us in Caroline’s new car.

“What’s under the hood?” The baby-faced guy who yelled the question slid his gaze along the shiny black hood, eyes lit with approval and envy. I recognized the kid Colt had yelled at this morning.