Chapter 5: The Ride

The rain started at three and by last bell it was coming down sideways.

I stood under the bus shelter outside the main gate with my hood up. The 4:10 bus was twenty minutes late.

A black car rolled to the curb and stopped.

The passenger window slid down.

"Get in," Drake said.

"No."

"It's pouring."

"I noticed."

"Rafferty." He leaned across the seat, and the rain blew into the car. "Get in. I'm not going to say anything cruel. I'm too tired."

I thought about it.

I thought about the plan, and how a girl who wanted to make him fall would not refuse a ride.

I got in and dripped on his leather seat on purpose.

The car smelled like rain and clean cotton and something I didn't want to name. A dashboard clock glowed. The wipers went back and forth.

"Where do you live?" he said.

"Linden Street. You know that."

"I don't."

"You've followed me home twice."

His hands tightened on the wheel. "Fine. I know."

I almost laughed.

He drove carefully, slower than I expected.

He kept both hands on the wheel and did not look at me once.

There was a gray hoodie on the back seat, folded into a square.

It was too big to be his. It had a faded Ridgemont crew-team logo on the sleeve.

On the sun visor, clipped under the mirror, was a photograph.

It was two boys on a dock, squinting into the sun.

One was Drake, younger and gap-toothed.

The other was older and taller, with an easy grin and an arm slung around Drake's neck.

"Is that your brother?" I said.

The wipers went back and forth four times.

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