this with our big, fat checkbook. Maybe not in those words, but that was the idea. My face burned brighter . Mr. Lawrence’s eyebrows rose with interest. He took a breath. I could tell he was going to take the money and run. This was it. W e were out of there. “No,” Mrs. R yan snapped. “What?” my mother said. “What?” Ally r epeated. “No,” Mrs. Ryan said, even more firmly this time. “If there’s one thing I’ve always taught my daughter , it’s that actions have consequences. Unlike some parents, I’d like her to grow up with some sense of responsibility for her own conduct.” Oh, just kill me. Kill me now . “So, Mr. Lawrence, I would appreciate it if you would not grant her any special treatment,” Mrs. Ryan continued. “Whatever the normal punishment is for breaking into school property after hours, that’s what I’d like her to receive.” Mr. Lawrence frowned. I think he was impressed. “Fine. Two weeks of school beautification duty,” he said. “The work will commence when school reopens . You’ll be responsible for two hours a day, which can be served directly before or after school.” “Both of them?” my mother blurted. As if Ally deserved to be punished and I didn’t. It wasn’t her fault. It was mine. My stupid friends had tricked her into it, and I’d been too dense to realize what they were doing. I felt hot all around the collar of my sweater and under my arms. My father scoffed. “But, Mr. Lawrence, surely you don’t expect Jake to miss swim practice.” My fingers curled into fists on the chair ’s armrests. “He can’ t—” “I’ll do it,” I blurted. “What?” my parents said in unison. Everyone was staring at me. Including Ally . “You said I can do it before school, right?” I asked. “So I don’t miss swim?” “But, Jake, that would mean getting here at . . . five thirty every day!” my mother said.
“I can do the math,” I said to her through my teeth. Her mouth snapped closed. I was in trouble for that one, but I didn’t care. I’d already been grounded twice. A third time couldn’ t hurt that much. Especially since I was too pissed at my friends to care about not being able to hang out with them. I looked at the principal. “So. Can I? Can we? Ally has basketball, too.” “Well . . . yes, Jake. I think that would be just fine,” Mr. Lawrence said. He smiled at me, looking almost proud. “Does that work for you, Ally?” “Yes, sir,” Ally said. “All right, then. We have a deal,” Mr. Lawrence said, standing. “Now, as you mentioned, none of us really wants to be here, so unless anyone has any further questions . . .” He offered my dad his hand, but Dad ignored it. Dad buttoned his jacket and grabbed his trench coat from the hook by the door . “Jake. Let’ s go,” he snapped. I got up to follow him, letting my mother walk out ahead of me. As I slipped sideway s through the door I glanced over my shoulde r at Ally. I couldn’ t help myself. I had to know if she was mad at me for letting her get set up. But she was barely containing a smile. Stunned, I automatically smiled back. “Jake! Now!” my father snapped from the hallway . I yanked my varsity jacket on and let the door swing closed behind me. It wasn’t until we were in the car, my parents giving me the silent treatment, that I realized that I maybe knew why Ally was smiling. We had just been sentenced to twenty hours of school service. The two of us. Together . Alone. For twenty hours. Sweet.
j a n u a r y
Did you hear? Jake Graydon got busted for breaking into the pool annex over br eak. Yeah. But did you hear who he was with? Who? Ally Ryan. No way . What the hell wer e they doing together? Apparently our playboy has a new girl to play with. Isn’t she with David Drake? Like that matters. Oh, please. Jake and Ally? No way . The Cr esties would fr eak. Yeah. Those two cannot get together . Nothing ar ound her e would ever be the same.
“You got arrested!?” Shannen stompe d into my room, leaving wet boot prints in the thick carpet, and flung herself onto my bed facedown, arms splayed. There was snow in her hair and on the shoulders of her black pea coat. I paused my game of NBA 2 K10, which I’d been playing a lot more often since Ally had whipped my ass in the driveway back in October . Like I could really learn new moves from a video game. “Who let you in?” I asked. It sounded more pissed than I intended. But then, I was pissed. I hadn’t talked to any of my friends since the night of the going away party. Hammond had called twice. Shannen, every day. Plus texts. But I hadn’t wanted to talk to any of them after what they’d pulled. My family had stayed local for the holidays while everyone else had flown somewhere. Kinda sucked, but made it easier to avoid them. She lifted her head and blew her bangs out of her face. She’d gotten tan in Florida. “Like anyone lets me in. Y our door is always unlocked.” She was right, of course. Shannen was always just walking into my house without ringing the bell. She practically lived here. And at Chloe’s and Faith’s. Even Hammond’ s and the twins’. Anywhere to get away from her father. I guess I just figured, considering I was still grounded, someone might have interc epted her . I went back to my game, leaning against the foot of my bed. “What’s the matter? Are you pissed at me or something?” she asked. She came to the end of the bed, swinging her legs around so they were next to my right cheek. “Why would I be mad? You almost got me thrown in jail, but no, I’m not mad.” “Oh, come on. Like it’s somehow my fault.” She shoved my shoulder . I ignored her and k ept playing. “What were you thinking? Why did you have