“Artie!” Mamá’s voice was both firm and terrified. “¿Qué está pasando?”
I forced myself to level my voice. “Uh, nothing. Sorry I cursed. It’s just… Cruz was supposed to pick me up, and his car won’t start.”
“You’re going out tonight?”
My hand quaked as I stuck my phone back in my pocket. I needed to leave. “There’s nothing more to discuss, right? It’s decided. About the GED.”
Pop put his arm around Mamá again, and they shared a loaded glance. “We thought we could get a pizza. Watch a movie. You, us, and your sister. Cori too, if she wants to stay.”
I hated the looks on their faces. Maybe in some other universe, I could have stayed. Stayed and argued over pizza toppings and movie choices and let them cheer up their kid who’d gotten some bad news. Stayed and spent time with Cori.
But I had to fucking leave.
“We were gonna go to a party at another friend’s house, but if Cruz’s ride is busted, I guess we’ll just play video games at Eliazar’s. It’s okay if I take the car there?”
The lie slipped easily off my tongue. They always did. My parents would be so glad that I wasn’t going to some random party. They wouldn’t question me playing video games with a friend they knew and liked.
They didn’t know Eliazar had been kicked out of his house months ago. That Cruz had just sent me on a mission to rescue him.
Mamá sighed and nodded. “Just don’t be home too late.”
“Sure, Mamá.” I gave her and Pop forehead kisses. “I’ll be good.”
As I ran outside, I planned. I needed to tell Johnny to hide in case Chi-chi came looking for him. It would have been nice ifI could have texted him, but his phone was somewhere in that dumpster.
But I also had to find Eliazar. Because it sounded like Bash was going to take what he wanted.
I couldn’t even think about what Cruz was doing right now.
Cori walked up with Marisol as I came out into the driveway.
“Hey!” she called out, waving hesitantly. Leaning down, she said something in my sister’s ear. Marisol giggled and disappeared into the house.
I thought about not stopping. I doubted Eliazar had time to spare. Then I realized Cori might be able to solve one of my problems.
“Cori.” I walked over until we stood face-to-face in the grass.
She wore a polo shirt from the Center and baggy shorts. There was a heaviness in the set of her shoulders, but her expression remainedindiscernible.
“Deck—” She paused. “I’m glad I ran into you. So I can thank you…for yesterday.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Johnny was pretty out of it. He talked a lot while I cleaned him up.” I wanted to interrupt, tell her I needed to hurry, but there was obvious alarm in her tone.
“What did he say?”
“Nothing that made much sense, honestly. But from what I could tell, it sounds like you guys are in real trouble.”
Cori fixed her gaze on me. I’d worked so hard to keep our shit from touching her. She knew her brother used, but with the rest of it, we’d drawn a line. Cori had too much going for her. Even with her mom and everything else. She needed to be protected from all the stuff we’d gotten mixed up in.
After the night I’d fallen asleep in her lap, I’d tried to get rid of her hold on me. That conversation had cut too close. I avoided being alone with her and stopped asking her for help with my classes. I even gave in and lost my virginity to one of Chi-chi’shangarounds. It had felt good for ten seconds, but it hadn’t done the trick of getting my mind off Johnny’s sister. I slept with two more girls before finally admitting that I wouldn’t be able to fuck Cori out of my system. My desire for her was soul-deep. Being around her sometimes, even if it meant not having her, was better than nothing. Avoiding her had been nearly impossible anyway. Our worlds were too intertwined. During the past few months, we’d established a rhythm where I didn’t actively seek her out, but I allowed myself to soak up every minute I was near her. Every chance encounter at school, with Johnny, or when she came to my house to watch Marisol.
I knew it was wrong to hold on to those feelings. She wasn’t mine to dream about. I should have worked harder to stay away. Because now, inevitably, I’d brought the shit directly to her doorstep.
“Cori—”
“Johnny said you owe Chi-chi. What does that mean? What the hell are you and my brother mixed up in, Deck?”
I stared into her stormy eyes.
I’d caused that. The regret bubbled up again. But I didn’t have time for it.
