Katie McGarry - Crash Into You

Ethan pushes off the lockers. “You won’t introduce him to Mom and Dad because he’s bad news and you know it.”

I roll my eyes and walk alongside Ethan. My heart aches. I miss my best friend. I miss not being able to tell him everything in my life. He can blame Isaiah for our strained relationship, but that’s not the case. Our relationship started to deteriorate years ago when I began to lie about the attacks.

My head tilts when the words he said to West in the locker room last week haunt me. “You told West that you knew that I’d been lying about my panic attacks.”

Ethan dips his head, as if he’s counting the floor tiles. “I know you better than anyone else. At least I thought I did. I know when you’re in pain. I know when you hurt.”

Neither one of us say anything as we pass a group of seniors cutting up. Both of us scan the crowd for West. In the middle, dark blue eyes that mirror mine peer at me. West’s smile falters, but he’s quick to hide the concern. My chest hurts. Both of them love me.

“If the two of you suspected, then why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because...” He takes a deep breath. “Because we’re selfish assholes who wanted Mom for a few seconds. She was always so obsessed with you and your attacks that we got nothing. When you claimed to be better, she was still up your butt, but at least we got something.”

“I never asked for this,” I say as we go down the stairs. “Any of it. For the panic attacks. To be Colleen’s replacement.”

“I know,” he says. “And to be honest, that’s why West and I pity you instead of hate you.”

How on earth has my family become so dysfunctional? We walk outside, and Ethan places a hand on my shoulder to stop me. My stomach cramps as if I’ve been sucker punched when he immediately removes his arm. We’re so distant we can’t even touch.

“Talk to us—me and West. Tell us the whole truth about the attacks. We’ll find a way to make everything work between you and Mom and the speeches. And dump the punk. It’s not like you’re going to see him anyway. I won’t cover you anymore, and if I don’t cover you, Mom will start asking questions about where you’re going. There’s no way you’ll be able to think of a good enough excuse as to why you suddenly have a life.”

Ethan is right, and I start to wonder how I’ll make it to the dragway without his help. If I tell Ethan the truth about Eric, he’ll go ballistic and he’ll possibly snitch on me to my parents. Movement near where I parked my car causes me to shift so I can look past my brother.

Holy hell. I brush past Ethan and try to think of something coherent to say other than, “What are you doing here, Abby?”

In a white button-down shirt remarkably like mine, and a blue-and-green plaid uniform skirt, Abby leans against my car. “Do you like it? Isaiah and I skipped this afternoon and went to Goodwill. Don’t you think it’s ironic that Goodwill has clothes for a private school? If you have money to go to a private school, you probably wouldn’t shop at Goodwill.”

My mouth pops open with a million questions, but before I can ask any of them, Ethan appears by my side. “Who are you?”

“Abby,” she says. “And you are?”

“Ethan,” I answer. “He’s my twin.”

Her eyes dart between us. “You don’t look anything alike.”

“I’m a boy. She’s a girl. I sure as hell hope we don’t,” says Ethan.

Abby flashes a daring smile. “I like you.”

Ethan ignores her statement. “How do you know Rachel?”

“We’re friends,” she answers. “I go to that other rich school.”

My eyes widen as I understand. Blue-and-green uniform. Abby’s faking that she belongs in my world by pretending she goes to a school that is acceptable to my family. “Mason Academy.”

“Yeah,” she says. “That one. I’m new to town and met Rachel at the mall.”

I clear my throat as Ethan automatically doesn’t buy anything that involves me and malls.

“Parking lot,” adds Abby. “Mall parking lot. I had a flat. She helped. It was all serendipitous. I like bunnies. She likes bunnies. We totally clicked.”

Ethan’s eyebrows furrow together as he assesses me. “You like bunnies?”

“My brother dropped me off,” Abby continues, “because our school gets out before your school and you promised we could do girl stuff at your house.”

“Abby,” I interrupt before she says anything else. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll meet you at home, Rach.” Ethan continues to eye Abby.

With Ethan safely in his car behind us and Abby in the passenger side, I let the questions flow. “What are you doing? How did you get here? What is going on?”

“Did you snort crack? Don’t answer. Isaiah said you lost your way out of the house past curfew. We bought these clothes, he dropped me off here, and ta-da...I’m your new best friend—private school–going, new in town, rich Abby.”

I glance in my rearview mirror. Ethan is hot on my tail. “I don’t get it. How is this supposed to help?”

“Introduce me to your parents tonight and then I’ll invite you for a sleepover tomorrow.”

My entire body feels lighter. Isaiah thinks of everything. “Serendipitous?”

“Do you like it?” She waggles her eyebrows. “I learned it for today.”

Isaiah

LOGAN HOVERS OVER THE ENGINE as I slide myself underneath. I’m changing the oil in my car, again. The engine’s been acting funny, and my gut tells me she’s close to overheating. The continued drag racing is aging my baby.

“I’m not feeling the cash flow tonight,” says Logan.

“Me, either.” The types of people we race do it for shits and giggles. Side bets are for those who feel cocky. Logan and I have kicked ass for two weekends straight. Tonight, we’ll have plenty of people who will race against us for bragging rights, but few will put up money.

“Explain bracket racing,” he says.

My hands hesitate as I work. Bracket racing. The thought has circled in my head. “They do it on Sundays. If you think you can hit an eighth mile in 10 seconds then you race against other cars that can do the same. Same rules apply at the line. You can’t go before the green, but they will give you a handicap. If the competition is a second faster than you, then you’ll get to leave a second faster. Whoever crosses the line first without breaking the green wins.”

“Sounds fair enough,” says Logan.

I roll out from underneath my car. “But if you say you can hit an eighth in 10 seconds and you take the finish line at 9.9 seconds, then you lose. You have to stay above 10 seconds.”

“What?”

“You pick your target, man. It’s like a game show. You pick the number you think you can take the finish line in without going over. If you go over that number, you lose.”

Logan scratches the back of his head. “That means we have to have an insane reaction time at the line and watch that we don’t go too fast, but fast enough to beat whoever we’re against all in a matter of seconds.”

I nod.

“And the world got complicated.”

“Always does.”

“What’s the draw?” says Logan.

“There’s a pot for the first three finishers. The pot for a street car like mine isn’t worth the investment, but if we add a nitro system, then we could compete in a class where the money may be worth it.”

Logan gets that crazy glint in his eye anytime we discuss something that involves the cars going faster. “Then we should add a nitro system. I can’t think of anything holding you back.”

Both of us turn our heads to the sweet sound of Rachel’s Mustang pulling in. Sitting on the rolling board, I rest my arms on my bent knees and watch as my angel glides into the garage.

Logan glances at her then me. “Think I discovered your issue.”

“Yeah.” Nitro can be dangerous, and I don’t want the system in her car.

In the used designer jeans and soft blue sweater we bought at the Goodwill, Abby looks like a completely different person.

“Her brothers are hot. Annoying, but hot,” announces Abby. “Just saying.”

I stand, and Rachel weaves her arms around my neck. I kiss her lips. “Hey, angel.”

“Hi.” Red touches her cheeks. Either because she hasn’t seen me in a week or because she’s staying the night with me.

“You look nice,” says Logan. Rachel and I turn to see Logan checking Abby out.

“Did I mention her brothers aren’t nearly as hot as you?” Abby flashes a sexy grin. She doesn’t release that smile often and flags shoot straight into the air.

I roll my eyes. Logan and Abby hooking up is not a good idea. She destroys guys and...I like Logan. “Logan, I forgot my seed money. Wanna come back with me to pick it up?”

“Sure.”

I kiss Rachel’s lips again. “Be back in a sec.”

Rachel

FIDDLING WITH A WRENCH, I listen to Abby gush about my family. How insanely nice my parents are and how crazy it is that all of my brothers are good-looking. I’ll admit, I’m blessed. I have so much more than others, and on the outside my family is absolutely perfect.

“Hello, Rachel.”

My head snaps up and Abby falls silent. My heart drums, and a cold sweat breaks out over my body, onto my palms. I swipe my hands against my jeans the moment I see the face that haunts my nightmares. “Eric.”

He strides into the garage as if he owns the place. His green army jacket engulfs his bony body. “Making new friends, Abby?”

Abby straightens beside me, and gone is the girl that I’ve come to know over the past couple of weeks. All emotion drains from her face and leaves a hardness that frightens me. “This isn’t your block, Eric. It belongs to me.”