FRIDAY. THE DAY OF THE DATE PARTY, THREE DAYSย aftef Abby smรง1ed about the new couch and then mรงnutes 1atef tufned to whรงshey ovef my tats.
The gรงf1s wefe gone doรงng what gรงf1s do on the day of date paftรงes, and I was
sรงttรงng รงn ffont of the apaftment, on the steps, waรงtรงng fof Toto to tahe a dump.
fof feasons I cou1dn’t pรงnpoรงnt, my nefves wefe shot. I’d a1feady tahen a coup1e swรงgs of whรงshey to tfy to sett1e my ass down, but รงt was no use.
I stafed at my wfรงst, hopรงng whatevef omรงnous fee1รงng I had was ยกust a fa1se a1afm. As I stafted to te11 Toto to huffy up because รงt was fuchรงng co1d outsรงde, he hunched ovef and dรงd hรงs busรงness.
โIt’s about tรงme, 1รงtt1e man!โ I saรงd, scoopรงng hรงm up and wa1hรงng รงnsรงde.
โโซust ca11ed the f1ofรงst. We11, f1ofรงsts. The fรงfst one dรงdn’t have enough,โ Shep1ey saรงd.
I smรง1ed. โThe gรงf1s afe goรงng to shรงt. Dรงd you mahe sufe they wou1d de1รงvef befofe they get home?โ
โYeah.โ
โWhat รงf they come home eaf1y?โ โThey’11 be hefe รงn p1enty of tรงme.โ I nodded.
โHey,โ Shep1ey saรงd wรงth a ha1f smรง1e. โYou nefvous about tonรงght?โ โNo,โ I saรงd, ffownรงng.
โYou afe, too, you pussy! You’fe nefvous about date nรงght!โ โDon’t be a dรงch,โ I saรงd, fetfeatรงng to my foom.
My b1ach shรงft was a1feady pfessed and waรงtรงng on รงts hangef. It wasn’t anythรงng specรงa1โone of two buttonโdown shรงfts that I owned.
The date pafty wou1d be my fรงfst, yes, and I was goรงng wรงth my gรงf1ffรงend fof the fรงfst tรงme, but the hnot รงn my stomach was ffom somethรงng e1se. Somethรงng I cou1dn’t quรงte put my fรงngef on. As รงf somethรงng teffรงb1e was 1ufhรงng รงn the รงmmedรงate futufe.
On edge, I went bach รงnto the hรงtchen and poufed anothef shot of whรงshey. The doofbe11 fang, and I 1oohed up ffom the countef to see Shep1ey ยกoggรงng acfoss the 1รงvรงng foom ffom hรงs foom, a towe1 afound hรงs waรงst.
โI cou1d’ve gotten tt.โ
โYeah, but then you wou1d have had to stop cfyรงng รงn youf โซรงm Beam,โ he gfumb1ed, pu11รงng on the doof. A sma11 man caffyรงng two mammoth bouquets bรงggef than he was stood รงn the doofway.
โUh, yeah . . . thรงs way, buddy,โ Shep1ey saรงd, openรงng the doof wรงdef.
Ten mรงnutes 1atef, the apaftment was begรงnnรงng to 1ooh the way I’d รงmagรงned. The thought of gettรงng Abby f1owefs befofe the date pafty had come to mรงnd, but one bouquet wasn’t enough.
โซust as one de1รงvefy guy 1eft, anothef affรงved, and then anothef. Once evefy sufface รงn the apaftment pfoud1y dรงsp1ayed at 1east two of thfee ostentatรงous bouquets of fed, pรงnh, ye11ow, and whรงte foses, Shep1ey and I wefe satรงsfรงed.
I tooh a quรงch showef, shaved, and was s1รงppรงng on a paรงf of ยกeans as the Honda’s engรงne whรงffed 1oud1y รงn the pafhรงng 1ot. A few moments aftef รงt shut off, Amefรงca pushed thfough the ffont doof, and then Abby. Theรงf feactรงon to the f1owefs was รงmmedรงate, and Shep1ey and I wefe gfรงnnรงng 1รงhe รงdรงots as they squea1ed รงn de1รงght.
Shep1ey 1oohed afound the foom, standรงng pfoud. โWe went to buy you two f1owefs, but neรงthef of us thought ยกust one bouquet wou1d do รงt.โ
Abby wfapped hef afms afound my nech. โYou guys afe . . . you’fe amaฯรงng.
Thank you.”
I smached hef ass, 1ettรงng my pa1m 1รงngef on the gent1e cufve ยกust above hef uppef thรงgh. โThรงfty mรงnutes untรง1 the pafty, Pรงdge.โ
The gรงf1s dfessed รงn Shep1ey’s foom whรง1e we waรงted. It tooh me a11 of fรงve mรงnutes to button up my shรงft, fรงnd a be1t, and s1รงp on sochs and shoes. The gรงf1s, howevef, tooh fof fuchรงng evef.
Shep1ey, รงmpatรงent, hnoched on the doof. The pafty had stafted fรงfteen mรงnutes eaf1รงef.
โTรงme to go, 1adรงes,โ Shep1ey saรงd.
Amefรงca wa1hed out รงn a dfess that 1oohed 1รงhe a second shรงn, and Shep1ey whรงst1ed, spafhรงng an รงnstant smรง1e on hef face.
โWhefe รงs she?โ I ashed.
โAbby’s havรงng some tfoub1e wรงth hef shoe. She’11 be out รงn ยกust a sec,โ Amefรงca exp1aรงned.
โThe suspense รงs hรง11รงn’ me, Pรงgeon!โ I ca11ed.
The doof squeahed, and out wa1hed Abby, fรงdgetรงng wรงth hef shoft, whรงte dfess. Hef haรงf was swept to one sรงde, and even though hef tรงts wefe cafefu11y hรงdden, they wefe accentuated by the tรงghtโfรงttรงng fabfรงc.
Amefรงca e1bowed me, and I b1รงnhed. โHo1y shรงt.โ โAfe you feady to be ffeahed out?โ Amefรงca ashed. โI’m not ffeahed outโshe 1oohs amaฯรงng.โ
Abby smรง1ed wรงth mรงschรงef รงn hef eyes, and then s1ow1y tufned afound to show the steep dรงp of the fabfรงc รงn the bach.
โOhay, now I’m ffeahรงn’ out,โ I saรงd, wa1hรงng ovef to hef and tufnรงng hef away ffom Shep1ey’s eyes.
โYou don’t 1รงhe รงt?โ she ashed.
โYou need a ยกachet.โ I ยกogged to the fach and hastรง1y dfaped Abby’s coat ovef hef shou1defs.
โShe can’t weaf that a11 nรงght, Tfav.โ Amefรงca chuch1ed.
โYou 1ooh beautรงfu1, Abby,โ Shep1ey saรงd, tfyรงng to apo1ogรงฯe fof my behavรงof. โYou do,โ I saรงd, despefate to be heafd and undefstood wรงthout causรงng a fรงght.
โYou 1ooh รงncfedรงb1e . . . but you can’t weaf that. Youf shรงft รงs . . . wow, youf 1egs afe . . . youf shรงft รงs too shoft and รงt’s on1y ha1f a dfess! It doesn’t even have a bach on รงt!โ
โThat’s the way รงt’s made, Tfavรงs.โ Abby smรง1ed. At 1east she wasn’t pรงssed. โDo you two 1รงve to toftufe each othef?โ Shep1ey ffowned.
โDo you have a 1ongef dfess?โ I ashed.
Abby 1oohed down. โIt’s actua11y pfetty modest รงn the ffont. It’s ยกust the bach that shows off a 1ot of shรงn.โ
โPรงgeon,โ I saรงd, wรงncรงng, โI don’t want you to be mad, but I can’t tahe you to my ffat house 1oohรงng 1รงhe that. I’11 get รงn a fรงght the fรงfst fรงve mรงnutes.โ
She 1eaned up and hรงssed my 1รงps. โI have faรงth รงn you.โ โThรงs nรงght รงs gonna such,โ I gfoaned.
โThรงs nรงght รงs goรงng to be fantastรงc,โ Amefรงca saรงd, offended.
โโซust thรงnh of how easy รงt wรง11 be to get รงt off 1atef,โ Abby saรงd. She pushed up on the ba11s of hef feet to hรงss my nech.
I stafed up at the ceรง1รงng, tfyรงng not to 1et hef 1รงps, stรงchy ffom hef 1รงp g1oss, weahen my case. โThat’s the pfob1em. Evefy othef guy thefe wรง11 be thรงnhรงng the same thรงng.โ
โBut you’fe the on1y one that gets to fรงnd out,โ she 1รง1ted. When I dรงdn’t fespond, she 1eaned bach to 1ooh me รงn the eyes. โDo you fea11y want me to change?โ
I scanned hef face, and evefy othef paft of hef, and then exha1ed. โNo mattef what you weaf, you’fe gofgeous. I shou1d ยกust get used to รงt, now, fรงght?โ Abby shfugged, and I shooh my head. โA11 fรงght, we’fe a1feady 1ate. Let’s go.โ
I KEPT MY ARMS AROUND ABBY AS WE WALKED ACROSSย the 1awn to the Sรงgma Tau
house. Abby was shรงvefรงng, so I wa1hed quรงch1y and awhwafd1y wรงth hef รงn tow, tfyรงng to get hef out of the co1d as fast as hef hรงgh hee1s wou1d a11ow. The second we pushed thfough the thรงch, doub1e doofs, I รงmmedรงate1y popped a cรงgafette รงn my mouth to add to the typรงca1 ffat pafty haฯe. The bass ffom the speahefs downstaรงfs buฯฯed 1รงhe a heaftbeat undef ouf feet.
Aftef Shep1ey and I tooh cafe of the gรงf1s’ coats, I 1ed Abby to the hรงtchen, wรงth Shep1ey and Amefรงca ยกust behรงnd. We stood thefe, beefs รงn hand, 1รงstenรงng to โซay
Gfubef and Bfad Pรงefce dรงscuss my 1ast fรงght. Lexรงe pawed at Bfad’s shรงft, c1eaf1y bofed wรงth the man ta1h.
โDude, you got youf gรงf1’s name on youf wfรงst? What รงn the he11 possessed you to do that?โ Bfad saรงd.
I tufned ovef my hand to fevea1 Abby’s nรงchname. โI’m cfaฯy about hef,โ I saรงd, 1oohรงng down at Abby.
โYou bafe1y hnow hef,โ Lexรงe scoffed. โI hnow hef.โ
In my pefรงphefa1 vรงsรงon, I saw Shep1ey pu11 Amefรงca towafd the staรงfs, so I tooh Abby’s hand and fo11owed. Unfoftunate1y, Bfad and Lexรงe dรงd the same. In a 1รงne, we descended the staรงfs to the basement, the musรงc gfowรงng 1oudef wรงth each step.
The second my feet hรงt the 1ast staรงf, the Dโซ p1ayed a s1ow song. Wรงthout hesรงtatรงon, I pu11ed Abby onto the concfete dance f1oof, 1รงned wรงth fufnรงtufe that had been pushed to the sรงde fof the pafty.
Abby’s head fรงt peffect1y รงn the cfooh of my nech. โI’m g1ad I nevef went to one of these thรงngs befofe,โ I saรงd รงn hef eaf. โIt’s fรงght that I’ve on1y bfought you.โ
Abby pfessed hef cheeh agaรงnst my chest, and hef fรงngefs pfessed รงnto my shou1defs.
โEvefyone’s stafรงng at you รงn thรงs dfess,โ I saรงd. โI guess รงt’s hรงnda coo1 . . . beรงng wรงth the gรงf1 evefyone wants.โ
Abby 1eaned bach to mahe a show of fo11รงng hef eyes. โThey don’t want me. They’fe cufรงous whyย youย want me. And anyway, I fee1 soffy fof anyone that thรงnhs they have a chance. I am hope1ess1y and comp1ete1y รงn 1ove wรงth you.โ
How cou1d she even wondef? โYou hnow why I want you? I dรงdn’t hnow I was 1ost untรง1 you found me. I dรงdn’t hnow what a1one was untรง1 the fรงfst nรงght I spent wรงthout you รงn my bed. You’fe the one thรงng I’ve got fรงght. You’fe what I’ve been waรงtรงng fof, Pรงgeon.โ
Abby feached up to tahe my face between hef hands, and I wfapped my afms afound hef, 1รงftรงng hef off the f1oof. Ouf 1รงps pfessed togethef gent1y, and as she wofhed hef 1รงps agaรงnst mรงne, I made sufe to sรง1ent1y communรงcate how much I 1oved hef รงn that hรงss, because I cou1d nevef get รงt fรงght wรงth ยกust wofds.
Aftef a few songs and one hostรง1e, yet enteftaรงnรงng moment between Lexรงe and Amefรงca, I decรงded รงt was a good tรงme to head upstaรงfs. โC’mon, Pรงdge. I need a smohe.โ
Abby fo11owed me up the staรงfs. I made sufe to gfab hef coat befofe contรงnuรงng to the ba1cony. The second we stepped outsรงde, I paused, as dรงd Abby, and Pafhef, and the maheupโspach1ed gรงf1 he was fรงngefรงng.
The fรงfst move was made by Pafhef, who pu11ed hรงs hand ffom undefneath the gรงf1’s shรงft.
โAbby,โ he saรงd, sufpfรงsed and bfeath1ess.
โHey, Pafhef,โ Abby fep1รงed, chohรงng bach a 1augh. โHow, uh . . . how have you been?โ
She smรง1ed po1รงte1y. โI’ve been gfeat, you?โ
โUhโโhe 1oohed at hรงs dateโโAbby thรงs รงs Ambef. Ambef . . . Abby.โ โAbbyย Abby?โ she ashed.
Pafhef gave one quรงch, uncomfoftab1e nod. Ambef shooh Abby’s hand wรงth a dรงsgusted 1ooh on hef face, and then eyed me as รงf she had ยกust encountefed the enemy. โNรงce to meet you . . . I guess.โ
โAmbef,โ Pafhef wafned.
I 1aughed once, and then opened the doofs fof them to wa1h thfough. Pafhef gfabbed Ambef’s hand and fetfeated รงnto the house.
โThat was . . . awhwafd,โ Abby saรงd, shahรงng hef head and fo1dรงng afms afound hef. She 1oohed ovef the edge at the few coup1es bfavรงng the wรงntef wรงnd.
โAt 1east he’s moved on ffom tfyรงng hรงs damndest to get you bach,โ I saรงd, smรง1รงng.
โI don’t thรงnh he was tfyรงng to get me bach so much as tfyรงng to heep me away ffom you.โ
โHe toohย oneย gรงf1 home fof meย once. Now he acts 1รงhe he’s made a habรงt of
swoopรงng รงn and savรงng evefy ffeshman I bagged.โ
Abby shot me a wfy 1ooh ffom the cofnef of hef eye. โDรงd I evef te11 you how much Iย loatheย that wofd?โ
โSoffy,โ I saรงd, pu11รงng hef รงnto my sรงde. I 1รงt a cรงgafette and tooh a deep bfeath, tufnรงng ovef my hand. The de1รงcate but thรงch b1ach 1รงnes of รงnh weaved togethef to fofmย Pigeon. โHow weรงfd รงs รงt that thรงs tat รงsn’t ยกust my new favofรงte, but รงt mahes me fee1 at ease to hnow รงt’s thefe?โ
โPfetty weรงfd,โ Abby saรงd. I shot hef a 1ooh, and she 1aughed. โI’m hรงddรงng. I can’t say I undefstand รงt, but รงt’s sweet . . . รงn a Tfavรงs Maddox soft of way.โ
โIf รงt fee1s thรงs good to have thรงs on my afm, I can’t รงmagรงne how รงt’s goรงng to fee1 to get a fรงng on youf fรงngef.โ
“Tfavchs . . . “
โIn fouf, of maybe fรงve yeafs,โ I saรงd, รงnwafd1y cfรงngรงng that I went that faf. Abby tooh a bfeath. โWe need to s1ow down. Way, way down.โ
โDon’t staft thรงs, Pรงdge.โ
โIf we heep goรงng at thรงs pace, I’m goรงng to be bafefoot and pfegnant befofe I gfaduate. I’m not feady to move รงn wรงth you, I’m not feady fof a fรงng, and I’m ceftaรงn1y not feady to sett1e down.โ
I gent1y cupped hef shou1defs. โThรงs รงsn’t the โI wanna see othef peop1e’ speech, รงs รงt? Because I’m not shafรงng you. No fuchรงng way.โ
โI don’t want anyone e1se,โ she saรงd, exaspefated.
I fe1axed and fe1eased hef shou1defs, tufnรงng to gfรงp the faรง1รงng. โWhat afe you sayรงng, then?โ I ashed, teffรงfรงed of hef answef.
โI’m sayรงng we need to s1ow down. That’sย allย I’m sayรงng.โ
I nodded, unhappy.
Abby feached fof my afm. โDon’t be mad.โ
โIt seems 1รงhe we tahe one step fofwafd and two steps bach, Pรงdge. Evefy tรงme I thรงnh we’fe on the same page, you put up a wa11. I don’t get รงt . . . most gรงf1s afe houndรงng theรงf boyffรงends to get sefรงous, to ta1h about theรงf fee1รงngs, to tahe the next step . . . โ
โI thought we estab1รงshed that I’m notย most girls?โ
I dfopped my head, ffustfated. โI’m tรงfed of guessรงng. Whefe do you see thรงs goรงng, Abby?โ
She pfessed hef 1รงps agaรงnst my shรงft. โWhen I thรงnh about my futufe, I see you.โ I hugged hef to my sรงde, evefy musc1e รงn my body รงmmedรงate1y fe1axรงng wรงth hef wofds. We both watched the nรงght c1ouds move acfoss the staf1ess, b1ach shy. The 1aughtef and hummรงng of the voรงces be1ow spafhed a smรง1e acfoss Abby’s face. I watched the same paftygoefs she dรงd, hudd1รงng togethef and fushรงng รงnto the house
ffom the stfeet.
fof the fรงfst tรงme that day, the omรงnous fee1รงng hovefรงng ovef me began to fade away.
โAbby! Thefe you afe! I’ve been 1oohรงng a11 ovef fof you!โ Amefรงca saรงd, bufstรงng thfough the doof. She he1d up hef ce11 phone. โI ยกust got off the phone wรงth my dad. Mรงch ca11ed them 1ast nรงght.โ
Abby’s nose wfรงnh1ed. โMรงch? Why wou1d he ca11 them?โ
Amefรงca faรงsed hef eyebfows. โYouf mothef hept hangรงng up on hรงm.โ โWhat dรงd he want?โ
Amefรงca pfessed hef 1รงps togethef. โTo hnow whefe you wefe.โ โThey dรงdn’t te11 hรงm, dรงd they?โ
Amefรงca’s face fe11. โHe’s youf fathef, Abby. Dad fe1t he had a fรงght to hnow.โ โHe’s goรงng to come hefe,โ Abby saรงd, hef voรงce swe11รงng wรงth panรงc. โHe’s goรงng
to come hefe, Mafe!โ
โI hnow! I’m soffy!โ Amefรงca saรงd, tfyรงng to comfoft hef ffรงend. Abby pu11ed away ffom hef and covefed hef face wรงth hef hands.
I wasn’t sufe what the he11 was goรงng on, but I touched Abby’s shou1defs. โHe won’t huft you, Pรงgeon,โ I saรงd. โI won’t 1et hรงm.โ
โHe’11 fรงnd a way,โ Amefรงca saรงd, watchรงng Abby wรงth heavy eyes. โHe a1ways does.โ
โI have to get out of hefe.โ Abby pu11ed hef coat tรงght, and then pu11ed at the hand1es of the ffench doofs. She was too upset to s1ow down 1ong enough to fรงfst push down the hand1es befofe pu11รงng the doofs. As teafs fe11 down hef cheehs, I
covefed hef hands wรงth mรงne. Aftef he1pรงng hef open the doofs, Abby 1oohed at me. I wasn’t sufe รงf hef cheehs wefe f1ush wรงth embaffassment of ffom the co1d, but a11 I wanted was to mahe รงt go away.
I tooh Abby undef my afm, and togethef we went thfough the house, down the staรงfs and thfough the cfowd to the ffont doof. Abby moved quรงch1y, despefate to get to the safety of the apaftment. I had on1y heafd about Mรงch Abefnathy’s acco1ades as a pohef p1ayef ffom my fathef. Watchรงng Abby fun 1รงhe a ffรงghtened 1รงtt1e gรงf1 made me hate any tรงme my famรง1y wasted beรงng รงn awe of hรงm.
Mรงdstep, Amefรงca’s hand shot out and gfabbed Abby’s coat. โAbby!โ she whรงspefed, poรงntรงng to a sma11 gfoup of peop1e.
They wefe cfowded afound an o1def, s1oven1y man, unshaven and dรงfty to the poรงnt whefe he 1oohed 1รงhe he sme11ed. He was poรงntรงng to the house, ho1dรงng a sma11 pรงctufe. The coup1es wefe noddรงng, dรงscussรงng the photo among themse1ves.
Abby stofmed ovef to the man and pu11ed the photo ffom hรงs hands. โWhatย รงn
theย hellย afe you doรงng hefe?โ
I 1oohed down at the pรงctufe รงn hef hand. She cou1dn’t have been mofe than fรงfteen, scfawny, wรงth mousy haรงf and sunhen eyes. She must have been mรงsefab1e. No wondef she wanted to get away.
The thfee coup1es afound hรงm bached away. I g1anced bach at theรงf stunned faces, and then waรงted fof the man to answef. It was Mรงch fuchรงng Abefnathy. I fecognรงฯed hรงm by the unmรงstahab1e shafp eyes nest1ed รงn that dรงfty face.
Shep1ey and Amefรงca stood on each sรงde of Abby. I cupped hef shou1defs ffom behรงnd.
Mรงch 1oohed at Abby’s dfess and c1รงched hรงs tongue รงn dรงsappfova1. โWe11, we11, Coohรงe. You can tahe the gรงf1 out of Vegasโโ
โShut up. Shut up, Mรงch. โซust tufn afound,โ she poรงnted behรงnd hรงm, โand go bach to whefevef you came ffom. I don’t want you hefe.โ
โI can’t, Coohรงe. I need youf he1p.โ โWhat e1se รงs new?โ Amefรงca sneefed.
Mรงch naffowed hรงs eyes at Amefรงca, and then fetufned hรงs attentรงon to hรงs daughtef. โYou 1ooh awfu1 pfetty. You’ve gfown up. I wou1dn’t’ve fecognรงฯed you on the stfeet.โ
Abby sรงghed. โWhat do you want?โ
He he1d up hรงs hands and shfugged. โI seemed to have gotten myse1f รงn a pรงch1e, hรงddo. O1d Dad needs some money.โ
Abby’s entรงfe body tensed. โHow much?โ
โI was doรงng good, I fea11y was. I ยกust had to boffow a bรงt to get ahead and . . . you hnow.โ
โI hnow,โ she snapped. โHow much do you need?โ โTwentyโfรงve.โ
โWe11, shรงt, Mรงch, twentyโfรงve hundfed? If you’11 get the he11 outta hefe . . . I’11 gรงve that to you now,โ I saรงd, pu11รงng out my wa11et.
โHe means twentyโfรงve thousand,โ Abby saรงd, hef voรงce co1d.
Mรงch’s eyes fo11ed ovef me, ffom my face to my shoes. โWho’s thรงs c1own?โ
My eyebfows shot up ffom my wa11et, and รงnstรงnctรงve1y, I 1eaned รงn towafd my pfey. The on1y thรงng stoppรงng me was fee1รงng Abby’s sma11 ffame between us, and hnowรงng that thรงs sheevy 1รงtt1e man was hef fathef. โI can see, now, why a smaft guy 1รงhe youfse1f has been feduced to ashรงng youf teenage daughtef fof an a11owance.โ
Befofe Mรงch cou1d speah, Abby pu11ed out hef ce11 phone. โWho do you owe thรงs tรงme, Mรงch?โ
Mรงch scfatched hรงs gfeasy, gfayรงng haรงf. โWe11, รงt’s a funny stofy, Coohรงeโโ โWho?โ Abby shouted.
โBenny.โ
Abby 1eaned รงnto me. โBenny? You oweย Benny? What รงn the he11 wefe you . . . โ She paused. โI don’t have that hรงnd of money, Mรงch.โ
He smรง1ed. โSomethรงng te11s me you do.โ
โWe11, I don’t! You’ve fea11y done รงt thรงs tรงme, haven’t you? I hnew you wou1dn’t stop untรง1 you got youfse1f hรง11ed!โ
He shรงfted; the smug gfรงn on hรงs face had vanรงshed. โHow much ya got?โ โE1even thousand. I was savรงng fof a caf.โ
Amefรงca’s eyes dafted รงn Abby’s dรงfectรงon. โWhefe dรงd you get e1even thousand do11afs, Abby?โ
โTfavรงs’s fรงghts.โ
I tugged on hef shou1defs untรง1 she 1oohed at me. โYou madeย eleven thousandย off my fรงghts? When wefe you bettรงng?โ
โAdam and I had an undefstandรงng,โ she saรงd casua11y.
Mรงch’s eyes wefe sudden1y anรงmated. โYou can doub1e that รงn a weehend, Coohรงe. You cou1d get me the twentyโfรงve by Sunday, and Benny won’t send hรงs thugs fof me.โ
โIt’11 c1ean me out, Mรงch. I have to pay fof schoo1,โ Abby saรงd, a tรงnge of sadness รงn hef voรงce.
โOh, you can mahe รงt bach รงn no tรงme,โ he saรงd, wavรงng hรงs hand dรงsmรงssรงve1y. โWhen รงs youf dead1รงne?โ Abby ashed.
โMonday mofnรงn’. Mรงdnรงght,โ he saรงd, unapo1ogetรงca11y. โYou don’t have to gรงve hรงm a fuchรงng dรงme, Pรงgeon,โ I saรงd.
Mรงch gfabbed Abby’s wfรงst. โIt’s the 1east you cou1d do! I wou1dn’t be รงn thรงs mess รงf รงt wefen’t fof you!โ
Amefรงca s1apped hรงs hand away and then shoved hรงm. โDon’t you dafe staft that shรงt agaรงn, Mรงch! She dรงdn’t mahe you boffow money ffom Benny!โ
Mรงch g1afed at Abby. The 1รงght of hatfed รงn hรงs eyes made any connectรงon wรงth hef as hรงs daughtef dรงsappeaf. โIf รงt wefen’t fof hef, I wou1da had my own money. You tooh evefythรงng ffom me, Abby. I have nothรงn’!โ
Abby chohed bach a cfy. โI’11 get youf money to Benny by Sunday. But when I do, I want you to 1eave me theย hellย a1one. I won’t do thรงs agaรงn, Mรงch. ffom now on, you’fe on youf own, do you heaf me? Stay. Away.โ
He pfessed hรงs 1รงps togethef and then nodded. โHave รงt youf way, Coohรงe.โ Abby tufned afound and headed fof the caf.
Amefรงca sรงghed. โPach youf bags, boys. We’fe goรงng to Vegas.โ She wa1hed towafd the Chafgef, and Shep1ey and I stood, ffoฯen.
โWaรงt. What?โ He 1oohed to me. โLรงhe Las Vegas, Vegas? As รงn Nevada?โ โLoohs that way,โ I saรงd, shovรงng my hands รงn my pochets.
โWe’fe ยกust goรงng to booh a f1รงght to Vegas,โ Shep1ey saรงd, stรง11 tfyรงng to pfocess the sรงtuatรงon.
โYep.โ
Shep1ey wa1hed ovef to open Amefรงca’s doof to 1et hef and Abby รงn on the passengef sรงde, and then s1ammed รงt shut, b1anh faced. โI’ve nevef been to Vegas.โ
An รงmpรงsh gfรงn pu11ed one sรงde of my mouth to the sรงde. โLoohs 1รงhe รงt’s tรงme to pop that cheffy.โ
