So I’m starting to drive home after school, pulling my mom’s Camry out of the student parking lot, windows down on a warm, windy day. Feeling the fresh air on my face, starting to feel alive after sitting like a zombie in class all afternoon.
I’ve got my Pandora hip-hop channel cranked up, one hand on the wheel, other arm out the window. Life is good, yeah. Sure, I’d like my own car. A lot of kids at school get them on their seventeenth birthdays. But we can’t afford it, especially since Mom was laid off after Christmas.
Not a bad day. Delia and I had a good lunch at Benson’s and didn’t fight about anything. Of course, we’d definitely fight if she could read my thoughts. Because I wasn’t thinking about her much. I was thinking about Morgan Marks and how I knew I could win the bet.
The Big Guy is adorable, after all. So cute and cuddly. Ha! Ask anyone.
And now, turning onto Parker Drive, I was thinking about being cute and cuddly with Morgan—and there she was!
Whoa. As if she could read my thoughts.
She was walking fast along the sidewalk, taking long strides, and her long red hair caught the sunlight and looked like a trail of fire behind her.
Man, was she turning me into a poet.
I pulled the car to the curb and cut the music off. “Hey, Morgan—” I leaned toward the open passenger window. “Want a ride?”
She took a few steps toward the car and lowered her head to see who was calling to her. Her hair blew wild about her face. Her green eyes peered in at me for a long moment. “No, thanks.”
“Where do you live?” I called out.
“In a house.”
“Well . . . where are you headed?” I asked.
“Somewhere.”
She was teasing me. I loved it. I’d let her tease me all day, if she wanted.
“Morgan, do you know Linden at all? I could show you around.”
Her eyes flashed. “I’ll bet you could.”
“No. Seriously.”
She placed one hand on the passenger door and poked her head into the car. “Winks, you have a girlfriend, right?”
“Not . . . really,” I said. My face suddenly felt hot. I hoped I wasn’t blushing.
For some reason, that made her laugh. She laughed—and pulled open the car door. And then I could smell the flowery perfume that seemed to always accompany her as she dropped into the seat next to me. She pulled the car door shut and tried to smooth her hair down with both hands.
Then she turned to me and placed a hand on mine. “Winks, are you a good driver?”
“The best,” I said. What else could I say? My mouth suddenly felt dry. Was my heart beating a little faster than normal? Maybe.
She was just so awesomely beautiful.
“Where do you want to go?” I asked.
An SUV rumbled past us, blowing its horn. I didn’t turn to see who it was.
“Somewhere interesting,” she said. Her hand was still on mine.
“Have you seen the lake?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I just moved here, Winks. I haven’t seen anything.” She motioned straight ahead with both hands. “Show me the lake.”
I pulled away from the curb and lowered my foot on the gas. “The lake is called Parker Lake,” I told her. “Just about everything in Linden is called Parker. I think they were the first rich people who moved here back in the day.”
Morgan settled back in the seat. “Fascinating.”
I knew she was being sarcastic, but I didn’t care.
I didn’t mention that Parker Lake is where couples from school go to park at night and hook up. And as I turned onto Lake Road, I suddenly remembered my afterschool job. I was supposed to be at the car wash by four.
“There’s the lake!” Morgan exclaimed. She seemed excited to see it. “Look at how the sunlight makes it sparkle,” Morgan gushed. “Beautiful.”
The road curved around. It looked like we were driving into the sun, which hung low over the water. I pulled the visor down. It was a little blinding.
She squeezed my arm. “Pull over. I want to see it.”
I slowed down, but I didn’t stop. “I . . . I don’t have much time,” I said.
“Pull over,” she insisted.
I swerved hard and pulled the car onto the grassy shore. We were the only car there.
She leaned forward and gazed out through the windshield. The afternoon sunlight did make the lake sparkle. And beyond it, the woods appeared so bright and clear, you could see every tree.
“This is nice, but I really have to get moving,” I said.
And then her hands were around my neck and she was pulling me to her. Her mouth crushed against mine. I actually cried out. It was such a hard collision.
She held my neck and moved her lips against mine. Kissed me. Kissed me. And I kissed her back. We held the kiss, one long kiss, until we were both breathless.
Then she slid her mouth against the side of my face, licking like a dog. Slid her tongue over my skin until my whole body tingled with excitement, my skin alive, chills down the back of my neck.
I could hardly breathe. But she lowered her lips to mine and we began another long kiss.
Is she crazy? I wondered.
I couldn’t really think. I couldn’t put words together.
Is she crazy?
Do I care?
