Page 46 of Rebel Summer

“Let’s see if I can cover all my bases with Dax Miller.”

I started to say more before his eyes snapped to mine. “Wait. I’m suddenly interested in baseball. What bases will we be covering?”

I ignored him and held up a finger. “One knock means, turn it down.” I added one more finger to the bunch. “Two knocks means, TURN IT OFF RIGHT NOW. Three knocks means, I’m being murdered. Get over here.”

There was a beat of questionable silence between us. Dax scratched his face.

“Wait. Let me make sure I understand,” he said, holding up a hand. “You are in the process of getting murdered, and you will somehow extract yourself before proceeding to the wall to give three distinct taps?”

“Yup,” I said, folding my arms.

“What’s the knock for, I’m hungry, do you have any food?”

I smiled brightly. “There’s actually no knock for that. It’s just this.” At the sight of my middle finger, an impish grin crept onto his face, and something inside of me did a little flip.

“I think this summer might be the best I’ve had in a long time,” he said, smiling at me.

“Don’t mess with me, Dax. And turn your music down.”

“Good to see you too, Books.”

With that, he closed the door in my face.

Biology Class

Day 16

“How come you never smile at me in the cafe? You smile at everyone else but me. It can’t be good business to glare at your most dependable customers,” Dax whispered in the middle of Mr. Gray’s lecture.

I kept my gaze forward, silently begging him to stop talking to me while Mr. Gray was teaching. It was so rude. But he kept at it, simply to annoy me.

“I smile when you leave.”

I felt his interested gaze on me. “Love seeing me walk away, huh?”

My face fell. “Ugh.”

“You walked right into that.”

“I know. Shut up.”

T-minus 42 days to exit

Dax hours remaining: 195

THE SENATOR

I need a favor.

ME

What?

THE SENATOR

Do you remember Bob Peterson? He’s been a big supporter the past ten years.

ME

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