Page 4 of Brick

Somebody on the crew was a lucky bastard.

The girl made her way straight to Will. She kissed his cheek before handing him the giant cookie cake she’d carried over from the car.

“Happy birthday, big brother.” She grinned.

His breath sped up when he realized this wasn’t Will’s girl. Maybe he should’ve known better, but it’s not as though he was tight enough with anyone here to recognize their families.

He moved closer to them without meaning to. Now only six feet away, he could tell her eyes were more blue than green; her teeth were straight and shiny, and he could pick up the faint scent of vanilla over the sawdust in the air.

Will shook his head as he admired the cake. “You didn’t have to do this, Liv. Aren’t you supposed to be at work? Who’s watching your class?”

She laughed, a light, tinkling sound, like the princess in a cartoon he saw when he was a kid. “My students are at lunch. Don’t worry. I’m not here to cramp your style.” She pinched his cheek. “Well, I don’t mind cramping it a little. But mostly, I wanted to invite your buddies out here to come have a drink Friday night to help celebrate your birthday.”

Her gaze passed over the guys in the crew. “Y’all hear?” As if they all hadn’t been staring at her since she’d stepped out of her car. “Friday night. Seven o’clock at Moe’s. First round is on me. If you need some extra motivation, I might be able to dig up some adorable photos of Baby Will in the bathtub.”

Kane chuckled. “Make it a picture of you in the bathtub and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Brick elbowed the smart-ass in the stomach.

“Shut the fuck up, man.” Will growled. “You’re talking shit about my sister.”

The woman didn’t seem upset, though. She wasn’t even looking at Kane.

Her gaze locked squarely on him, and he stood frozen under the weight of those baby blues. He didn’t even breathe.

But for a second, neither did she.

At least, that’s what his overactive imagination said.

He dragged in a breath of air, and in a flash, the spell was broken.

She gave him her back as she kissed Will’s scruffy cheek again. “Oh, hush. Don’t get mad at your friend. He probably hasn’t seen a naked woman in years.” Grinning, she winked at Kane, who had the decency to take his lumps in silence. “Friday at seven. Don’t be late.”

With one last wave, Will’s sister made her way to her little Toyota. Though he had no idea why, he couldn’t resist watching her every move, until she disappeared.

Friday night.

For the first time in God knows how long, he had something to look forward to.

***

Liv

Liv slipped back into her classroom moments before the bell rang, and kids poured in behind her. Desks were packed closely together in the small room. The school had been around since the 1950s, and the evidence surrounded her, from the green linoleum floor to the metal doors and the sagging ceiling. The window unit air conditioner hummed loudly as it struggled to cool the stifling space.

Most of her students made it clear they considered her English class a necessary evil they had to endure to graduate, but a special few—like the one approaching her now—showed they appreciated the power of language and the nuances of the written word.

Devon flashed her a toothy smile as he took his seat in the second row, next to his best friend, Justin. “Nice hair, Miss T.”

She ran her palm over the new extensions, the weight unfamiliar after so long without it. Dipping her head, she acknowledged the compliment.

“Are we gonna watch the movie today or what?”

She didn’t recognize the voice from the back of the room, but she knew what he was asking about. They’d been reading The Outsiders and waiting impatiently for the day they could watch the movie as a reward for getting through the book.

“Tomorrow,” she promised, sparking an equal number of cheers and groans. “We have one more day of discussion first. We’ve all finished the reading, right?” She glanced around the room. “Who can tell me what Johnny tried to say in his last message to Ponyboy?”

After a few seconds, Devon spoke. She had to strain to make out his soft words. “He wants him to stay innocent. Something better than the guys in his hood. He wanted him to have a future.”

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