Page 30 of My (Not So) Perfect Plan

EVAN: You better pass your driver’s license test this time.

ME: I’ll try.

ME: You just worried about not having someone to cart you around?

EVAN: No. It would reflect badly on me considering I taught you how to drive.

ME: No, you didn’t! You just helped refine my existing driving skills.

EVAN: Um… is this before or after you almost crashed my truck getting out of the school parking lot?

I blush, remembering that embarrassing moment.

ME: You aren’t supposed to bring that up.

My phone rings. It’s Evan.

“Didn’t get enough of me yet?” I ask. I have to admit, it makes me pretty happy that he called.

“Or I’m just bored.”

“You’re a jerk. I am so not going to be your last resort.”

Evan is silent for so long I wonder if the call has dropped.

“You’re not,” he says, and this time I can tell he isn’t joking around.

“You going to binge on Netflix again tomorrow?” I’m starting to get sleepy, but I don’t want to hang up with him yet.

“Probably. Until the party. Been playing Battlegrounds a lot too.”

“You’re going to kill brain cells.”

“I have extra,” he chuckles.

I’m falling asleep on the phone, but I don’t care because I like the sound of his voice in my ear as I start to drift off.

“Hey, Claire?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m really glad Mr. Henderson asked me to tutor you.”

The words barely register.

“Me too,” I manage to mumble before I fall asleep.

SEVEN

EVAN

Saturday crawls by. I’m so pumped I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my skin, which has me wanting to dance around. Really not a good feeling when one is on bed rest for hours at a time. Throughout the day I text Claire meaningless texts related to whatever I’m doing at the moment. Sometimes it’s trivia that she invariably doesn’t know the answer to. Sometimes it’s to complain about my exercises, in which case she tells me to stop being a pansy or she’ll have to come over and force me to watch chick flicks with her. I almost wish she would.

I’m excited for Tina’s party though. I have to remind mom that she already agreed that I could go when I come out of my room. I’m stuck with the single wardrobe item of athletic shorts on the bottom, so my shirts match the theme. Derek is picking me up on his way over to Tina’s. I would’ve asked Jaxon, just because he’s my best bro, but he’s spending the evening with Rachel.

I’m waiting in the driveway in my wheelchair when Derek pulls up in the new Dodge Charger his parents gave him for his birthday.

“Sweet ride, man.”

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