Page 128 of Scrimmage

“Please, Penny.”

She glances at me over her shoulder and bites her lip. “Fuck it. I’m starving, and it’ll be fun to listen to you grovel.”

I don’t care if it’s demeaning. I’ll fucking take it. She comes over and sits down in a chair as I hand her the takeout box. She tears into the plastic silverware and starts stuffing her face.

“How’ve you been?” I ask.

“Is that really how you’re going to start this?”

“Right. Uh, how is Ashland?”

“Next.”

I readjust. “What is the sculpture going to be?”

“Judas.”

“Like Judas Priest?”

That makes her laugh and choke on her noodles. “No. Like Judas Iscariot the traitor to Jesus.”

“I forgot you’re religious.” I nod to the cross around her neck.

“I’m not. I just don’t like traitors.” She glares at me.

“I didn’t betray anyone,” I defend myself.

“I didn’t say it was about you, but if the shoe fits shove that bitch on, Cinderella.”

I look down at my hands and shake my head, laughing. “You’re right.”

“She should’ve left you in jail.”

I look up over my nose. “Why didn’t she?”

She stabs her fork into a meatball. “I don’t know.”

“Come on. You’re her best friend. You know.”

“Myth.” She swallows. “I know Ashland. She’s my best fucking friend, but I don’t know every single thing that goes through her mind. She’s her own person, not like you understand that. I could make a million guesses, but they might all be wrong. I don’t know every rhyme to her melodies, and I’m not going to make her explain them to me.”

“Can I admit something that’s going to make you hate me?”

“Already do but go for it.”

I warily pick up my bag and pull out the stolen sketchbook.

She’s unimpressed. “You decided to pick up art? What? She’s your Mona Lisa now?”

I flip open to the first page and hand it to her. She looks it over and smiles. “Did she leave this at your place?”

“No. It’s the one she lost. I took it.”

That makes Penny frown. “Start explaining before I slit your fucking throat and use your head for Judas. I’m not kidding. There are things that are far worse than prison.”

“It was impulsive. I don’t really know why I did it. I only ever looked at the first page before I stopped myself. I knew…Iknowit was wrong. After Ashland bailed me out of jail—”

“Which she shouldn’t have,” Penny interrupts.

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