Page 152 of Crew
Cross climbed in, shutting the door and glaring. "Not a fucking chance."
"Leave, Cross!" She cracked. She let emotion ring out in my voice. "You heard our teacher. You can be someone. You can do things. Why are you here?" I shook my head. "You shouldn't be. You shouldn't be anywhere near me."
"Stop it." His jaw clenched.
"Get out."
"No."
"Cross!"
"No."
He put his seatbelt on, and the doors in the back opened. Both Jordan and Zellman got inside.
Jordan leaned back. "Just drive, Bren. We're with you whether you want us or not."
I laughed hollowly, but I couldn't make them leave.
I really had no option. I was easing back when someone rapped on my side window.
I braked. It was Alex. I lowered the window.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"What happened in there?"
"Walk, Ryerson." A low warning came from Cross. He wasn't messing around.
I began putting the window back up, but Alex clamped a hand over it. I would've cut his fingers if I kept going. That was tempting, but Channing had said later for Alex.
I stopped my window. "Leave me alone."
"What happened in there?" He wasn't moving.
"It's none of your business--" Jordan began.
"I heard it had to do with the crews, not just yours. I want to know what it was about." He scrubbed a hand over his face, briskly. He sounded frustrated. "Bren, you need to tell me. If it's all crews, you have a duty."
I felt her rallying in me. She didn't want me to feel or think or care. She wanted me to be numb to the world.
But Alex was staring me in the face, and I was surrounded by my crew. Her hold was slipping. Feeling the darkness draw back down, I could almost see the firefly moving away.
"They want to fix us," I said quietly.
A vein stuck out from the side of Alex's neck. "Fix who? How?"
"Us. The troubled kids, the ones who are going to prison or underground. They want us to be better."
"Say what?"
Cross cursed under his breath.
"What the fuck?" Jordan roared. "That's what they said?"
"They want us to be mentored by convicts." And the real kicker... "My dad is one of the ones in the program."
"They want you to be in the program?" Cross asked.
