Page 52 of Bending Under Pressure

“I’m sorry, Haley. That’s never happened before. We all know Finn likes to light one up, but he’s never come to a race high.” I don’t reply because I don’t know what am I supposed to say. “I don’t feel right about taking you home after that. Want to lie in the hammock with me?”

I don’t feel like going home yet either, but I’m ready to get out of the car. “Yeah.”

Keelan drives past my house and straight to his. We quietly exit the car, he tells me to go on back to the hammock, and he disappears inside. What seems like forever passes before he returns with blankets and a pillow. Keelan tosses the pillow where our heads will go and climbs on with the other blanket in his arms. Without thinking too much about it, I get on, turn toward him, lie an arm over his stomach, and rest my head on his shoulder. I need something stable and rock-like to calm me down. Keelan is definitely that something. He covers us with the blanket to turn make us perfectly cozy and warm.

“Are you okay, Hales? You haven’t said much.”

“That was terrifying,” I whisper. “He touched the mirror and would have kept coming.” I keep replaying it in my head over and over, imagining us crashing.

Keelan’s chest rises and falls with his heavy sigh. “I know. It never should have happened, but Finn is adamant that no one talks to him beforehand. He’s superstitious or something. He takes it way too seriously. Otherwise, someone would have found out before the race. He won’t be doing it anymore though. I still wish Cameron hadn’t pulled me away.” Keelan breathes hard again. “I’ve never wanted to punch someone in the throat as much as I did him.”

“Let’s just stop talking about it.”

We don’t say anything else. There’s a soft breeze in the air. Millions, well, a lot of insects are chirping, buzzing, and singing their songs. Frogs are ribbiting their hearts out. It would be rather dark out here, but there’s a light attached to their building allowing us to see. Even with the breeze, the air is warm. It’s perfect and with Keelan, it’s cozy out here.

So much so that our breathing evens out, and our eyes drift closed.

A clearing of a throat sounds far away. I snuggle closer into the warmth and the body next to me. A flag in my head waves like crazy when that body tenses. My eyes fly open the moment I hear John’s voice. Luckily, my face is nuzzled into Keelan’s neck. I can’t see him, and he can’t see I’m awake.

“You might want to get her home, son. Then you can explain this situation to your mother and me.”

“Yes, sir,” Keelan replies. I hear feet shuffling away, but before I can lift my head, Keelan says, “Let’s get you home, Hales.”

“How did you know I was awake?” I ask, lifting my head.

“Your eyelashes tickled my neck when you opened your eyes.”

“Oh. Do you think you’ll get in trouble?”

“I don’t know. Probably. Come on.” He starts pulling the covers off us. “We can probably get you home before your parents wake up. If Dad is up, then it’s around six or six-thirty.”

We get out of the hammock, bypass the house, and walk straight to his car. I feel kind of bad for getting him in trouble. It’s both our faults, but I feel like it’s more mine than his. I was the one who freaked out a little after the racing incident and didn’t want to go home, which is why he invited me over to his house.

“Tell them it was my fault,” I blurt out when he pulls into the end of my driveway. “I got into an argument with my mom or a meltdown over my dad or something. You could tell them it was my fault and you were being a good guy. I don’t want you to get grounded either.”

He grins. “I’ll be fine either way. You should go before you get caught too.” He leans over to kiss my cheek, and I get out and sneak back into my bedroom.

No one knew I was gone all night at my house. The moment I get to school, I search the parking lot for Keelan, but only find his car.

“Haley!”

I turn to see Jess jogging toward me, a wide smile on her face. Her parents left this morning and I think the plan is for Cameron to go over tomorrow.

“One more day,” she shrieks with excitement. Honestly, I thought she would be more nervous by now. I know I would be. I’m nervous just thinking about it. It’s odd, too, because Jess is obvious with her excitement, although not many know why, but Cameron is acting no different. Almost indifferent. I guess I was expecting him to be more handsy than usual, but he hasn’t at all.

“Congrats?” I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say.

She loops her arm through mine once we walk inside the building. “It’s going to be amazing,” she dreamily sighs. “Ugh.” I follow her narrowed eyes to see her glaring at Finn. “Cam told me what happened. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I reply as we turn down another hallway for my first class. There, leaning against the wall, is Keelan. This time, I want to sigh all dreamily. He’s in jeans and his jersey, which is tucked in as per school rules, and he looks good. It’s easily to see he’s lean, defined, and like a high school God. Those full lips stretch upward when he sees me. “Well?” I ask as I stop before him, holding my breath.

“I got a warning and a promise that next time, the punishment will be severe.”

“Oh, good.”

He wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Worried you wouldn’t be able to see me whenever you wanted?”

I roll my eyes and laugh. “Nope, I was worried you would miss me too much if you were grounded.”

---