Page 86 of Run Away Home: Tempered

“Vincent?”

“The one with no ear. Okay, time for school.”

Danny pulls his phone out of his pocket and taps the screen. “Look at the time... Darn! Looks like I already missed the bus. Aw shucks. Guess I’ll just have to go to the store with you instead of math. I was really looking forward to numbers this morning too.”

“Get in the car,” I reply.

“Right now?”

“Yup. You might even be a little early. You can sit in the library and study.”

“Uh...Maybe I can still catch the bus.”

“Get in the car, Danny. Right now!”

He rolls his eyes at me, then walks down the stairs and out the door. I follow behind him. Now he’s jiggling the handle of the car door. I press the unlock button on my key. He gets in the passenger side, sinking into the seat with his arms folded. I head to the driver’s side.

“I need glue, glitter to make the sun, tissue paper, googly eyes, new markers, American flag stickers, scissors—”

“We have scissors.” I buckle my seat belt and start the car.

“You didn’t let me finish! I need those scissors that cut cool designs. You know, like wavy, to make the water look more realistic.”

My phone vibrates in the cup holder. I must have left it in here overnight. Great. Just great.

“Who’s texting you right now?” he asks.

“Santa. I’m actually an elf from the North Pole,” I say while backing out.

“I’d believe it,” Danny says.

I stop the car and look at him with my eyebrows raised.

“What?” He laughs. “I’m just joking!”

I finish pulling out, and he picks up my phone.

“Put it down.”

“Who is this? Someone wants to fight you? I’ll beat the shit out of this guy! Who is this? What’s your passcode?”

“What’d he say?”

I pull out of the apartment complex. We’re on the road.

“I showed up at McAlister’s last night, and you weren’t there,” Danny reads. “Too afraid to fight me? I get it, I’d kill you.”

“I was there! He never showed up.”

Wow. That was fucking asinine... What kind of example am I creating?

“Who is this?”

“Tristian. Nintendo tattoos, smells like ass.”

“Oh, I’d love to kick the shit out of that string bean,” he replies.

“Didn’t we talk about fighting? No fighting!”

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