Page 22 of A Vicious Rumor

The drive cleared my mind, just like drives always did. In a weird way, I felt like I could breathe out here. Spending the entire day with Lily was oddly freeing. For an entire day, I didn't worry about what she thought about me. I didn't worry about what she thought about my mother or my family or my Dad or his business or any of it.

The entire day I was just able to exist with her.

I pulled the Jeep into the driveway of the shack I guess I was calling home for these eight weeks. I climbed out of the car and sighed. The thing stood out like a sore thumb. I fished the cover out of the back seat and threw it over the top. I wasn't sure if it made it better or worse, but it was what it was.

I tried the front door, and it was locked. I groaned in frustration, realizing my mother hadn't thought to leave me a key. I walked around back and hopped the fence and made my way inside through the back door, which I'd left open. My cell phone vibrated against my pocket and I looked at the screen.

It was Paper.

Of course.

I hadn't returned any of his calls. He was probably livid.

"Yeah," I said, answering the phone and putting it on speaker.

"Nice of you to finally respond," Paper said.

"I told you," I replied with a yawn. "I'm not around for the summer. What's there to talk about?"

"Your behavior before you left, that's what," Paper said, in his greater-than-thou voice.

I sighed. "I really don't have it in me, Papes," I said. "Honestly, that girl had it coming, and so did Scissors. You saw him, he was egging me on the entire day."

I could hear Paper sigh on the other side of the phone. "Are you intending not to come back at all during the summer break?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. I'd need a reason to come back. Were you still planning to paper more deals during the summer? Don't you usually take a break?"

"Scissors has had a few interesting requests that I have been considering. But, without you around, the whole thing sort of falls apart."

"Nice to be appreciated," I said sarcastically.

"You get paid, Rock. Not enough appreciation for you?"

I rolled my eyes. "I really don't care for coming back. Besides the fact that my Dad's being a bitch and forbidding me from doing it, I just think I need a break from all of it."

"I'll make it worth your while, Rock," Paper said.

"Oh yeah?" I replied. "My time's worth a lot of money."

"False, but I'm being generous. I'll double your usual cut."

"You clear this with Scissors?" I asked him.

"Let me handle that," he said.

"Fine," I replied. "Just let me know when and where I'm needed."

"It's not quite that simple," Paper said. "You'll need to at least show up to a few functions over the summer so that people know you're around. I'd actually like to keep it under wraps that you're gone for the summer."

I scoffed. "I'm like, less than an hour's drive," I replied.

"Rock, you're across the river. For these kids, it might as well be Mars."

"Yeah, good point," I said, unable to argue with his logic. "Still though, I'm not coming out for free."

Paper paused for a moment, and I wondered if I'd pushed my luck with him too far. I didn't actually want to be kicked out of the Triad. I wasn't sure whether or not Paper could actually replace me. My reputation around the school as the angry, unhinged kid was pretty well established. I wasn't convinced there was another one like me, but that didn't mean Paper couldn't create one.

And, as much as I hated the preppy kids I went to school with, I liked the prestige and the status that being a part of the Triad gave to me. If anything, it kept me apart from everyone, and I wasn't bothered as much.

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