If I Break THE COMPLETE SERIES Bundle (144 page)

“It depends on if I can pick up an extra shift at the Barrow or not.”

“I hope you come. We haven’t done anything fun in a while,” she whines, sweeping her blond bangs out of her face. I told her bangs would annoy the crap out of her.

“I’ll try, but you know I need all the money I can get if I want a chance in hell of getting out of Evie’s house.”

Amanda presses her lips together tightly. “I wish you could just come live with me. Our house is huge. We could ride to school together, and we could be sisters—you know, one I actually like.”

I laugh at her. The offer would be appealing if Amanda didn’t have three sisters I absolutely hated. Amanda is a lot of things, but she’s no snob, even though she has the makings of one. Her dad is a lawyer, and her mom owns a little boutique downtown. They have a big house on the ritzier side of town, and Amanda has a two-year-old BMW she inherited from her older sister who had to have the new Mercedes.

“Well, I hope you come and maybe bring Chris and Aidan with you,” she says slyly.

I roll my eyes. Amanda isn’t sure which one she has a crush on—it changes as often as her new projects—but I know that if she dated either of my best friends, especially Aidan, it would be super awkward. When it went bad—and if it was Aidan, it most definitely would go bad—I’d be stuck in the middle.

“I’ll see what I can do,” I say and laugh.

The bell rings a few minutes later, and everyone files out of class. I begrudgingly make my way up to Ms. Gregory’s desk.

“You wanted to see me,” I say quietly.

Ms. Gregory is middle-aged with tan skin, long dark hair, and bright blue eyes. She’s one of the teachers Aidan refers to as bangable. She’s tough but fair.

“I’m pretty sure you’re aware that the last test you’ve taken has pulled your grade average down considerably,” she says, folding her hands together on her desk.

“I’m good enough at math to at least figure that out,” I say, and she smirks.

“Lisa, you’ve got to do better. A D in precalculus is not going to look good to an admissions department,” she says seriously.

“I know. I’ve really been trying, but it’s just math and me are like worst enemies,” I say honestly.

“I told you that if you came in after school during our tutoring sessions, I believe it would help you greatly. I believe coming twice a week would at least get you to a solid B,” she says.

“I wish I could, but I can’t make them. I have to work.”

“It’s the first semester your senior year. If you plan on going to college, this math stuff isn’t going to get any easier. It’s going to be something you build on, and with a shaky foundation, that will not go well,” she says, sincerity evident in her voice.

“I’ll figure out something, Ms. Gregory.” I sigh. What am I going to do?

“I hope so.”

I slide into my usual seat in the lunch room across from Chris, his friend Mike, and Devin. Amanda slides in next to me.

“You look like you just fucked your brother,” Devin says and gives Mike a high five.

“You’re so funny. I think you should quit school and do stand-up,” I spit back.

“What’s wrong?” Chris asks.

“I got a D on my math test which is sucking the life out of the fledgling C I had, and if I screw up any worse, I’m going to have a big old F in the middle of one of my most important report cards.” I sigh.

“I told you I could help you,” Chris says.

“That’s so sweet of you, Chris,” Amanda says, practically swooning.

Chris blushes.

“Your way of helping is actually doing it. And that’s great and all, but it doesn’t really help when it comes to me taking these tests.” I chuckle.

“I offered to help her, but she won’t take mine either,” Amanda interjects.

I frown at her in disbelief.

“Don’t they have afterschool tutoring? I heard if you go, the teacher gives you five points just for showing up,” Devin adds.

“She can’t go after school. She works,” Chris informs him.

“Who’s your teacher again?” Mike asks.

“The super-hot Ms. Gregory. I told Lisa to give me a hundred bucks and I’d convince Ms. Gregory to give her an A,” Aidan says, pulling a chair up to the table.

“Oh, please, after you were done, she’d probably fail me,” I say sarcastically.

“What’s up, Amanda?” Aidan says with a wink that makes Amanda smile goofily.

“So are you guys coming to Claire’s party this weekend?” Amanda asks.

“Who’s Claire?” Mike asks.

“My big sister Claire. Our parents are gone for the weekend, so we’re taking advantage,” she says.

“Free alcohol and older chicks? I’m down,” Devin says enthusiastically, giving Mike and Aidan a high five.

“What about you, Chris? You coming out?” Aidan asks.

“I don’t know. My dad’s just getting back from out of town, so my mom’s probably going to do a dinner for him or something,” Chris says with a shrug.

“Come on, man. Quit acting like a grandpa,” Aidan whines.

“So you want me to blow off my dad’s welcome home dinner to go and watch you get drunk and turned down by a whole new set of women?” Chris smirks, and I beam.

“Nice!” I say and mock the guys’ high fives.

Chris winks at me.

“I think it’s sweet that you put family first,” Amanda says, taking the opportunity to touch Chris’s hand.

God, Amanda just pick one already.

“Hey, is this pick-on-Aidan day?” Aidan grabs a french fry off my plate and throws it at Chris.

“Only in a perfect world,” I say, slapping Aidan’s arm.

“Look, how long does dinner last at your house? You should be done by, at the latest, nine, and then we slide over to Claire’s party.”

“Pleeeaaase, Chris,” Amanda says in a sugary tone.

I look at her, surprised, and before I know it, Aidan, Devin, and Mike have all joined in on her pleading.

“Okay,” Chris relents.

They all erupt in cheers.

“What about you, Lisa?” Amanda asks.

“I’ll see if I can make it.”

I cut my last class. It’s only an elective, and I have a solid A. Since Chris and Amanda have a student council meeting after school, both of them are out as far as a ride home, so I start my hour-long walk early enough to get home to grab the car and head to work since my boss said I could work an extra shift. As I round the corner to our house and see the car isn’t in the driveway, I feel my head pound. I run up the stairs, grab my keys, and open the door. My mom’s in the living room and smoking a cigarette, her foot tapping continuously.

“Evie, where’s the car?” I ask, already afraid to hear the answer.

Her lips are pressed together, and her worry lines are showing underneath the blond strings falling into her face. “I’ve been calling Jack all day. He told me he was just going to run to his brother’s and he’d be back. I don’t know.” She shakes her head.

I feel my face fall. “Why would you let him take the car? God, Mom, you can’t be that desperate to just hand over the only way you and I get to work for some guy with a beer belly and a dead colon!”

“I don’t want to hear it! If it’s not back by tonight, I’ll call the cops. Just calm down,” she says angrily.

Oh yeah, get angry at me, not the guy who’s pretty much stolen your car.
“Mom, I’m on a final warning at work. If I’m late, that could be it. I asked for this shift!”

“What do you want me to do? I can’t do anything right now. Can’t you call one of your friends to take you?”

“Yeah, because it’s my friends’ responsibility to look after your child’s well-being!”

I storm past her into my room, put down my book bag, and grab my hat and apron for work. When I leave my room, I hear my mom screaming into the phone—I presume it’s Jack. I roll my eyes, head out of the house, and jog over to Chris’s. I feel my stomach drop. I absolutely hate asking people for stuff, but if I lose this job, I’m screwed. Evie works just enough to keep a roof over our heads and buy frivolous shit we don’t need. I swallow my pride and head up the stairs, going up the front since Chris isn’t home, and ring the bell. A few minutes later, Gwen is at the door.

“Hi, Mrs. Scott. I’m sorry to bother you,” I say hesitantly.

She immediately looks concerned. “Is everything okay?”

“Sort of. I’m hoping you could drop me off at work. My mom has a friend looking at her car, and I won’t make it if I walk. I can get home. I just have to get there, or they’ll probably fire me,” I say, doing my best to hold in my tears.

“Of course, sweetie. I’ll grab my keys. It’ll just be a minute.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

The ride to the Barrow is quiet except for Mrs. Scott humming along to the radio. She’s seems to be in a really good mood. I try to calm my nerves and suck up all the angst I’m emitting.

“I really commend you, being in school and working your senior year,” she says, and I smile. “When I was your age, I did the bare minimum to get by.”

I feel my face scrunch up. It’s funny, but I don’t get that from her. I would have thought she was a cheerleader, class treasurer, and homecoming queen. Mrs. Scott has always had a way of emanating warmth and good feels. Something I wish Evie had an ounce of.

“Really?” I say with a chuckle.

“Oh yeah,” she says, giving me a wide grin. “I hated school and thought I knew everything of course. You’re seventeen?”

“Yeah. I turn eighteen in January.”

She nods. “I had so much growing up to do.” She sighs a little, and I detect a hint of sadness behind her expression.

“Well, you turned out pretty awesome,” I say.

She smiles and chuckles. “I did, I guess, huh?”

I can’t help feeling confused. How could she not think that? She’s, like, Suzie Homemaker. All of Chris’s friends love her—she’s miles ahead of my mom at least. I’ve known the Scotts since I was little.

She sings to the music again. I pull out some notes Amanda gave me earlier from precalc, but they might as well be in Japanese.

“What’s that?” Gwen asks.

I sigh. “Precalc notes. I’m having the worst time with it. I hate math.”

“Oh, I’m glad I get to avoid those classes when I start back.”

I raise my eyebrow.

“I’m taking a couple of courses at the community college this fall. Chris sort of inspired me to go back,” she says.