Escape by Francine Pascal

Author:Francine Pascal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse

cool gray lines

The only thing left in this horrid place was wind.

Catwalk Struts

SO THESE WERE “BOY” THINGS. BEER and basketball.

Based solely on the fact that Ed and Jake were boys, Megan had insisted that there was no way they wouldn’t enjoy drinking a beer and watching a basketball game. So she had basically posed them in front of the TV like her very own boy dolls and handed them their beers before following the rest of the girls into Tatiana’s bedroom for the closet raid. Ed didn’t know how to tell Megan that he really didn’t drink much at all and that the only time he cared about sports was when he was playing them, not watching them. And even then he only cared about sports of the extreme nature. He’d just been too depressed to even go into it.

He sat silently, pushed up against the right edge of the thick white couch. Jake was pushed up against the left. They each had an Amstel Light in their hands (the only beer Tatiana had), and they kept their eyes glued to the TV. There was a “classic” Sixers-Lakers game on, but Ed was more fascinated by the players’ giant seventies Afros and freaky short shorts than the actual game.

Incessant annoying giggles kept wafting in from Tatiana’s bedroom down the hall as the girls proceeded with their “girl” things. Ed could already picture the FOHs piling out of Tatiana’s bedroom with shopping bags full of her wardrobe. He still couldn’t believe that group theft was the highest praise these girls had to offer. He hoped Tatiana could keep them from taking advantage, although, judging from the way she had been dealing with them since yesterday, it seemed like she had the situation under control. Complete control, actually.

“You play ball?” Jake asked, keeping his eyes on the TV.

“Not really,” Ed replied. He was surprised Jake had even tried to start a conversation.

“Football?”

“Nope.”

Silence followed.

“I’m a recovering skate freak,” Ed explained.

“Sweet, ” Jake replied, finally turning to Ed. “Did you compete?”

“Um. . . it was more of a city thing.”

“Oh, right,” Jake said, nodding foolishly. Ed was surprised to find Jake making no attempt to hide the fact that he suddenly felt stupid. From the little Ed had seen, Jake seemed like such a conceited ass. “The ‘city thing’ is still a complete freaking mystery to me,” Jake admitted.

“Why, where are you from?”

“I’m from Oregon,” Jake explained. “Not Portland, so don’t bother asking me about grunge.”

“Not a problem,” Ed said. “I’m all about the Backstreet Boys, anyway.”

Jake stared at Ed, blank faced.

“Kidding,” Ed said, sipping from his tepid beer.

Jake’s face relaxed. “I knew that,” he joked. “Knew that”

All right, maybe Jake wasn’t that bad. Maybe Ed had judged him a little too soon.

Jake surveyed the room slowly and then peeked down the darkened hallway. “So. . . where’s Gaia?” he asked, focusing on the TV again and sipping from his beer.

Another silence followed. Ed turned slowly to Jake and examined his generic “stud boy” profile.

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