Last Ride by Laura Langston

Author:Laura Langston
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: JUV039030
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2011-05-02T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

I can’t eat dinner.

“Roast beef is your favorite,” Mom says as she glances at my still-full plate. Becky’s almost done. Cam and Becky’s boyfriend, Russ, are already on seconds. “What’s wrong?”

What’s not wrong? “Ray brought in burgers and it was kinda late.” True, except I couldn’t eat them.

Mom eyes me too closely. “I swear you’re losing weight. Maybe you should see the doctor.”

What am I going to tell him? That my dead buddy is haunting me? I don’t think so.

I force myself to eat a little, though Mom gives me another weird look when I turn down pie. I never turn down pie. Especially not apple.

After I help with the clean up, I park myself in front of the tv with Becky and Russ, suffering through a bunch of reality shows about hoarders and baby beauty contestants and women who didn’t know they were pregnant.

There are worse things than not knowing you’re pregnant, I decide as I watch them wheel a woman into the operating room. Worse things than losing a car too. Like losing a brother or a son. Like losing a best friend. Seeing Amy reminded me of that. But it also reminded me that my car is my protection. My safety net. I can’t lose it. It’s the only thing I have left. The only thing that makes me, me.

Eventually Russ and Cam leave and Mom reminds us that it’s a school night, so I have no choice but to head upstairs. I boot up the computer and ignore the prickle that’s been tickling the back of my neck since I saw Logan in the crosswalk. Then I do what I always do when I need a distraction: I drive.

Within minutes, I’m screaming through the make-believe streets of Bayview in a red Lamborghini, shooting past hidden hideouts, coming face-to-face with unexpected challengers. I’m totally there, totally present, not thinking of Logan or Amy or my problem with Ray. I’m in control. And the way things are going lately, it’s a relief to be in control of something.

Several hours and a couple of successful races later, I’m in the black by thousands of dollars. Too bad real life isn’t as simple as Need for Speed 2. I shut things down and crawl into bed. Too bad I can’t turn Logan off like I turn off the computer.

I can’t. And I don’t. In fact, I dream of him. We’re playing basketball on the school court. He is beating me. We’re both laughing. Then he turns serious, deadly. He lunges for my neck and squeezes. I see Drew and Blair and Lucas in the distance. I open my mouth to yell for them but I can’t breathe, never mind talk. They don’t know…they aren’t helping…and then Logan turns into Ray and…

I jerk awake, bolt up in bed, gasp for air. It was a dream, just a dream.

But the smell of cherry Twizzlers almost chokes me.

Heart thudding, I gulp in deep breaths and stare around my bedroom. I’m searching out familiar shapes in the darkness, praying I don’t see him.

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