Leaving Eden by Anne Leclaire

Author:Anne Leclaire
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780307415806
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2007-12-18T05:00:00+00:00

twelve

Let’s just drive,” Spy said. “Okay,” I said, though I was hoping we’d go to the A&W or someplace where the popular kids would see us. Just driving meant we’d probably head over to Elders Pond, or maybe north past the Pedlar River, or out to the Natural Bridge, which was this granite bridge that grew that way by itself and was a big tourist attraction. It had George Washington’s initials carved in it, and at night it was lit up with colored lights. Instead of any of these places, Spy took the road heading west over the Blue Ridge. I had to keep sneaking looks over to make sure he was real. I was riding with Spy Reynolds. Spy, the most popular boy at Eden High, who was going off to be a lawyer, and whose daddy was rich and his mama good-looking, just like in the song. He drove using just one arm, draping it over the wheel so it looked like he was steering with his wrist. The next time I went for a lesson with Martha Lee, I decided I’d drive that way, too.

The radio was so loud, you couldn’t hear us if we did talk, which we didn’t. Spy fiddled with the dial, twisting it past the oldies station in Monroe, past gospel and bluegrass, finally settling on rock, which was my least favorite, one more thing that made me a freak according to the popular kids. The DJ was playing an entire Aerosmith album, the Permanent Vacation one, and we listened to “Angel,” and even if I didn’t usually like Aerosmith and the volume was up too loud, I felt like they were singing this song just for me. I was an angel. With natural radiance. Once he had the tunes set to his liking, Spy reached under the seat, not even looking at the road or slowing down, and pulled out a bottle. He used both hands to twist off the cap, and I got another little flicker in my belly. I bit my lip to keep from telling him to pay attention to his driving.

“Want some?” he said.

The label said Vodka, which was what the popular kids drank ’cause they said no one could detect it on your breath. The only thing I’d ever had was beer, but I didn’t want to look like a baby, so I took it when he passed it. There wasn’t any way to wipe the rim without him seeing, but I figured maybe the alcohol would take care of germs.

Vodka looked like water but it tasted like lightning, burning my throat and leaving a streak all the way to my belly. I had to swallow twice to keep from coughing or puking. Spy took the bottle back, putting his mouth exactly where mine had been. When he was done, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, which was something my daddy might do. His shirt was all wrinkled. I started noticing other things, like his hair

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