Page 111 of Cemetery Boys

Julian was already sitting in the passenger seat, drumming his fingers against his knees. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

Yadriel stuffed his backpack down by Julian’s feet. He put the key into the ignition but then hesitated. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this,” he said. More sweat trickled down his spine. Panic clawed up his throat. “Your brother is going to call the police, it’ll turn into a car chase—”

“Car chases happen all the time in LA,” Julian said, as if that were supposed to make him feel better. “They’ve got convicts and shit to be going after.”

Yadriel pressed his hands against his temples. “Oh my God, my face is going to be all over the news!”

“Not if you cover it, dummy.” Julian reached and tugged the skeleton mask over his nose. “There!”

But it didn’t cover the death glare Yadriel shot him.

Julian laughed and shook his head. “It’s like you’ve never stolen a car before!”

“I have never stolen a car before!” Yadriel snapped. His breath heated the black material covering his mouth.

“Oh.” Julian paused. “I mean, it’s not even technically stealing—”

“How?”

“Pops left the car to my brother and me,” Julian stressed. “I’ve got a key and everything. I’m giving you permission to use it.”

“I don’t think that’s going to stand up in court.”

“Then you better drive fast, huh?” There was a flash of a grin. A reckless glint in his eye.

Julian reached over.

Yadriel sucked in a breath. “Jules!”

But it was too late. Julian gripped the key in the ignition and turned it.

The engine roared to life. Reggaeton blared from the speakers.

“GO, GO, GO!” Julian shouted, laughter shaking his voice.

Yadriel shoved down the panicked voice in his head. He didn’t think. He didn’t turn at the sound of the apartment door banging open.

He stepped on the clutch, threw the shift into gear, and peeled out.

The smell of exhaust stung his nose. The sound of Julian’s excited shout filled his ears. The beat of the bass thudded in his chest.

Yadriel drove, and he didn’t look back.

TWENTY

They headed for the beach, but that meant cutting through Los Angeles first. The traffic did little to calm Yadriel’s nerves. He kept checking the mirrors, convinced that any second blue-and-red lights would flash in their reflection.

Julian wasn’t helping. He practically vibrated with barely contained excitement next to Yadriel, impatient and constantly shifting. He reached forward and turned the music back on, filling the car with thumping bass.

Yadriel cringed and tugged the mask back down around his neck. “Does it have to be that loud?”

“Yes, it does!” Julian shouted over the noise as he spun the dial, cycling through station after station.

Yadriel rolled his eyes and cranked down the window to get some cool air in the stuffy cab. It whipped through his hair. The buffeting wind fought with the crackling of the speakers. The air cooled Yadriel down and made it easier for him to breathe.

Julian went so fast through the stations, Yadriel had no idea how he could even tell what was playing. Sometimes he’d pause and Yadriel thought he’d finally found one he liked, but then he always ended up searching for a new song before it was over.

In between the fuzz of dead channels, there was a flash of music so quick that Yadriel barely registered it until Julian shouted, “YES!”