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Work is hard, but work has brought me to Ryan, so it is, in fact, a great job. But that is none of Ash’s business. He removes the exhaust pipe and hands it to Teig, then he rolls past me and to the other side of the bike.
“I hope you like it.” He concentrates on removing two small bolts. “You’re in a motocross family now. There’s no getting out of it.” He pauses while he wiggles something inside the motor. Then he adds, “Not like anyone would want to get out of it.” He flashes me a sideways smile. There’s that motocross family talk again – maybe Dad isn’t out of his mind.
The bolts Ash removes next are as tiny as an earring post. He looks for a safe place to put them before holding them out to me. “Do you mind?”
I take them while he replaces a metal part on to the bike frame. “I mean, not unless you go back to wherever you came from, then I guess it wouldn’t matter,” he says, taking the final bolt from my hand.
Every inch of the garage has something to do with motocross, from the posters on the wall to the helmets and gear bags and dozens of Teig’s trophies stacked in a corner. There is no escaping it.
“Guess I’m stuck here,” I say, holding out my hands in surrender.
Ash grins without looking away from the bike. “Good.”
He gives me Shelby’s cell number, and half an hour later she’s at my house. The look on her face is unmistakable as we walk through the living room and up the stairs. She too, is captivated by the beauty of the house designed by my step-mom and funded by my dad. I can’t blame her, the house is pretty baller as my mom’s last boyfriend would say.
“Your room is so awesome.” She runs her fingers across the Eiffel Tower lamp that was there when I arrived.
“Molly furnished it for me,” I say, knowing I can’t take credit for any of it. “I picked out the curtains, but everything else was like this when I got here.”
I throw the bed together, flattening the silver comforter over the rumpled sheets so we have somewhere to sit. Social skills were never in my favor, and years of homeschooling stripped away any bit of skill I might have had. If she was Felicia, we’d be deep in conversation and laughing at inside jokes by now. Still, I don’t regret inviting her over. It’s been five minutes since I checked my phone for a message from Ryan. And that is a huge improvement.
Speaking of, I should check for a message from Ryan.
“I’m so glad you called me.” Shelby plays with the ring on her left ring finger. It’s a purity ring, something I’d seen advertised in the Christian bookstore at the mall. “My stupid cousins are spending the weekend with us.”
“What’s so stupid about them?” I ask, grateful for the ice-breaker.
“They’re just stuck-up brats. Christine is fifteen and Malissa’s only ten months older, even though they’re sisters. They are both cheerleaders, and my aunt is just a gold-digging – ” She stops and looks at me with her head tilted sideways like she forgot I’m here. “I just don’t like them.” She picks at a loose thread on my comforter. “Oh, and its MAH-lissa. Not Melissa like normal people. And I hate that they’re staying in my room.”
“How often do they visit?”
“Never, actually. They’re only here cause my aunt and uncle are on a cruise.”
“Crappy luck,” I say, as an awesome idea forms in my mind. “Hey, if my parents say it’s okay, do you want to stay with me while they’re hogging your room?” Her eyes go wide and sweep across the room again.
“I’d love to.” Her voice gets higher with every word. She bounces on the corner of my bed. “That would be amazing.”
“Cool,” I say, pulling at that same comforter thread. “But I have work tomorrow. You want to come with me?”
She nods. “That works. I’m so glad Ash and I graduated a year early so we can do stuff like this.” I had almost forgotten that normal teenagers go to school. Shelby continues, “Plus he’ll be riding tomorrow so I’ll just stay with him until you’re off work.”
Molly knocks twice on the door and pokes her head inside. “Hey girls, we’re ordering pizza for dinner, is pepperoni cool?” Shelby and I look at each other and nod. “Great,” Molly says, closing the door.
“Hey Molly?” I call out. Her head pokes back in my room.
“Yes?”
“Um.” As always, I’m at a loss for how to ask permission. Mom didn’t let friends spend the night unless she w
asn’t planning on coming home.
“Do want something besides pepperoni?”
“No, that’s not it.” I look at Shelby, and she’s staring at her hands, making us both cowards. “Would it be okay if Shelby spends the night? Maybe even two nights?”
“That’s always okay.” Molly leaps fully into my room, holding a pizza flyer and her cell phone. “That is a great idea, Hana. I’m so glad you have a friend already.” She smiles at Shelby and disappears into my closet. My cheeks go red. She’s glad I have a friend already? Am I really so antisocial that it’s impossible to believe I’d make a friend in a week’s time?
Molly emerges with blankets and hands them to Shelby. She opens the leather bench at the foot of my bed which is full of pillows. She tosses a pillow on the bed and takes out an air mattress. A minute later, it’s set up next to my bed with the air pump flowing. Molly calls for pizza as she stretches the sheets across the air bed. Shelby tries to help but Molly shoos her hand away, so we end up laughing while Molly shuffles around like a modern-day Wonder Woman.
