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Shrugging, I held on to the edge of the fence. “It’s what happened. My parents lost it. I didn’t even tell them that, someone else did. They didn’t ask if it was true. They didn’t let me talk at all. I can’t imagine what they’ll do.”
His cigarette was almost gone now, and he hissed when he puffed on it and burned his fingers, then set it on the fence on his other side.
“How do they know?” he asked, then coughed and turned back to look at me, searching my face as if the answer was important.
“A guy I.... I don’t know. We were never dating, but he knew about me. I think he told his parents that he’s gay, and probably told them I was, too. You know.” I shrugged.
“Will you get into trouble?”
I nodded.
“A lot of trouble?”
I shrugged.
His jaw ticked and he cleared his throat. “Well, the answer is clear.” He winked at me.
“It is?” I rubbed my face. Maybe he knew how to deal with situations like this. “What’s the answer?”
“Lie,” he said with a laugh.
“What?” I gasped out.
He nudged his shoulder against mine, and my stomach went warm. “Lie. Tell them anything in order to make them believe you.”
“Just... lie?” I stared at him and couldn’t believe it could be that simple. “You think that would work?”
“Why not? And why don’t you point me at the fucker who ratted you out.” The grin he gave me this time was all teeth and nearly feral. “I’ll get him to take it back.”
“It might not work,” I mumbled. “I had something in my room.”
He straightened and stared at me out of the corner of his eye. “Why? What did you have in your room?” He rubbed a hand across his abs. “Was it bad?” He sounded as ifbadwas agoodthing. I was so lost.
“A book,” I whispered.
“That’s all? Tell them it wasn’t yours.” He huffed. “I was thinking it would be something really hard to talk your way around, like a dildo.”
My entire body spasmed and heat rushed to my face. “Where would I get something like that? It was in my room.”
He hung his head and swatted my leg with the back of his hand. “How have you lived this long? It’s called lying for a reason. You make shit up.” He snickered and hopped off the fence, and I jumped down beside him.
“My parents might send me away.” I sucked in a deep breath. Fear had been tickling the back of my mind. I’d heard things. There’d been rumors. Last year, one of the boys in the choir had left on a really long vacation, and his family had eventually left our church.
He turned and looked me dead in the eye. “Go home and lie.”
“I can’t.” Moaning, I ran my hands through my hair. “Besides, how will you make Chet take it back? What will you do to him?”
He shrugged. “What I gotta.” The way he moved was graceful as he spun around and play jabbed at me. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Why would you help me?”
He stared up at the sky, then at me. “You didn’t call the cops on Murph today. You coulda. He’s a fuckhead, but he’s from the park. This is me showing my appreciation.”
Wrapping my arms around my middle, I shook my head. “I don’t want to have to lie.”
“One bad turn deserves another. Throw Chet under the bus.”
“What if it doesn’t work?” I whispered.
