I want to scream and tell him what an idiot he is, that as usual, he didn’t think at all.

“I didn’t think it would go down like it did.” Wade looks at me. Then we can pull into a rest stop and grab a couple hours’ sleep.

I look at the speedometer and see I’ve edged past eighty. “You’re goin’ kinda fast.” Wade mumbles the first words he’s uttered in four hours. I clutch the steering wheel-my life preserver-though I’m not sure anything can save me now. The night is an endless sea of desert and blackness. I try to stick my head out the window, hoping for a blast of cool wind to revive me, keep me awake, but it doesn’t help. There isn’t much to say after what has happened. If a cop checks my license or registration, he’ll notice the plates I lifted from the Volkswagen in San Bernardino. I’ve got to put some highway behind us, but we can’t afford to get pulled over. I realize I’m pushing the gas and have to force my foot to relax. How will she react when the police come looking for me? It almost killed her when I went to juvie last time. What must she be thinking now? Will she hear about me on the news?Īnd my mother. I don’t know why she ever fell for a guy like me. I still have Jess’s note in my back pocket.

If they are lucky, they will forget about me. My only comfort is that he doesn’t know where we’re heading. I remember the rage in Eight Ball’s eyes. A shining reflection becomes the glint of a badge … or a barrel. Every time I pass a cactus I think it’s a man with a gun standing outside in the sand. At least there’s a full moon, but it makes my eyes play tricks on me. I strain my eyes to keep them focused on the white reflective lines so the Mustang won’t fly off the blacktop. Gallon jug of water in the backseat in case the engine overheats. Still feels like we’re traveling in an oven. We ride with the windows open because the air conditioner is busted. It’s the only thing that stops me from leaving him on the side of the road. I remind myself how Wade saved my life in juvie. I understand why he did what he did, but I had three months at a good job. He is my best friend, but I want to rip off his head and leave his body on the highway for the vultures and wild dogs. The three of us need sleep, but we won’t rest until we make it to Arizona. Looks out the back window, growling at every shadow. Wade watches the road behind us in the side mirror.

Take Me There by Carolee Dean