CHAPTER 1
Billy slid Dukes of Hazard style across the hood of his car, grinning at his best friend as they both dove in and slammed their respective doors. He looked towards his boots as he jammed the key in the ignition, trying to hide the soft sentiments in his eyes as he listened to the characteristic tone of Jane's voice as she ranted. Forget fashion, his girl should be a swimmer with those lungs. He was pretty sure she hadn't taken a breath for the entire 100 yard sprint to the student parking lot.
"I can't believe today of all days, Mr. Price would insist I talk after class. I mean, it's not like I don't have to be at work in," a pause as she sucked in a quick breath and glanced at her phone, "45 minutes!" He tried to stifle a chuckle as her voice managed to squeak up a few octaves. "Oh God, oh God, oh God I'm going to get fired, Gray is going to kill me," now she was mumbling under her breath with one hand cradling her forehead.
"Well, Janie, this was the third day this week you started dozing off in Calculus," he pointed out calmly. His only answer was a snort. Of course, when Janie was in these moods she and rational thought weren't the bestest of buds.
"How are you so calm right now, Billy? Why am I the only one freaking out here?" Jane shot back.
"Well, for one, I am not the one culpable to a crazy demanding Nazi boss," I started, only to get a swift backhand to the bicep. I grumbled. "In all seriousness, this is what, month 2 of the crazy double life of Jane Quimby? We've managed to pull off everything else in the nick of time right?" I glanced over to my friend for affirmation before continuing, " Well at this point it's just kind of routine. Have a little faith, I'll get you there on time, Janie." At this she looked pacified and relaxed back in her seat for the short drive to the train station. I turned the music up a little and Janie started to do her usual happy/crazy car dance. She swished her hair back and forth and mimed drums to my dashboard with the occasional air guitar thrown in for good measure. That's my girl, I grinned and tapped along to the beat on the wheel.
When we got to the station I smoothly pulled into one of the spaces and Jane hopped into the back seat to do her usual quick change. I stared out the dashboard pensively, timing my move. Would today be the day? She was pretty distracted, and our little jam session may have lulled her into a false sense of security. I decided to risk it. Sneakily, I reached a hand out for the rearview mirror. Ever so slowly I started to tilt it down. Brown curls covering her porcelain face as she thrashed around…a little lower. He caught a glimpse of a pale shoulder quickly obscured by something black and sparkly. Just a little farther, he heard the tiny snicks and assumed whatever she had on top today involved snaps. Good that meant her hands were busy. Just as something a bit more interesting was about to come into view, her hand snapped out of nowhere and cuffed him upside the head.
"Nice try, Nutter, better luck next time," she snorted. He only laughed. "Come on, I thought we'd gotten past this," she whined. He shook his head in amusement thinking back to that day in sixth grade.