Chapter 26
As we're walking to the car I toss her the keys. I don't feel much like driving. I think my silence is unnerving her, because she mumbles, "Thanks."
I give her minimal directions to Stubby's. As we're pulling out of our parking garage, some idiot comes flying out of nowhere. He lays on the horn and swerves around us, but Taylor is forced to swerve, too. She slams on the brake, taking a deep breath as soon as we're in the clear.
"Fuck," she mutters. "What an asshole."
I look down to see that her tote has tumbled over and spilled some of its contents at my feet. A blue spiral notebook is on top of the shit mount that's fallen out. She even drew that little, dumbass 'TBC' symbol on it that Brian came up with in school. Nerd.
The car doesn't start moving again, so I look up at her. She's watching me, then her eyes flick down to the notebook. She looks at me with a smirk. "You can read it if you want."
I snort. "No."
She looks insulted. "God, I was just trying to be nice." She floors it, causing the tires to squeal.
"Nice?" I scoff. She looks at me, her dark eyes on fire. "Nice would be minding your own fucking business."
"What?" Her voice cracks.
"What?" I mimic, voice crack and all. She stares at the road, holding tightly to the wheel.
"You're a dickwad," she mutters. She actually sounds hurt. Good.
"What the hell do you know about it anyway?" I can feel the anger rising in my chest. I clench my jaw and look out the window. It was just a goddamn detention, I remind myself.
"I can write whatever I want," she says, her voice shaking.
"You have no right!" I shout, turning to look at her.
"You have no right to tell me what to do!" she screams.
"It's not your life you're fucking with!" I shout back. I do my best to look away again. I can feel myself getting closer and closer to what's really bothering me. And I don't want that. I'd rather take it out on her. Besides, it's her fault I'm even thinking about them.
A red light stops us. "What the fuck do you think you know about my life?" she asks. I choose not to answer this one. "The part where I was shitting in diapers? Or the part where I was learning to talk?" Her voice is heated almost as much as mine.
"Or wait," she says, her voice lower now. "Was that after you ran away like a pussy?"
"I don't have to deal with this bullshit," I say. I throw the car door open and get out, then slam it behind me. The light turns and she flies off, leaving me on the sidewalk.
I don't even bother to watch her drive away, even though it is my car. I stuff my hands in my pockets and start down the street.