Beau felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Seeing his best friend smile again had done wonders for Beau. Things between the boys might never be like they were before Italy, but they were a hell of a lot closer than this morning.

He had been right to go to La Push. Jacob needed him. So why, as a silver Volvo appeared in his rearview mirror, did Beau freeze?

"Shit."

Beau thought about pulling over, but he wasn't ready to have this fight yet. He wanted time to come up with an explanation that Edward could understand. What if Alice was this down and out, or Emmett?

Edward would do anything for his family.

Jacob was family.

Beau drove straight to Angela's house. There was no need to check the rearview; other cars didn't have a prayer of getting into his lane with the Volvo back there.

He didn't look up as the silver car passed. Beau rang the doorbell twice, eager to get inside the house.

Ben answered the door. "Hey, Beau."

"Hi, Ben. Is Angela here?" He wondered if she had forgotten their plans. That didn't bode well for the rest of his day.

"Yup, come on in."

"Hi, Beau," Angela called as she came down the stairs.

A car horn outside made all three of them jump. Beau turned around to see a different car pulling up behind his own. There was no sign of the Volvo.

"That's Austin," Ben told Angela when she reached his side. "I'll see you later."

Beau politely looked away as they shared a kiss. The car horn sounded again.

"Bye, Ang! Love you!"

Beau couldn't help but smile after the door closed. "You guys are so cute."

"Thanks," she giggled. "And thank you for coming. Not only are you saving my hands from permanent injury, you also just spared me two hours of a badly dubbed martial arts movie."

"I'm at your service."

Beau felt himself relaxing already. Angela's human problems were oddly reassuring. Being here felt so . . . ordinary.

Angela led Beau to her bedroom, kicking toys out of the way as she went. He noticed that the house was unusually quiet.

"Where's your family?"

"My parents took the twins to a birthday party in Port Angeles."

"Ah. That explains the silence."

"Yup. I still can't believe you're really going to help me with this. Ben's pretending he has tendonitis."

"I don't mind at—ah!"

Beau realized then how many envelopes were waiting for them. Angela was apologetic.

"I know. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure. Put me to work, I've got all day."

Angela divided a pile in half and put her mother's address book between them. For a few minutes, the only sound was the scratch of their pens across the paper.

"What's Edward doing tonight?"

"Emmett's home for the weekend. They went hiking."

"They didn't ask you to come along?"

"I didn't want to crash the brother bonding time."

"Makes sense."

The two went back to their respective piles. Beau enjoyed spending time with Angela. Like Charlie, she was comfortable with silence.

But, like Charlie, she was also too observant sometimes.

"Is something wrong? You seem . . . anxious."

"Is it that obvious?"

"You don't have to talk about it unless you want to," she assured him.

Beau was prepared to say, thanks, but no thanks. There were too many secrets—too many rules to follow.

And yet, with a strange, sudden intensity, it was exactly what he wanted. He wanted someone outside of the vampire-werewolf fracas to confide in. Someone unbiased. A third party who didn't have a stake in the game.

"I'll mind my own business."

"No," he said quickly. "You're right, I am anxious. It's . . . Edward."

"What's wrong?"

Beau hesitated for a moment. "He's mad at me."

"That's hard to imagine," she said. "What's he mad about?"

"Do you remember Jacob Black?"

Angela put her pen down. "Ah."

"Yeah."

"He's jealous."

"No, not jealous . . . " Beau frowned. "Edward thinks Jacob is a bad influence, I guess. Sort of dangerous. You know how much trouble I got in a while back . . . but it's all ridiculous, though."

Angela had been shaking her head as he spoke. "Beau, I've seen how Jacob Black looks at you. I'd bet the real problem is jealousy."

"It's not like that with Jacob."

"For you, maybe. But for him . . . "

Beau bit his lip. "Jacob knows how I feel. I've told him everything."

Angela smiled kindly. "Edward's only human, Beau. He's going to react like any other boy. He'll get over it, don't worry."

"I hope so. Jake's going through a tough time right now. He needs me."

"You and Jacob are pretty close." It wasn't a question.

"Like family."

"And Edward doesn't like him . . . that must be hard. I wonder how Ben would handle that."

"Probably like any other guy."

She grinned. "Probably."

Angela soon changed the subject, sensing, perhaps, that Beau couldn't say anything else.

"I got my dorm assignment yesterday. The farthest building from campus, naturally."

"Does Ben know where he's staying yet?"

"The closest one to campus, can't you believe that? He's got all the luck. How about you? Did you decide on a school?"

Beau found himself distracted by the thought of Angela and Ben at the University of Washington. The two were off to Seattle in a few short months. Would it be safe for them? Would the wild young vampire stalking the streets have moved to new hunting grounds by then, paralyzing the next city at night?

Would Beau be the source of news headlines one day?

"I'm thinking about Alaska. The campus in Juneau."

"Alaska? Oh. Really?" Angela sounded surprised. Beau wasn't sure; his eyes were fixed on the envelopes. "I mean, that's great. I just figured you'd go somewhere . . . warmer."

"Yeah. Forks has really changed my perspective on life."

"And Edward?"

Despite the anxiety he felt, Beau met her eyes, grinning. "Alaska's not too cold for Edward, either."

"That's great to hear. Juneau's so far, though! You won't be able to come home very often. I'm going to miss you. Will you email me?"

Beau worked to quell the sadness brewing inside. Maybe it was a mistake to get closer to Angela with his transformation visible on the horizon. But wouldn't it be sadder still to miss out on this time?

Maybe there was something to the human experiences Edward was always talking about.

If Beau couldn't remember moments like this one, or the morning spent hanging with Jacob, he would never be able to distinguish humans from his prey.

He couldn't—wouldn't—desensitize himself.

"Of course. I mean, if I can type again after this."

They laughed together. After that, it was easy to chat about classes, majors, internships, and campus clubs.

Beau helped her stamp each of the envelopes, too. He was stalling.

"How's your hand?"

Beau flexed his fingers. "Baseball is probably off the table. I might be able to type again someday."

The sound of the front door opening downstairs made them both look up.

"Ang?" It was Ben, back from the movies.

"I guess that's my cue."

"You don't have to go," Angela said hopefully. "He likes to give me a play-by-play of the movie. I may need some help with that."

"I wish I could, but my dad will be wondering where I am."

"Thanks again for today, Beau. You really helped me out."

"I had a good time," Beau said sincerely. "We should hang out again, before the year's over."

"Definitely."

"Beau?"

"Hey, Dad."

He found Charlie in the living room, in front of the TV. "How was your day?"

"Good. They didn't need me at work, so I went down to La Push."

Charlie's lack of surprise told Beau he already knew. "Nice. How was it? How's Jacob?"

"Good," Beau said again.

"You get over to the Webers'?"

"Yep. My hand is unusable now, but we finished all of her announcements."

"That's great." Charlie was pleased. "I'm glad you spent some time with your friends today."

"Me, too."

Beau ambled into the kitchen, but there was nothing to do. Then he sighed.

"I'm going to go study."

"See you later."

Beau marched up the stairs like they led to the gallows.

He found Edward standing beside the open window. His face was hard and his posture tense.

Beau waited, but the tirade never came. So—it was up to him.

"Hi."

There was no reply. Edward's face could have been carved from stone. Beau tried again.

"So . . . I'm alive."

A growl rumbled low in his chest, but his expression didn't change.

"No harm done."

Edward moved at last. He brought his right hand up to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

"Do you have any idea how close I came to crossing the line today? To breaking the treaty and coming after you? Do you know what that could have meant?"

"No, I don't," Beau snapped. "Because there's nothing to worry about. Jacob isn't dangerous."

"Beau, you aren't exactly the best judge of what's dangerous."

"I know I don't have to worry about Jake. And neither do you."

Edward ground his teeth together in answer.

He didn't move as Beau crossed the room to wrap his arms around him. Next to the warmth of the afternoon sun streaming through the window, Edward's skin felt especially icy. He seemed like ice, too, frozen the way he was.

"I'm sorry I made you anxious."

Edward sighed and relaxed a little. He smoothed a hand across Beau's cheek, the cool fingers moving over his beard.

"Anxious is a bit of an understatement. It was a very long day."

"You weren't supposed to know about it. I thought you'd be out hunting longer."

Beau noticed for the first time that his eyes were dark. He frowned.

"When Alice saw you disappear, I came back."

"You shouldn't have done that. Now you'll have to go away again."

Edward shook his head. "I can wait."

"That's ridiculous. I know she couldn't see me with Jacob, but you should have known—"

"But I didn't," Edward cut in. "And you can't expect me to let you—"

"Let me?"

Edward took a deep breath. "Today can't happen again."

"That's right, because you're not going to overreact next time."

"I'm not negotiating this, Beau."

Beau dropped his arms. "Is this really just about my safety?"

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't . . . " Beau paused. "You know better than to be jealous, right?"

"Do I?"

"Be serious."

Edward's eyes flashed. "I am. This is only about you. All I care about is that you're safe."

"Okay," Beau nodded. "I believe that. But I want you to know something: when it comes to all this two sides thing, I'm out. I am a neutral country. I am Switzerland. I cannot—and will not—have my life directed by territorial disputes between mythical creatures. Jacob is family."

Edward tried to speak, but Beau pressed a hand over his mouth.

"You are . . . well, not exactly the love of my life, because I expect to love you for much longer than that. The love of my existence. I don't care who's a werewolf and who's a vampire. If Angela turns out to be a witch, she can join the party, too."

Edward kissed that hand. Beau took this as a good sign.

"Switzerland," he repeated. "Treaty of Paris, 1815. Neutral."

"I understand."

"Good."

Then he smiled crookedly, so Beau knew the fight was over, for now.

Edward had to make up for the missed hunting trip. He was set to leave on Friday night with Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle to hit some reserve in Northern California with a mountain lion problem.

Beau knew they had not reached an agreement on the werewolf issue, but he didn't feel guilty calling Jake to let him know he'd be back in La Push next weekend.

The Newtons needed him for a closing shift on Thursday afternoon. Markdowns on last season's camp kitchens kept him busy well into the evening. He was so tired by the end of it that the sight of Alice behind the wheel of the Volvo didn't immediately raise his suspicions.

"Hey, Alice. Where's your brother?"

Alice was singing along to the music. Beau shut the passenger door and put his hands over his ears.

The vampire grinned—all teeth—before turning the volume down until it was just background noise. Then she hit the gas and the locks in the same second.

"What's going on?" Beau was uneasy. "Where is Edward?"

"They left early."

"Oh."

"All the boys went, actually, so we're having a slumber party!"

"A slumber party," Beau repeated. "Slumber parties are for girls."

"Well, when you're a vampire, you can take a hunting trip with the boys."

The realization dawned on him as she spoke. "You're kidnapping me, aren't you?"

Alice laughed. "Till Saturday. Esme already cleared it with Charlie. You're staying with us for two nights. We'll drive to and from school together tomorrow."

Beau glanced at the trees rushing past them. He figured a jump out of the car at this speed was courting certain death. Alice would see him making the decision, anyway.

"Sorry," Alice said, sounding the farthest from sorry. "He paid me off."

"How?"

"The Porsche. It's exactly like the one I stole in Italy. I'm not supposed to drive it around Forks, but if you want, we could see how long it takes to get from here to L.A. I bet I could have you back by midnight."

"I think I'll pass."

The two reached the long drive leading to the Cullen home. When Alice pulled around to the garage, the Porsche was there, gleaming brightly like a trophy.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

Beau shook his head. "Pretty over-the-top. He gave you that just for two days of holding me hostage?"

Alice made a face.

Beau's shout echoed through the cavernous garage. "It's for every time he's gone, isn't it?"

She nodded.

"What the fu—"

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth, Beau?"

"Alice, don't you think this is controlling? Just a tiny bit psychotic?"

Alice had no trouble keeping up as Beau stalked off toward the house. "Not really. You don't seem to grasp how dangerous a young werewolf can be. Especially when I can't see them. Edward has no way to know if you're safe. You shouldn't be so reckless."

"Right, because staying in a vampire nest is the pinnacle of safety conscious behavior."

Alice laughed. "It will be fun. Give us a chance."

It wasn't all bad, other than he was being held against his will. Esme brought home Italian food from his favorite restaurant in Port Angeles. Alice had already gone to Blockbuster and returned with a stack of movies Beau had been wanting to see. Even Rosalie was there, sitting quietly in the background.

Alice sat next to him on the couch. "Are you attached to this beard? What if we shaved it off? Freshen up your look for graduation."

"Leave it alone."

"How late do you want to stay up?"

"I don't want to stay up. We have school in the morning. Where am I supposed to sleep, anyway? I don't think I've been fitted for my coffin yet."

He could have sworn Rosalie smiled.

"I made up Edward's room for you," Esme offered.

"I have to go back to my house and get my stuff."

"I took care of that," Alice smiled.

"Okay, then. Can I get my one phone call now, officer?"

"Charlie knows where you are."

"I wasn't going to call Charlie. I have to cancel some plans."

"Oh." Alice deliberated for a moment. "I'm not sure about that."

"Alice, come on."

"Okay, okay."

Alice left the room and was back in half a second, a cell phone in her hand. "He didn't specifically prohibit this . . . "

Beau dialed Jacob's number and prayed Rachel was too busy throwing darts at his picture to answer the phone.

Luck was with him—Jacob picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jake, it's me."

"Hi, Beau, what's up?"

"Nothing good. I can't come over on Saturday after all."

It was silent for a minute. "Stupid bloodsucker. I thought he was leaving. Can't you have a life when he's gone? Or does he lock you in a coffin?"

This made him laugh.

"I don't think that's funny."

"I'm only laughing because you're close," Beau told him. "But he's going to be here Saturday, so it doesn't matter."

"Will he be feeding in Forks, then?"

"No, he left early."

"Oh. Well, hey, come over now, then. It's not that late. Or I'll come up to Charlie's."

"Wish you could. I'm not at Charlie's," Beau said sourly. "I'm kind of being held prisoner."

Something shifted on the other end of the line. "We'll come and get you."

A chill went down his spine. Jacob had slipped into we—meaning him and his pack. Plural.

Beau worked to lighten his tone. "Tempting."

"I'm serious."

"Don't be. They're just trying to keep me safe."

Jacob growled.

"Look, I know it sounds silly," he sighed. "But their hearts are in the right place."

That was what Beau was trying to tell himself, at least. Both sides—vampires and werewolves—were afraid of the other. Much of how they acted, including controlling what he did, came from a place of fear.

Beau was Switzerland, after all. He had to stay neutral, at least until he found a way to make them see the middle ground.

"Their hearts?"

Beau ignored that. "Sorry about Saturday. I've got to hit the sack, but I'll call you again soon."

"Are you sure they'll let you?"

"Not completely. 'Night, Jake."

"See you around."

Alice was at his side at once, holding out her hand for the phone. Beau ignored her. Not trusting his voice, Beau pressed the keys repeatedly, composing a text message.

You are in trouble. Enormous trouble. Angry grizzly bears are going to look tame next to what is waiting for you at home.

It was a poison pen letter for the new millennium. Beau was going to win this battle, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

Beau snapped the phone shut and dropped it into her waiting hand. "I'm done."

"This hostage stuff is fun."

"I'm going to sleep now," Beau announced, heading for the stairs. Alice tagged along.

"Alice, I'm not going to sneak out. You'd know if I was planning to and you'd catch me if I tried."

"I'm just going to show you where your things are."

Edward's room was the farthest at the end of the hallway on the third floor. Beau knew the way, why did she need to show him? He kicked off his shoes and hit the light switch, nearly stumbling over them as he did so.

Had he picked the wrong room?

Alice giggled.

It was the same room, he realized, but the furniture had been rearranged. The couch was pushed to the north wall, and the stereo had been shoved against the shelves of CDs, all to make room for the colossal bed that now dominated the central space.

It was the most hideous thing Beau had ever seen.

The coverlet was gold. The black metal frame went to the ceiling with tall posts. Each one was coiled with wrought iron roses. Beau's t-shirt, pajama pants, and bag of toiletries were waiting at the foot of the bed.

"What the hell is this?"

"You didn't really think he would make you sleep on the couch, did you?"

Beau didn't reply. He stalked forward to snatch his things off the bed, ignoring her.

"I'll give you some privacy. See you in the morning."

Beau brushed his teeth and changed into the comfy clothes. When he got back to Edward's room, he stood studying the bed for a moment.

There was no way he could sleep in that. The bed looked like it belonged in some ancient catalog, which was probably where it came from.

Beau pulled the coverlet off the bed and took the sheets to the couch. Next he grabbed one of the pillows and pulled off its decorative sham.

He knew he was being stupid, but he didn't care. Porsches as bribes and king-sized beds in houses where nobody slept—it was beyond irritating.

Beau snapped off the light and curled up on the sofa, wondering if he was too annoyed to get a good night's rest.

The light of the moon shone through the glass wall. Beau studied it for a while, waiting for his eyelids to droop. He had a feeling sleep would be as elusive as Victoria tonight.

There was a knock on the door. He sighed. Point proven.

"What, Alice?" Beau was sure she had seen a vision of what he'd done and was coming to scold him for it.

"It's me," Rosalie said softly.

She opened the door enough for the moonlight to touch her perfect face.

"Can I come in?"

Rosalie hesitated in the doorway, her breathtaking face unsure.

"Of course," Beau replied, his voice an octave higher than usual.

Beau sat up to make room for Rosalie on the sofa. He tried to come up with a reason why she would want to see him, but he was drawing a blank.

"Do you mind if I talk with you for a few minutes? I didn't wake you or anything, did I?"

Beau followed her gaze between the stripped bed and the couch. "Uh, no, I don't mind at all. Sure."

Rosalie laughed. "He so rarely leaves you alone. I figured I'd better make the best of this opportunity."

What did she want to say that couldn't be said in front of Edward? He almost didn't want to know.

"Please don't think I'm interfering. I know I haven't been the most welcoming to you in the past."

"Don't worry about it, Rosalie. What's on your mind?"

It surprised him to find she looked embarrassed. "I'm going to try to tell you why I think you should stay human—why I would stay human, if I were you."

"Oh."

Rosalie smiled at his tone. "Did Edward ever tell you what led to my transformation?"

"He said it was close to what happened to me that night in Port Angeles. Only . . . " Beau hesitated. "Only there was no one there to save you."

It hadn't been the first time Beau had been ambushed. The first had been a beating by his teammates in Phoenix. A cruel trick for the crime of being gay.

Port Angeles was something else—a random attack of violence that Beau wasn't prepared for. He never noticed the steps women took in the name of safety, but after that night, he saw them everywhere: Jessica holding the Mercury keys between her fingers on the walk to the car, Angela tucking pepper spray in her purse, Renée signing up for self-defense classes after a series of muggings downtown.

But a person might do everything right and still be the victim of something horrible. Rosalie had been one of those people.

"Is that really all he told you?"

"Was there . . . more?"

Rosalie's smile was full of bitterness. "Yes, there was more. Would you like to hear my story, Beau? It doesn't have a happy ending, but which of ours does? If we had happy endings, we'd all be under gravestones now."

Beau nodded, but he was frightened.

"I lived in a different world than you do, Beau. My human world was a simpler place. It was 1933. I was eighteen, and I was beautiful. My life was perfect."

Beau listened to the story of her life. The yearning she felt—a yearning for love, for a happy home, and a healthy child most of all—was intense. Rosalie was a woman of her time, and proud of it.

But she had already warned him of an unhappy ending. Rosalie didn't seem to notice his mounting anxiety; her eyes were far away as she spoke.

She suffered a brutal rape by her intended and his friends. For all of Edward's warnings to Beau about vampires, he seemed to forget humans were more than capable of their own share of cruelty.

"They seemed to enjoy that—the sound of my pain . . . "

Rosalie glanced at him suddenly, as though she'd forgotten he was there.

"They left me in the street, still laughing as they stumbled away. They thought I was dead. They were teasing Royce that he would have to find a new bride. He laughed and said he'd have to learn some patience first.

"I waited in the road to die. It was cold, though there was so much pain that I was surprised it bothered me. It started to snow, and I wondered why I wasn't dying. I was impatient for death to come, to end the pain. It was taking so long . . .

"Carlisle found me then. He'd smelled all the blood. I was irritated with him as he tried to save my life. I thought I'd died when he pulled me from the ground and ran with me—because of the speed—it felt like I was flying. And then, the pain didn't end. In fact, it got worse. The fire consuming me . . . "

Beau flinched. He remembered the fire from the venom all too well.

Rosalie took her vengeance, saving her former fiancé for last.

"I was overly theatrical. It was kind of childish, really. I wore a wedding dress I'd stolen for the occasion. He screamed when he saw me. He screamed a lot that night. Saving him for last was a good idea—it made it easier for me to control myself, to make it slower—"

She stopped speaking as Beau took a deep lungful of air.

"I'm sorry. I'm frightening you, aren't I?"

"I'm fine," Beau lied.

"I got carried away."

"Don't worry about it."

"I'm surprised Edward didn't tell you more about it."

"He doesn't like to tell other people's stories," Beau explained. "He feels like he's betraying confidences, because he hears so much more than just the parts they mean for him to hear."

"I probably ought to give him more credit. He's really quite decent, isn't he?"

"He's a gentleman."

"I haven't been too fair to you, either, Beau. Did he tell you why?"

Beau paused. "He said it was because I'm human. That it was harder for you to have someone on the outside who knew."

This made her laugh. "He's been much kinder to me than I deserve."

Beau felt a pang of guilt for his earlier resentment of Edward. It was a tremendous burden, that telepathic gift of his. Carrying the secrets, inner pain, dreams, and desires of everyone who crossed his path, on top of his own.

"But you still don't like me."

"I'm sorry about that."

Beau tried to make a joke. "I'm not to your preference."

"No, it's that you already have everything. A whole life ahead of you, Beau, and you're going to throw it away. Can't you see that I'd trade everything I have to be like you? A beating heart . . . "

Rosalie's expression became fierce.

"You have the choice I didn't have, and you're choosing wrong!"

The beating heart she wanted, the one that had come so close to stopping on more than one occasion, was hammering in his chest. They listened to it until the fervor in her eyes dimmed.

"And I was so sure that I could do this calmly."

"Would you like me better if I chose to stay human?" Beau asked.

Her lips twitched—it was almost a smile. "Maybe."

"You did get some of your happy ending, though. You got Emmett."

"I got luckier than I deserved. Emmett is exactly the kind of person someone like me needs. And, oddly enough, he needs me, too. That part worked out better than I could have hoped. But there will never be more than the two of us. I'll never sit on a porch somewhere, with him gray-haired by my side, surrounded by our grandchildren."

Beau conjured the scene in his mind, but it wasn't Rosalie he saw on that porch. Faye Brandon, Alice's grandniece, sat in her place. A woman in the twilight of a long and happy life.

"That sounds quite bizarre to you, doesn't it? In some ways, you are much more mature than I was at eighteen. But in other ways . . . there are many things you've probably never thought about seriously. You're too young to know what you'll want in ten years, fifteen years . . . and too young to give it all up without thinking it through. You don't want to be rash about permanent things, Beau."

Beau sighed. There was nothing rash about his decision. No one would change his mind. But Rosalie wanted to say her piece, so he was willing to listen, if only to telegraph that he understood her reasons.

"Just think about it a little. Once it's done, it can't be undone. Esme's made do with us as substitutes . . . and Alice doesn't remember anything human, so she can't miss it. You'll remember, though. It's a lot to give up."

"Thanks, Rosalie. It's nice to understand . . . to know you a little better."

"I apologize for being such a monster. I'll try to behave myself from now on."

Beau smiled back. They weren't friends yet, but he was pretty sure she could tolerate him from now on, and that was enough.

"I'll let you sleep now." Her gold eyes flickered to the bed. "I know you're frustrated that he's keeping you locked up like this, but don't give him too bad a time when he gets back. He loves you more than you know. It terrifies him to be away from you. Sleep well."

"Goodnight," Beau said after the door closed behind her.

Just as he predicted, sleep eluded him that night.

Alice drove to school in the morning.

Beau was in a rotten mood. Between the sleep deprivation and the hostage situation, he was more than a little irritated.

"Tonight we'll go out in Olympia or something. That would be fun, right?"

"Olympia? Are you sure you don't want to drop by Guantanamo Bay first? Get some tips?"

Alice frowned. "He's going to take the Porsche back. I'm not doing a very good job. You're supposed to be having fun."

"It's not your fault. I'll see you at lunch."

Beau trudged off to English. He was pissed at Edward, but class without him wasn't any fun. He sulked all through the lecture, so much that Mike clocked his expression on their way out.

"Rough night?"

"Slept wrong," Beau grunted.

"Ah, that happened to me last month, when I—"

The growling roar of an engine cut him off. Everyone turned to watch the black motorcycle screech to a halt in the parking lot.

It was Jacob.

"Hurry, Beau!"

Beau felt his face break into a broad grin. His irritation from earlier was already forgotten. "I got really sick and went home, okay?"

Mike could only nod.

Jacob was revving the engine as Beau jumped on the back of his seat. The last thing he saw was Alice, standing frozen at the edge at the cafeteria, her lip curled back over her teeth.

He knew for certain that without witnesses, the boys wouldn't have made it out of the parking lot.

"Hold on," Jacob shouted as they sped away. Beau was sure he left his stomach somewhere back at school, but it was too late to change his mind now.

He kept looking over his shoulder, expecting the Volvo to be right on their tail, or worse, Charlie's cruiser. But there was no one—the boys were in the clear.

They reached Jacob's house in no time at all. He felt Jacob's laughter as the bike came to a stop.

"We made it! Not bad for a prison break, eh?"

"You're a regular Andy Dufresne, Jake."

The younger boy beamed. "I remembered what you said about the psychic leech not being able to predict what I'm going to do. Good thing you didn't think of this—she wouldn't have let you go to school."

"That's why I didn't consider it."

Jacob was triumphant in victory. "What do you want to do today?"

"Anything."

It felt great to be free.