I hung up, set the phone down on the sidewalk beside me, and hugged my knees to my chest. How did I get myself into this stuff? Or, rather, why did I let myself get talked into it? Was I really that helpless to Keith’s (admittedly not-inconsiderable amount of) charm? I had only let him talk me into trying marijuana once while we were going out, but after getting him to take me back – or perhaps during the course of convincing him to do so? – I’d let him talk me into whatever this was? How desperate was I?
It literally was only a minute or so before I heard a car on the street, and looked over to see that it was Lela’s mom’s. It might as well have been Lela’s, really, since her mom and dad worked the same schedule and rode into work together in her dad’s car, but every once in a while her mom would take it out somewhere. A moment later, I heard my phone ring.
“Your parents were acting really weird,” Lela informed me as soon as I answered. “But it’s fine. You’re clear for staying over tonight if you need to, too.”
“Thanks…” I said, confused. “But why are you calling to tell me?”
“Well, I’m on Oak Street, but I don’t see you, so where do you think you really are? I thought you might mean Oak -Drive-, but that’s all the way on the other side of town, and…”
“I see you,” I told her, feeling the knot in my stomach twist, and tears start coming to my eyes… “I’m right here!”
“Where? The only person I see outside is some little girl…” She stopped as she saw me wave to her, then her voice took on a chilly air. “Is this some practical joke?” she demanded. “You really had me scared, Skye!”
“It’s not a joke,” I whimpered, star
