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Court judge occupied the other chairs.
    It was off the record, a meeting that
nobody would ever know happened except for the people invited into the room.
Vincent had paid a lot of money to make it go down this way, had called in a
lot of favors—favors Carmine wasn't sure he ever wanted to know about.
    A small twinge of guilt settled deep in
his chest as he glared across the table straight at Nicholas. Why did he feel
guilty? He wasn't sure. Maybe it was for what he had done… or maybe it was for
what he still had the urge to do.
    "So, here's the arrangement,"
the DA said, shifting through the stack of papers in front of him. "The
DeMarco family agrees to be liable for all property damage and pay restitution
in the amount of a quarter million dollars. Carmine is barred from the Aurora Lake
community and is to stay away from the Barlow family."
    Carmine didn't react, still staring
straight ahead, as Nicholas muttered something under his breath.
    "In exchange, all charges against
Carmine will be dropped," the DA continued.
"There's the matter of school that needs to be addressed, however."
    "Won't be a problem," Vincent
said assuredly. Carmine's brow furrowed, but he still didn't look away from his
old friend. Both boys had been suspended for the fight at the homecoming dance,
but they were supposed to head back to Durante High next week.
    They had all their fucking classes
together.
    "Yeah." Joshua Barlow cleared
his throat. "I've pulled Nicholas out of Durante. He's enrolled up here in
Aurora County now."
    Nicholas muttered again, louder that time,
clearly not happy about that. Aurora's football program was shit. If you wanted
to go anywhere, you needed a team like Durante behind you.
    Sucks for
him.
    "Great," the DA said. "It's
all settled then. As far as I'm concerned, you two never have to cross paths
again."
    They said some parting words as everyone
got up to leave, but Carmine remained in his seat, unmoving. Nicholas didn't
move, either. They glared at each other as the others filtered out. Vincent
hesitated by the door, eyeing the two of them warily, but shrugged it off and
walked out instead.
    Slowly, Nicholas pushed his chair back to
stand up. "You know, DeMarco, I would've forgiven you. I would've .
I was pissed about my sister, but I would've gotten over it. You were my best
friend."
    "Not anymore," Carmine said.
    "You're right. Not anymore. Because
this? I'm not sure I can forgive you for this ."
    "It doesn't matter," Carmine
said, glaring at him. "Because I'll never forgive you."
    Nicholas shook his head. "I don't get
why you're so pissed. You tried to kill me."
    "You did something even worse."
    "What's that?"
    "You betrayed me."
    Nicholas scoffed. "Whatever. You'll
learn someday, DeMarco."
    Carmine's eyes narrowed. That sounded
vaguely like a threat. "Learn what?"
    "Learn that this? Relationships?
Friendships? They 're a two-way
street . And until you get over yourself, you'll never keep anybody .
I'll make sure of it."

 
    * * *

 
    Later that night, Carmine was sitting in the living room at his
house, vaguely watching a movie, when his father walked in and tossed a brochure
on his lap. Sighing with annoyance, Carmine picked it up and glanced at the
front.
    Benton Academy
    "We're leaving the day after
tomorrow," Vincent said, "so you might want to start packing your
things."
    "You're sending me away?
Really?"
    "You did this to yourself,
Carmine."
    Carmine stared at the brochure as his
father walked out.
    He did it to himself. He did.
    But it didn't stop him from blaming
everybody else for it, anyway.
    "Whatever," he grumbled to the
empty room, standing up and throwing the brochure down on the coffee table
without even opening it. What did it matter? He had no reason to stay in
Durante, anyway.
    Wasn't like he had any friends .

 
    Forever.

 
    Impatient pounding vibrated the wooden blue door. Carmine
stood at the top of the staircase at the house on Felton Drive in Chicago,
staring down at the foyer in