Read Tweaked for Free Online

you’re still only thinking about yourself.”
    â€œI know. I’m sorry,” Chase begins to snivel. “I didn’t know what I was doing. Please, Gordie, if you can help me out this one time, I’ll straighten out. I’ll go back to school. Mom and Dad will keep the house, and it will all be okay.”
    It is a pitiful display. I am not swayed by his sniveling, and he’s done way too much damage for things to ever be the same. But if his debt is paid, at least Mom and Dad won’t have to deal with that on top of everything else. It’s been more than annoying watching her cater to Chase, but in another way, it’s also been a bit of a relief. She’s been positive for a change. I’ve seen her lose it too many times over the past two years. But I don’t have two grand. I have twelve hundred dollars in my bank account. I do still have a check from my grandparents in Ontario, money they’d sent to me for my birthday. And I get paid by Ralph Barnes later in the week.
    I can’t believe I’m even considering it. I pick him up by the neck of his T-shirt and drop him again. “If I do this, you’d better stay straight or I’ll break your neck myself.”
    â€œI will.” Chase immediately stops sniveling. It’s amazing how quickly he turns the sobs off and on. “I promise. You’ll see. I’ll get a job. I’ll pay you back.”
    I know Chase well enough to know that he is giving me his standard lines. But if I am doing this for anyone, it’s for me and Mom and Dad. “All right, I’ll think about it.” I am not going to give him a definite yes. I want to make him grovel for a while.
    Dad is letting me take the Honda S2000 to Bobby’s house for a band practice. Bobby is the drummer in our band. He lives just below Cleveland Dam.
    I have mixed feelings about driving the car. I can’t wait to finally drive it, but Dad is only allowing it because he’s selling it to pay off some debts. He admitted he wanted to give me a chance before it’s gone. Jack and I set our guitars in the backseat and start in the direction of the Upper Levels Highway, headed toward Horseshoe Bay.
    I am not used to how tight the gears are after driving Mom’s old Toyota. It has great pick-up as we emerge onto the highway. I accelerate quickly, and we are soon flying past the Toyota’s top speed. It has rained earlier in the day, so I am a little concerned about hydroplaning with a skiff of water still on the road. I hit 110 kmh and keep it steady.
    â€œThis is so cool!” Jack exclaims.
    I agree. We have the windows down, the stereo on, and the damp spring air is, for the moment, helping me forget about home. I hope Dad hangs on to the car long enough so that I can take Jade for a drive.
    We have just passed the Mountain Highway turnoff when a black Passat roars past us. It changes lanes directly in front of us before the driver throws on his brakes. I immediately slam on my own brakes—I miss plowing into him by millimeters.
    Jack snaps forward like a whip. “What’s that twit doing?”
    The Passat continues slowly in front of us, forcing us almost to a crawl. A horn blares behind me. I glance at the reflection of the face of the woman in the car following me. She is fuming. In answer I pull into the left lane and roar ahead of the Passat. He follows, but he is soon tailgating me at 120 kilometers an hour. I can’t believe what is happening.
    â€œDid you do something?” Jack asks. He twists in his seat to get a glimpse of the nutjob following us. “Why is that guy so pissed off?”
    â€œI don’t know. He just came out of nowhere.” Again I consult the rearview mirror. I switch lanes once again. He follows. I step on the accelerator, feeling the car become uneasy on the wet road. I am soon pushing 130 kmh—nervously.
    â€œThere are two guys in the car, about