behind him. âLetâs try and get through this quickly. Why were you driving like you were in the Grand Prix?â
âWe were being chased,â Jack immediately offers.
âBy who?â the cop questioning us asks, although somehow I get the feeling he already knows.
âNo, we werenât.â I knock Jackâs knee under the table with my own. âI just wanted to see how fast the car would go. It was the first time my dad let me drive it.â
The cop frowns. He seems a little annoyed that we arenât in agreement. Jack looks at me with raised eyebrows.
I attempt a small chuckle. âHe just doesnât want me to get in trouble from my parents. Right, Jack? My Dad can be kind of tough when he wants to be.â
Dad would certainly kill me, but I have no choice. I donât want him to know we were being hounded by Ratchet and DC. If they find out, Iâll have to tell them about the money Chase owes. Thankfully, Jack clues in that something is up, and he doesnât say anything more.
The cops donât believe me, though. They saw the Passat take off. They had the license and they are fully aware of Ratchet and DC and their profession. The graying cop explains all this in a calm matter-of-fact voice, but in a way that also makes me feel like Iâm just another lying kid who is stupid enough to think heâs smarter than the cops. He says, âSo, what we want to know is why they were chasing you. Are you dealers or users?â
Itâs almost funny the way Jackâs mouth drops open. Although I do feel like a piece of scum just knowing that they would think we were either of those things. âNeither,â I tell them. âI told you, I was trying out the car. I have no idea who was in that other car or why they were speeding.â
âAll right.â The cop pulls a pen out of his shirt pocket and begins to fill out a form. Itâs a speeding ticket. I owe two hundred dollars. âYou can go this time. But Iâm going to warn you that you should be a little more careful who you go driving with. Youâre really lucky those guys didnât run you off the road.â
Jack is allowed to go, but I have to wait for my parents to show up so Dad can deal with the parking tickets Chase has collected. Both Mom and Dad arrive with Chase in tow. One of them needs to drive Dadâs car home and Chase, of course, canât be trusted to be left alone.
âOh, Gordie,â Mom says. A faint trail of mascara stains her cheek. She looks so disappointed in me, I feel like the worst heel on the face of the earth. âImagine how we felt when the police phoned and told us you were here. Havenât we had enough to deal with without this?â
âIâm sorry,â is all I can think of to say.
Dad speaks to the police officer at the front desk. He pays the fines. Mom drives home with Chase after she drops me and Dad off to collect the Honda. Itâs a miserable drive home, to say the least.
âWhat about trust, Gordie?â he says. âI thought that was at least something I could always count on with you. You broke that.â
âYes,â I say, âI know. I just wanted to try it.â
âBut one hundred and forty seven?â he fumes. âWhat if youâd lost control? You would have been killed. You have no idea how that would have absolutely killed your mother and me.â
I try to imagine what it would be like for them. They are already so fragile they probably would wither right up and blow away. âIâm sorry,â I say again.
âWell, itâs obvious I am doing the right thing. Selling it. This car is too much of a responsibility for you anyway.â
FIVE
Steve and Bobby are a little ticked off that we didnât show up for the practice, until they find out why; then they are both impressed and amazed. We get together later that night at Jackâs house to listen to music.
âYou