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the world.
    “What are you doing here?” I run a hand over my messy hair, agitated.
    “We were both on the schedule for this morning, so I thought I’d swing by and get you. Unless you’d rather walk?” She shoves off her car, giving me a challenging look.
    I laugh, realizing I’m being silly. It was a nice, friendly gesture. That’s all. “No. That’s cool.”
    “That’s what I thought.” She skips around the side of the vehicle and slides in.
    I follow suit. When I sit down her woodsy scent washes over me. “Thanks for doing this,” I say, still shocked by how kind she is.
    “No problem. My best friend Hadley doesn’t have her own car either. I’ve been giving her rides everywhere for the past year. I don’t mind it.”
    “And here I thought I was special.” I settle into the seat as she turns the engine. It rumbles to life. She clicks her seatbelt into place and then glances over at me, a question in her eyes.
    “No seatbelt?”
    I huff. “Call me a rebel.”
    “Suit yourself, but once you’ve ridden with me a few more times you won’t be forgetting your seatbelt.”
    “Is that a threat?”
    “A warning.”  A smile flickers over her lips as she pulls away from the curb.
    “Are you trying to te ll me you’re a bad driver?”
    “According to Hadley I am.” She turns the corner, her gaze trained out the front window. I study her profile – her pert nose, her defined cheekbones, her long lashes.
    “Maybe she’s wrong,” I offer.
    Paige giggles. “Well, okay. The truth is she’s not the only one who thinks it , even though I tell her she is. My parents think it, and so does my sister. And, okay, it may have taken me multiple tries to get my license.” She takes the next corner a little fast, and I grip the seat.
    “ I’ll take my chances,” I say. I’ve been in very scary situations, so riding a few miles in the car with a girl who isn’t the best driver in the world doesn’t faze me in the least.
    “How come you don’t have a car? Do you have to share with your mom or something? That’s what Hadley has to do.”
    I shift in my seat. “Um…no. I live with my aunt.”
    “Oh.” Paige is quiet for a minute. “Do you have any siblings?”
    “Yeah.”  A smile breaks out on my face. “Two. A younger brother Zander. He’s eight. And a baby sister Bristol. She’s a pain. Cries all the time. It’s a good thing she’s so damn cute.”
    Paige smiles, glancing at me. A car pulls out of a driveway in front of us, but she doesn’t notice it.
    “Paige!”
    “Shit.” She slams on her brakes. “See. This is what I was talking about.”
    The car pulls out onto the street and drives in front of us. Paige lets her foot off the gas , and we slowly drive forward.
    “It might help if you kept your eyes on the road,” I say.
    Her cheeks color slightly. “Now you sound like Hadley.”
    “Is she like you?” I ask, curious about what kind of friends Paige has.
    “What do you mean?” Paige peers over at me, her eyebrows knit together. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a splash of brake lights.
    “Look forward,” I command , rethinking my seatbelt situation. “Man, maybe we should talk after we get to work.”
    Paige giggles, staring out the front window. “ You’re gonna be reaching for that seatbelt any minute, aren’t you?”
    “You read my mind,” I say honestly.
    “Okay, okay, I’ll focus. I won’t make you give up your rebel status,” she says. “You were asking if Hadley’s like me. That’s a tough one. In some ways we’re a lot alike, but for the most part we’re opposites. I mean, Hadley dresses kind of preppy. She’s quiet and unassuming. We like totally different music and movies.”
    “What makes you friends then?” I’m totally confused.
    The coffee shop comes into view. “Well, on the surface we’re nothing alike and our interests are different. But at the core of who we are, we’re exactly alike. We have the same morals, the same character,