Then
Desiree:
Eww I’m literally begging!
I’m going to sue you for distress or whatever!!
Me:
LOL dramatic much?
I miss u too
According to Desiree, I’ve been on her last nerve for the past few months.
She’s been threatening to stage a protest about “house arrest” being unfair punishment for curious teenagers.
I had to remind her that a protest is actually the quickest way to break the thin ice I’m already on.
That usually keeps her cool for a day or so, but then all of a sudden, we’re having the same conversation again.
Today, it’s about hanging out with her boyfriend, Ty, and his friend, who are visiting from college for the weekend.
Desiree:
but not enough to come outside?
plsssss Jasmine omg
I push my phone across the table and open my history textbook to finally do my homework. I’ve been putting it off all day. It’s six p.m. and I’m bored enough to start. But after reading a few sentences, I drop my head into my hands.
My mom left for work a little over an hour ago and won’t be back until seven tomorrow morning. I would be home way before that. But should I really risk it, after all these months of following the rules?
I think about how I’ve been doing everything right lately—getting my homework done, coming home right after school, and checking in with Ms. Dean.
I still kind of can’t believe I even have a PINS officer, but to humor my mom, I’ve been following all the rules.
I’ve been so good, I should be able to hang out with a friend for a couple of hours.
I pick up my phone to text Desiree, still unsure of what I’m going to say, when her face pops up on the screen. I laugh at the timing.
“What, Desiree?” I ask with a deep, playful sigh.
“Yo, what’s up, Jasmine?” A guy’s voice blares loudly into my ear. It’s Ty.
I don’t respond right away. He whispers something to someone and Desiree yells from the background.
“Don’t be weird! It’s my husband.” She laughs.
I roll my eyes. “So that’s why he’s answering your phone?”
“Yeah. So are we coming to get you? My friend wants to meet you,” Ty asks impatiently.
“That sounds like a setup. I’m good.”
Desiree’s voice comes through the speaker. “You’re being a buzzkill, Jas. I’ll just talk to you later.”
She sounds so annoyed that I’m afraid this really might be the last nerve. I close my book and take a deep breath.
“I’ll meet you downstairs in an hour.”
“Yay omg,” she squeals before hanging up.
Exactly an hour later, Ty brings a bright red Honda Civic to an abrupt stop in front of my building.
I’ve scanned the block enough times to be certain my mom isn’t hiding somewhere waiting to catch me—this car doesn’t help at all.
The wind blows and I consider going back up for a different jacket, but Desiree sticks her hand out of the window to grab mine.
She’s so excited. I smile at her.
“I told you she’d be down here,” she says.
I make my way around and slide into the back seat next to Desiree. The car looks and smells brand new, so I hold my bag on my lap just to be careful.
Whose car is this? I mouth to Desiree.
She smiles from ear to ear and points to Ty in the front seat. “Ty’s parents got it for him. His grades were amazing, apparently,” she says.
“Wow, congrats,” I say.
Ty flashes me a smile in the rearview mirror. I glance over at his friend, who’s staring down at his phone. He hasn’t turned around once. Ty is whispering to him and he’s nodding but not making a sound.
“You ready, baby?” Ty asks, revving the engine. Desiree screams yes and slaps my arm. I chuckle at her being so easily impressed. “You ready, Jasmine?”
His friend finally turns around and waits for my answer.
His dark brown eyes meet mine and he smiles.
I hold out on returning the smile and he shakes his head.
I’m trying to make out the small tattoo on his neck, but the black ink is faded.
He’s cute and I’m glad that if Desiree and Ty are going to spend most of the night in each other’s faces, at least I have something good to look at.
Desiree pokes me when I don’t answer.
“Yeah. Let’s do it.”
The car pulls off quickly and Ty’s friend turns up the music.
I fumble for the seat belt until I see that Desiree isn’t wearing hers.
I don’t want to embarrass her, so I just let my body move around the seat, laughing like I enjoy it as much as she does.
Ty’s friend turns around a few more times before we finally come to a stop.
“Desiree, come with me to get food.” Ty doesn’t wait for a response before he gets out. He walks around to his friend’s window and taps it. His friend rolls it down and hands him something.
“What you want?” he asks him at the same time Desiree asks me.
She snaps her fingers to get my attention away from the front of the car. “What do you want to eat, girl?” she asks again.
We’re parked in front of the Kennedy Fried Chicken a few blocks away from the hospital my mom works at. She comes here all the time when she wants something easy to bring home. I hope we can make this quick.
“The nine-piece spicy wings and fries. We can share.” I start to pull out some cash from my bag and Desiree shoots me a look. “Who’s paying?”
She doesn’t answer and slams the door when she gets out. I consider going after her until Ty’s friend turns around again and smiles at me.
“It’s my treat. Is that okay with you?” he says.
I remember the thing he handed Ty earlier and it makes sense. I soften my face and shift my body so I can really see him.
“But who are you?”
He laughs and it briefly reminds me of Darius. Unassuming, goofy, and … cute. “Wow, Ty didn’t tell you about me?”
I shake my head.
“Well, maybe this is better then. I’m Chris.
” He lays his hand on the console between the seats and wiggles his fingers.
I don’t make any movements. “No hand, Jasmine?” He stops moving his fingers.
I throw my hand on his before he can take it away.
He closes his hand on mine and I forget for a second what we’re even doing here.
Any concerns about my mom knowing I left the house slowly drift from the front of my mind.
It’s going to be okay. It might even be perfect.
“Okay, lovebirds!” Desiree says loudly from outside the car.
I snatch my hand away from Chris and he laughs. Desiree opens the door and puts a steaming bag of food on the back seat. Ty closes the door behind her and hands Chris an identical bag through the passenger window.
“Thank you, Chris,” Desiree practically sings. She turns to me to make room for our order. She pulls out the box of chicken and puts two orange sodas in the cup holders, then motions for me to start eating.
“If this was really a date for us, that’s all you had to say,” I tease.
She laughs with a mouth full of fries. Chris asks for ketchup and I hand him some. He grabs for my finger and I let him catch it.
Just as Desiree starts to ask about Ty, a sudden bright light in her window almost blinds us.
“What the hell?” Desiree says. I hear the fear in her voice and freeze.
The light moves to the front of the car and I see a woman police officer peering into the window. Desiree jumps back and drops the chicken in her hand.
“Out of the car, girls, NOW!” the officer commands.
Desiree screams at something over my shoulder. My heart is hammering in my chest as I turn to see what’s behind me. Another police officer, this one pointing a gun.
“Stop moving!” he yells as he walks around the car.
A light shines in my face and I move to avoid it. Desiree screams louder.
“Hands on the fucking dashboard!” the woman officer yells at Chris. Chris slaps the dashboard with both hands, dropping ketchup-covered fries. He tries to turn his head slightly.
“Don’t move, please, Chris,” I beg.
His arms are shaking and I hear sniffles. My stomach sinks.
“Girls, get out of the car now.”
Desiree hesitates, then opens the door slowly and steps out. Her purse hits the ground and I close my eyes tightly, afraid of what might happen next. When nothing does, I open my door and do the same. The officer grabs my arm and pulls me to the side by Desiree. She grabs my pinky.
“No touching. Back over there!” He points to the other side of the car.
Unsure of exactly who he was talking to and too afraid to be wrong, neither of us move.
“Are you deaf, girl?” he says, moving so close to my face that the heat of his breath makes my hairs stand up.
I shake my head and walk back to my door.
Ty is standing at the hood of the car, already in handcuffs and tears. We make eye contact for a moment before he drops his head.
The woman officer is on the phone a few feet away. “So, he does or doesn’t know the owner?” she asks.
The woman hangs up and walks over to Ty. “Smart guys usually don’t steal red cars—or cars that belong to family. Quickest way to get caught, kid.”
My stomach hits the floor and I choke back the urge to scream. A stolen car?! I look at Desiree to see if she is just as shocked as I am. She doesn’t turn, but I want to believe she didn’t know. That she didn’t lie.
Another officer pulls up and speaks to the woman before walking over to the passenger door. He yells at Chris to put his hands on the window, then opens the door for him to get out. “Did you know this car was stolen?”
Chris nods his head slowly, ashamed.
“I didn’t!” I finally yell.
“Quiet!”
I lean against the car and notice a small crowd gathering at the far end of the parking lot.
The woman walks Ty past me to the police car behind us. He makes eye contact again. He looks scared.
“It’s my cousin’s car,” he says to me. “It was just a joke.”
I don’t respond. The woman pushes Ty’s head down and he disappears into the back of the car. I turn my attention back to Desiree, who is trying to get some words out between sobs. The third officer is impatiently tapping on an iPad.
“What’s her name?”
Desiree shrugs.
“You’re definitely going to the station. I’m tired of this.”
Her sobbing gets louder. He walks over and motions for me to stand up straight. “What’s your name?”
I look at Desiree, who shakes her head.
“You can tell me here or go to the station too. There’s more than enough space.”
He closes the iPad case and starts to walk away.
“Jasmine Cooper,” I blurt out.
I hear him repeat my name into his walkie-talkie. My heart sinks to the gritty pavement as I realize what comes next. They’re going to run me through the database. They’re going to find out I’m already in PINS—already in the system.