Part 13 (1/2)

1 6 t h i n g s i t h o u g h t w e r e t r u e ”The sooner the better! Can you imagine? Me and you on the open road.” She giggles.

”Are you old enough?” I say, not believing this is coming together so quickly.

She sits up straighter, like it will make her taller. ”I'm eighteen. I can't help it that my parents gave me the short genes. Sue me. There are worse things.” She glares at me and then taps the side of her nose. ”Maybe we'll find out that your dad has a big nose.”

I snort, even though I'm pretty sure she just insulted the size of my nose. I reach for my phone. I need to tweet this news. The road trip will happen.

”It's at least four hours to drive,” I tell her as I type. I glance up. ”Plus a ferry ride. And you need a pa.s.sport to drive across the border.”

”I went to Scotland last Christmas. Do you have a pa.s.sport?”

she asks.

”I got one a couple of years ago, when we went on a school trip to Vancouver,” I tell her.

”I want to come,” Adam says.

I stop typing. We both turn to look at him. I'd actually forgotten he was sitting there for a minute.

”You can't come on a road trip with two girls,” I say.

Amy bounces on her b.u.t.t some more and makes a weird giggly sound. ”Sure he can. Road trip! Road trip!” she chants. The girls in red turn to look at us, but I don't even care that we're draw- ing attention to ourselves. I've practically committed to going on a road trip with this tiny little person who sounds like an overactive 81 sixteenthings.indd 81 9/9/13 2:21 PM.

J a n e t G u r t l e r mouse, and that makes me happier than I've been in a long time. I should be worried.

”Why not?” Adam asks. ”Are you afraid you won't be able to control yourself around me?”

”Ugh,” I say, and my cheeks warm. ”Please.”

Amy giggles a little too enthusiastically.

”Girlfriend,” I remind Amy. ”He has a girlfriend. He's kidding.”

”I know. And I think I can control myself,” she squeals to Adam.

”But can you?”

I ignore her and frown at Adam. ”Why would you even want to come?” The thought of being in a car with him for over four hours makes my insides twist up.

He ignores me and focuses on Amy. ”Maybe you guys need someone to look after you. Maybe I need a vacation. Do you mind if I come along?”

She grins, and I see again how pretty she is when she smiles. ”Not even a little.”

”But why would you want to?” I repeat.

He laughs out loud. ”Come on. You're not that bad. You'll have your face buried in your phone the whole time. Why do you care if I come along?”

”No,” I say, determined to talk him out of this crazy idea.

Immediately. My excitement is getting squashed down by his suggestion.

”Why not?” he asks.

”How about we don't want a bunch of male junk in the car?

Never mind a room,” I tell him.

82.

sixteenthings.indd 82 9/9/13 2:21 PM.

1 6 t h i n g s i t h o u g h t w e r e t r u e ”My junk?” He glances down at his crotch.

”G.o.d. Not that junk. Gross. Just, you know, junk. Boy junk.”

”I like boy junk,” Amy says.

”Now there's a tweet!” Adam says to me.

I roll my eyes. ”You're not helping,” I say to Amy. ”And what do you know about boy junk?”

”What do you know about it?” she asks.

”I have brothers.”

”Oh. Well,” Amy says, ”I figure it's like girl stuff, only different.”

”Pretty much,” Adam says.

I glare at both of them. ”We wouldn't all be allowed to take vaca- tion on the same weekend anyhow,” I say.

”Who cares? I'll quit.” Amy stands up, walks to the trashcan, and throws away a huge portion of her cotton candy. ”I already came clean and you know I don't need the money. I'll quit. A road trip is better than working in the snack shop. And summer is almost over anyways.”

A new group of kids storm into the staffroom, a mix of yellow and red s.h.i.+rts. They're loud as they gather around a nearby table, but for once I don't care what they're talking about or worry that they're all laughing at me. One of the boys walks over to the vend- ing machine. ”Yo,” he says to Adam, ”boss man.”

Adam nods, and his happy expression changes just a little. I wait until the guy takes his chocolate bar and heads back to his friends.

Maybe he does need a break.