Page 18 (1/2)

"Lord knows I’ve done plenty of things I didn’t really think about either," she replied as she hit the gas The truck was one of those loud ones, too "Things orse than not wearing the right shoes to walk in" It was dark inside the cab, but Josie’s face visibly shadowed

Miss Peaches and Crearetted I knew everyone did in theory, but sometimes that theory didn’t seem to apply to people like Josie

"Yeah Me, too" There was a whole encyclopedia-sized record of the screw ups and

Another few seconds of silence ticked off before Josie’s face cleared That smile that seemed as permanently embedded on her face as Jesse’s was on his reformed As much as I wanted to dislike her, I couldn’t "Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked

I huffed "Hell, no"

"Why not?"

Might as well be honest with the girl "I’ve been with so many pieces of shit, I’ve lost count That’s why"

Josie peered over at irl needs to be with a piece of shit--"

"Or fifty," I nizes when one who isn’t co" She lifted her shoulders "The more experience you have with POS, the better equipped you are to identify one who isn’t"

I nodded as I wondered what those words would look like tattooed across irls’ lives

"So what did you think of the rodeo?" Josie et whiplash

It sucked ass

"It wasinteresting," I settled on Interesting was a versatile word and o-to when I didn’t want to adine it’s pretty barbaric see if you weren’t raised on rodeo," she said

There were definitely barbaric low points, but they had nothing to do with the actual rodeo

I shruggedsummer dance and barbecue next week?"

"Since this is the first I’ht, I wouldaway froo Everyone’s invited There’s a ton of good food, soood" part of country ood tiirls If you don’t want to drive over in the Walker caravan, I could pick you up Or Jesse could give you a ride in Old Bessie Although that’s an experience I’m sure you can live without"

"Unfortunately, Old Bessie and I are already acquainted," I said "But you’re right That was an experience I could have done without" The Old Bessie part, not so much the Jesse part

"You’ve been in Jesse’s truck?"

I didn’t miss the subtle nuance there It was Old Bessie before she learned I’d been a passenger in her boyfriend’s truck Then it beca if it was too early in the ride to stick h When he picked me up at the bus station I haven’t ridden in it since I haven’t even seen it" Jesse in the bed of his truck that night outside the barn juht Probably not so I should ad, with him in it, since that first day"

Oh, dear God Strikeelse Maybe that hy I pushed people away: It was a defenseidiot

Josie gavesurprise since Old Bessie isn’t a big fan of running At least not consistently" She laughed, and I couldn’t help but join in If I couldn’t laugh about so like Jesse’s truck, there was no hope forto coirls

"I’ll think about it," I said, grabbing the handle above theand hanging on for dear life as Josie took a right turn at forty ht Jesse drove like a maniac Apparently speed limits and road rules didn’t apply to country kids

"What’s there to think about?" she asked as the bed of her truck fishtailed when she punched the gas co Cute boys in tight jeans There is nothing about that line up that needs thinking about"

I agreed with at least one of the four things there

"Yeahwell,"--I bit my lip and decided how much to say--"I don’t think I’d fit in very well at that kind of thing" That su into too many details

"Says who?" she said instantly