Page 16 (1/2)

"How’s it going Rowdy?" She’s chewing gum and lets it snap

He takes a few seconds to reply, whole deht?"

She nods, pleased when Rowdy spares her a glance, flipping her platinu

"You inside with Levinson?" he asks the question slowly, deliberately

Vanessa’s red-lipped, self-righteous smile falters Fades like the o intonot to listen--but if I were a GIF, I’d be the Michael Jackson eating popcorn in a rossed a tighter alongsideawayVanessa’s face as he delivers his next line:

"Want irlfriend you say hello? She’s out of toith the cheer team--but you already knew that, didn’t you?"

Stabsit to his lips with a wolfish smirk

Jesus

Her dark lips part, throat chuffs "You are such a dick"

Vanessa grabs her friend by the ar it down the stairs, lu on their perilously unsteady shoes

Only when they’re finally out of sight do I speak

"Wow" I steal back s Brushes his jacket against ether "The dude Vanessa is fooling around with has a fucking girlfriend I can’t stand girls like that--she pisses ives irlfriend personally and just keeps on fucking him That’s what pissesas he continues venting "I really fucking like Holly I just wish she’d wise up and dump Levinson’s useless ass"

"Why doesn’t she?"

He pauses, leveling me with a blank stare "Seriously Scarlett? Why do you think?"

Why is he staring at me like that?

"What did I say?" I ask in a sues Holly is never going to duolden ticket to WAG status Everyone knows it"

I feel my mouth turn doard into a frown "I don’t knohat that means"

"You don’t knohat a WAG is? God, you’re so naïvely sweet" He pitches a thuirls who just walked off "Why do you think that girl Vanessa is all over Levinson’s jock strap? He’s not even that fucking great Gold digger What do you think your friends keep coers Soet themselves knocked up--meal ticket for life in the fornant on purpose?" I sound appalled because I genuinely a holes into condoets shoveled into his mouth from my container He chews I chew

We both s

Rowdy takes a swig of beer, washing it all dohile I take a chug of oes around here"

"That’s really depressing" I pause, trying to catch a gliet old?"

"Real fast" He stabs his fork into the rice "Why do you think I moved out of this house?"

"You don’t live here?"

"Nope"

"Why did I think you did?"

Rowdy stands, walking to the edge of the porch, peering off into the yard, though it’s hard topast the street