I.m steaming mad as I pull into the library parking lot and park next to the woods at the far end of
the lot. The last thing on my mind is our chemistry project.
Joe is waiting for me, leaning against his motorcycle. I take the keys out of the ignition and storm
over to him. “How dare you order me around!” I yell. My entire life is full of people trying to control me.
My mom… Colin. And now Joe . I.m done with it. “If you think you can threaten me into–”
Without saying anything Joe snatches my keys out of my hand and sits in the driver.s seat of my
Beemer.
“joe, what do you think you.re doing?”
“Get in.”
The engine roars. He.s going to drive off and leave me stranded in the library parking lot.
Clenching my fists, I stomp to the passenger side. When I.m in, joe revs the engine.
“Where.s my picture of Colin?” I ask, eyeing my dashboard. It was taped up there a minute ago.
“Don.t worry, you.ll get it back. I don.t have the stomach to look at it while I.m drivin..”
“Do you even know how to drive a stick?” I bark out.
Without blinking or looking down, he puts the car into first gear and the car screeches out of the lot.
My Beemer follows his lead as if the car and joe are completely in sync.
“This is carjacking, you know.” Silence. “And kidnapping,” I add.
We.re stopped at a light. I look at the cars around us, glad the top is up so no one can see us.
“Mira, you got in on your own free will,” he says.
“It.s my car. What if someone sees us?”
My words really piss him off, because the tires screech angrily when the light turns green.
He.s purposely ruining my car.
“Stop it!” I order. “Take me back to the library.”
But he doesn.t. He.s silent as he winds my car through unknown towns and deserted roads, just like
people do in the movies when they drive to meet dangerous drug dealers.
Great. I.m going on my first drug deal. If I get arrested, will my parents come bail me out?
I wonder how my mom.s going to explain that one to her friends. Maybe they.ll send me away to
some military boot camp for delinquents. I bet they.d like that… making Shelley go to a facility and me
to boot camp.
My life would suck even more.
I will not be a part of anything illegal. I am the ruler of my destiny, not joe . I grab the handle to
the door. “Let me out of here or I swear I.m jumping out.”
“You.re wearin. a seatbelt.” He rolls his eyes. “Relax. We.ll be there in two minutes.” He shifts
into a lower gear and slows the car as we enter an old, deserted airport. “Okay, we.re here,” he says as he
pulls up the parking brake.
“Yeah, okay. But where is here? I hate to tell you but the last inhabited place was, like, three miles
back. I.m not getting out of the car, joe. You can do your drug deals on your own.”
