Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah by Erin Jade Lange Read Free Book Online

hip-hop.
    Boston stumbled on a tree root. “He means our car!
Our
license plate.”
    â€œRelax.” York grabbed Boston’s elbow to keep him from falling. “We’ll say we got a ride home with someone else after you lost the keys. You won’t even have to lie.”
    â€œBut Mom and Dad will know we were at this party! And the police will probably automatically cite us for drinking just for being here.”
    â€œHow would you know?” York said. “You’ve never been busted for anything.”
    â€œYeah, well, I’ve got this big brother who gets busted all the time, so I know—”
    â€œAll right! I’m sorry, okay? Sorry I tried to show you a good time.”
    It didn’t sound like much of an apology to me, but it seemed to settle the argument, and they kept walking.
    The megaphone blared again. Another warning. Or was it a threat?
    My body thrummed with something like fear, or maybe a thrill. I had no reason to worry about the man behind the megaphone, but instinct told me to keep moving.
    Or maybe it was just in my DNA to run away from cops.
    Â 
    6
    â€œHE SOUNDS CLOSER,” I said to no one in particular.
    â€œThen move faster,” York answered.
    At that moment, someone finally cut the music back at the party, and the woods went suddenly silent. The twigs snapping under our feet were as loud as cannons now, and we all stopped in unison, as though we were part of some choreographed marching band.
    â€œShh,” Boston said unnecessarily.
    â€œIt’s over,” Andi whispered. “We should just go back. I know a path—”
    â€œNo, we’re here,” he said, tiptoeing around a large tree in our path. “The dock is just on the other side of— Crap!”
    Boston ducked back behind the tree, and York leaned around him to get a look.
    â€œAwesome! A car! I wonder who parked down here. Maybe we can hitch a—”
    Boston pulled York back with a force his skinny arms didn’t look capable of. “Not the car. The cops!”
    This time we all peeked around the tree, leaning against one another so our heads stacked up like a totem pole next to the tall oak. A silver SUV glimmered under the summer moon, its front doors wide open, and next to it, two police officers stood talking quietly.
    â€œThey’re searching cars,” York said, his voice a breath below a whisper. “Probably stealing all our beer. Pigs.”
    The officers appeared to be standing guard over the SUV, waiting to bust whichever partygoer thought they were clever for parking at the bottom of the hill. After a moment, one of the officers turned away and disappeared into the trees in the direction of the river, probably heading to the boat dock, though I couldn’t see it from here. The other cop rested a hand on the holstered gun at his side and turned in our direction.
    We scrambled back behind the tree, tripping over one another’s feet in the process.
    Boston looked at all of us and swung an arm in a circle over his head.
    We’re surrounded
, he mouthed.
    Andi replied by pointing a finger at herself and each of us in turn, then jerked her head violently back up the hill. Her message was clear.
Let’s go
.
    York held up his hands as if to silence the both of them, even though they weren’t making a sound. Then he pointed one finger, telling us to hang on, and scratched his head, apparently trying to think.
    This game of charades was so ridiculous, I had to suppress a giggle.
    At least, I
tried
to suppress it. I really did. I held my lips together as tightly as possible to seal them closed, but when I looked at the trio around me, it was too much. The charades had exploded. Andi was waving her hands back and forth, warning me not to make a noise; York was reaching toward me as if to put a hand over my mouth; and Boston was shaking his head so fast it looked like it might wobble right off his neck.
    I lost the fight.
    It