Trading Paint (Racing on the Edge) by Shey Stahl Read Free Book Online Page B

lost anyone in our family. My grandparents were still alive and aside from my mom’s parents who had died in a car accident on New Year’s Eve when she was seven, I’d never had to deal with this kind of loss.
    My mom did and I think that’s why she and Sway got along so well. She understood what Sway was going through.
    I couldn’t imagine what that must feel like for either of them. I had an idea of Sway’s sadness since we talked about it but to live her life and deal with what she went through, I didn’t know.
    “Thanks for not going to the dance.” She told me after a good ten minutes of silence; her tears dried.
    “No problem,” I chuckled against her shoulder. “Do you know what would make this night fun?”
    “I could use some entertainment.” She turned in my arms. “What did you have in mind?”
    “Refilling Emma’s lotions with glue again and cutting holes in Spencer’s underwear.” I stood to help her up. “Our usual madness,”
    “Sounds like fun. Let’s see what Hershey’s up to tonight.”
    I laughed. “Remember to lock the gate this time.” Hershey was Old Man Roger’s cow. Sway and Hershey had a love hate relationship. Sway thought Hershey was some kind of horse and tried to ride her every chance she could and well, Hershey had other ideas about that. She took every opportunity she could to shit on Sway. Literally.
     
     
    The following Monday at school I was faced with a angry Chelsea.
    “Where the fuck were you?” she asked pushing my shoulder. Sway, Tommy, Emma and I were all gathered around my truck before school began.
    “What are you talking about?” I smirked. I noticed Sway moved from standing beside me to stand next to Emma.
    “You stood me up at prom!” she yelled causing other classmates to turn and stare. “How could you?”
    “I’m sure you made do.” I retorted noticing a purplish mark down the side of her neck. My eyes narrowed at her and then moved to the mark on her neck and then back to hers.
    She knew damn well I knew.
    “Have a nice day, Chelsea.” I winked and walked away to my first class.
    Sway, laughing, followed Tommy and Emma toward their math class.
    Emma began taking extra classes this year to graduate with us a year sooner so this put her in a few of our classes. That was fine until she ended up in my biology class.
    Emma and I didn’t get along for obvious reasons. Get two people who have obsessive compulsive tenancies and then add the need to be a perfectionist ... we didn’t mix. With her need to rub lotion on her body continuously and my obsession with anything on my skin, she made me crazy.
    She bumped my elbow sometime before class began. “I need a pencil.”
    “So get one.” I replied looking over my paper making sure I did it correctly.
    “Hey dumbass, that’s why I asked you for one.” She shot back kicking me.
    Naturally, I kicked her back.
    “No ... you said you need a pencil. Nowhere in that sentence did you say “Can I borrow a pencil,” now did you?”
    “You’re an asshole.” She whispered and walked away from me to retrieve a pencil from the teacher.
    Chelsea caught me again after third period. “Did you stand me up for Sway?” her tone demanding and accusing. The way it always was.
    Focused on my homework that I had failed to do the night before, I never looked up and I contemplated not answering her as well. I didn’t feel the need to explain myself. I already had to tell my mom why and that was enough for me. In the end, mom forced Sway and I to dress up so she could take pictures, either that or she threatened to sell my car.
    I was in my tuxedo and forcing Sway to put that damn tutu back on within seconds. I’d grown accustomed to the tutu and found it incredibly adorable on her.
    “Sway is none of your business.” I answered, my jaw clenching tightly.
    “I want to know where I stand with you. You’re always leaving for her. I know you want her so why do you even mess around with me?”
    “Why do