In Harmony

“Yeah. There are girls at GM.”

“Who is she? What’s her name?”

“Doesn’t matter. Probably not going to see her again. Or maybe I will…” I trailed off, remembering how Willow sat up straighter at Paulson’s announcement about Hamlet auditions, like someone had called her name.

“You want to see her,” Benny said, grinning. “You want to baaaaad. You like her.”

I shoved him with an elbow. “How the hell you figure that?”

“You got kicked out of school for her, for one thing,” he said. “For another, your face just got all soft and mushy.”

“It did not,” I said.

“What’s her name?”

“Willow.”

He wrinkled his nose. “That’s the whitest white girl name I ever heard.”

I chuckled. “She’s super rich too. And young.”

And completely off limits.

My smiled faded. “Why the fuck am I talking about her with you? You need to get your ass to school. Tomorrow, and the day after that. I’m going to be around more to make sure.”

Benny rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay.”

A silence fell.

“You going to miss school?” he asked.

“No.” I glanced at him sideways. “Yes. Some of it.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded. My hands twitched for a Wins

ton. Benny knew I smoked, but I kept it away from him.

“What part?” he asked. “‘Cuz I can’t think of nothing I’d miss.”

“You’d miss doing kid stuff. Being in a club after school or doing sports with friends. Going to dances.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Benny said.

“I’m not going to be hanging around all day doing nothing. I have to work now.” I tugged his sleeve. “And you have to go to school. Right now. I’ll drive you.”

“No way. They’ll call Ma at her work. I don’t have a note.”

“I’ll write you one.” I stood up. “Come on. It’s cold out.”

He sighed and dramatically hauled himself off the tire. “Hey, is your dad going to be pissed about you leaving school?”

“Probably.”

“Will he try to beat on you?”

“Maybe.”