Infiltration Read Online Free PDF Page A

down.
    â€œWell, I guess not,” she said. She coiled some loose rope around her hand, thinking. “I’m also kind of proud that I got this job. It wasn’t easy. It’ll look good on my résumé, and that’ll help on my college application. I sort of thought you might be proud of me too.”
    Why would I be proud of her? I actually thought she’d come up with the worst possible way to earn money. But I was smart enough not to say that.
    â€œI am proud of you,” I said. “It’s just that I don’t understand how money can be more important than—”
    â€œThan what, Bex?” Asha cut in.
    â€œMore important than you?”
    â€œNo! More important than us,” I said. “We’re pretty great together, you know?”
    â€œI know.”
    â€œThen how can you leave?”
    â€œBex, part of liking someone is trusting them. Letting them do what they need to do.”
    â€œAnd, what—you don’t need me anymore?” I cut in.
    â€œI didn’t say that, Bex,” said Asha. “For such a smart guy, you can be a real dumbass sometimes.”
    Asha unhooked her harness from the line and spun away. I dropped down onto the crash mats on the floor and watched her go.
    Crap. That got out of hand fast.
    So much for my great plan to fix things.
    But there had to be a way for me to manage this. I was the one who always figured out the angles, who came up with the solution to the problem. Why couldn’t I figure her out?
    Then it hit me. If I did the DMA run with Kieran, I could make enough money to convince Asha to stay home for the summer. I’d give her all of the money, and she’d have her tuition. She wouldn’t have to go anywhere until the fall. It was more extreme than anything I’d done before. Way more extreme. But it would be worth it. This was the way to fix everything.
    I dug my phone out of my backpack. My hands shook a little as I texted Kieran.
    I’m in.
    The next day, Asha was still avoiding me in the cafeteria. I’d been watching her and a bunch of her girlfriends across the big hall. She hadn’t looked over at me once. Jake sat down next to me. He followed my gaze.
    â€œHey, why is Asha sitting over there?” Jake said. “This is our table.”
    â€œI don’t know what’s up,” I said. Jake raised his eyebrows.
    â€œI don’t believe you,” he said. His big hands folded around a burger, and then he took a monster bite. Chewed. Waited. He knew that eventually I’d spill. He was right. It took about a minute.
    â€œSo we had a fight,” I admitted. “About her going away this summer. But it’s all good now. I’ve got it all figured out.”
    â€œBex, you’re one of the smartest guys I know,” said Jake. “But you’ve always kind of sucked when it comes to girls. Run the plan by me.”
    â€œAll right, but this stays totally with you,” I said. Jake nodded.
    I lowered my voice and filled him in on what Kieran and I were planning. By the time I finished, he was mopping up the last of the ketchup with his fries. My plate was still full of cold cafeteria food.
    Jake shook his head. “The DMA place sounds cool,” he said. “Might be worth checking out just to explore. I bet no one has ever been in there before.”
    Bingo. Jake was on side.
    â€œBut, seriously—stealing phones?” he said. He rubbed a hand through his short brown hair. “What happened to ‘take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints’?”
    I shrugged. “Guess I’m not the Boy Scout everyone thought I was.”
    Jake looked at me.
    â€œYou’ve never been a Boy Scout.
    You’re just smart about risks.” Jake leaned closer to me. “This plan of yours goes wrong, you’ll get busted huge. Like, cops, jail, the works.”
    â€œIt’s not even really a crime,” I said.