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better cars. But Wade offered me the one thing I wanted more than anything: introductions to his friends. I could tell that he was full of himself, and not really my type, but I was in no position to be choosy. School was starting, and I didn’t know a soul. I never should have gotten in his car, and not just because it was a Camaro. And I never should have had that first beer. Bad enough it was a school night, but I barely knew the guy, and I have like zero tolerance for alcohol. I wasn’t a complete innocent, but for whatever reason, drunk and stupid just didn’t gel with my personality. Plus, the cheap stuff tastes like crap. I learned that much from my dad.
    The second beer with Wade was plain old dumb — and the third, insane. He drove me out to an abandoned quarry. We made out. I also remember drinking something out of a flask, but after that, my memory gets a little blurry. Clarity returned the moment my knee made contact with Wade’s groin and he rolled off me, calling me the kind of names that could shut down a TV station. But at least he’d stopped. Something in my resolve and awareness had thwarted him. I was sorry about the ball bruising, and said as much. I’d been told, on more than one occasion, that I was stronger than I looked. When he had recovered the use of his voice and limbs, and I had tucked in my blouse, he drove me home. The next day, I had a killer headache, my stomach was rolling, and my mouth tasted like mothballs. Seriously, my spit could have lined a linen drawer. And instead of apologizing, or at least blaming it on the beers, the lunch shunning took place. Later, I watched him strut through the halls with his arm slung around Monique.
    The bell rang and Penny popped up, startling me out of my daymare. “So?”
    “I’ll think about it.” We walked out of the classroom.
    As if somehow summoned by my recent brood-fest, Wade passed us in the hallway. He looked left and then right, as if scouting. He then broke into a horsey grin, brought his hand to his lips, and blew a kiss in our direction.
    Penny looked at me like she’d just seen me walk on water. “Do you know him?”
    “No.” If he didn’t have to own up to the stupid hookup, neither did I.
    “Then why would he blow you a kiss?”
    “I thought that was for you.”
    Now she looked at me like I’d parted water. “For me? Hardly. We don’t exactly hang out with the same people. Not to mention that Monique would make life miserable for any girl who messed with Wade.”
    “Good thing I don’t know him, then.”
    Penny lowered her voice. “If you’re smart, you’ll stay away from him. I do. I have ever since kindergarten. He was mean even back then.”
    I could actually picture a younger pug-faced, yappy-voiced version of him.
    “They have an on-again, off-again relationship, but they always get back together. And nothing good comes of anyone who comes between them. Wade and Monique may be king and queen around here, but they’re not exactly benevolent.”
    “Probably best then to set out for the brave new world.” Ironic that I could even use the word
brave
. The whole thing with Wade had left me shaken. Why had I been charmed by him? How could I put myself in such a dangerous position? What kind of guy would try to take advantage and then deny even an acquaintance? “Maybe I’ll find some followers and we’ll give that democracy thing a go.”
    Penny laughed, and I had to admit it had a contagious quality to it. We started walking again.
    Penny hitched her backpack up over her shoulder. “I couldn’t help but notice a little tension between you and Jack.”
    “Oh. That.”
    “Well?”
    “He delivered some apples to my
afi
’s store last night. We shared opinions on topics ranging from evolution to economics to progress in the form of bulldozing Main Street. Needless to say, we didn’t agree. I was for and he was against. I guess I rubbed him the wrong way.”
    That summed it up nicely: I’d managed to