Page 73 of Run
“I hate you both.” I look away and cross my arms.
After some more embarrassment, DeShawn helps me into the Jeep and Ethan and I take off with no particular destination in mind.
A few quiet moments pass before Ethan breaks it. “He seems cool.”
“DeShawn? Yeah. He’s been with me since the day I woke up in the hospital. He’s been telling me I need to start walking without my crutches. Not totally on my own, but walking along things, like the table or the countertop or whatever. He says my crutches are just that—crutches. They helped me thus far, but now they are starting to be a hindrance because I rely on them too much.”
Ethan nods as he glances at me, his eyes roving over my face. “Makes sense.”
My eyes fall to my hands in my lap. “I know. It’s all just really scary. Sometimes I think I should just resign myself to a wheelchair. I mean, you saw the piggyback ride I got from Sophie, right? I don’t want them to stop. They’re fun!”
Ethan chuckles as he accelerates to merge onto the parkway. “You’re insane.”
“I know.” I sigh. “I totally am. I’ve gone totally mad.”
Sensing Ethan staring at me, I turn my head and look at him before he says, “We all go a little mad sometimes.”
“Norman Bates.Psycho. 1960.”
He hits the steering wheel. “Damnit!”
“Seriously, you are the worst at this game. That was so easy!”
“One day, Red, I’m gonna stump you.”
I smile as I look out the window. “Keep dreaming.”
As we drive, I allow my mind to wander back to the first time I went for a ride with Ethan …
Whenever I check my phone and see a text, my stomach does a little flip.
Red, clear your afternoon. We’ve got a date. Vroom!
I bite my bottom lip, knowing exactly what it means. His driving test was today and must have been successful, and he’s going to make good on his promise to make me his first passenger. Gah!
I reply:
No way! Congrats!
Sitting on the bus, I hold the phone close to me, smiling like a goof, as my street approaches. Not much makes me smile these days, especially since Axel broke my tooth. But as soon asour houses come into view, my heart sinks. Lena’s car is in the driveway. Why is she home so soon?
Hearing the bus pull away behind me, I make my way up the driveway. At the same time that I see Papa come around from the garage, wiping his greasy hands on a dirty towel, the door to Ethan’s house swings open and he comes bounding out. “Alright, Red, you ready to go allThelma and Louise…” He stops mid-sentence when I shake my head at him, eyes wide, and he hears Papa’s voice.
“What are you going on about, you shithead?” Papa says to Ethan, who tucks his hands behind his back to hide his dad’s car keys.
“Um, n—nothing,” he stammers. “Just, uh, asking Ari about her day.”
Papa gives him a look. “Yeah, well, just keep out of my hair today. My car’s been acting up. The good one. I gotta fix it and I don’t want to hear you two making trouble.”
I look down at my feet and murmur, “Yes, sir,” as Ethan gives him a salute then, when Papa spins and starts heading back to the garage, Ethan turns the salute into the middle finger at Papa’s back.
As soon as Papa’s out of sight, I pivot on my heel and make a mad dash for Ethan’s open garage. He gives me wide eyes, then makes dramatics out of silently running in that direction as well.
“Do you have a death wish?” he whispers, sliding into the driver’s seat next to me.
“Shhhh!” I hiss from my position on the floor. “Just drive!”
I see him give a wave to Papa as he backs out of the garage and heads out of the driveway, saying out of the corner of his mouth, “For the record, I think this is a very bad idea.” Ethan turns onto the main road and after a moment looks inthe rearview. “Coast is clear. Now get up here and put your seatbelt on.”
