Page 16 of Shut Up and Drive

“I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, Fina—most of us are. Some are just better at hiding it. Besides, everyone farts. If you don’t laugh about it, you’re missing out on an opportunity to laugh, instead of just having lots of farts in your life and no humor to go with it. I choose to laugh. It makes life more enjoyable.”

She shakes her head and fights a smile tugging at her mouth.

“See? I knew it! You’re just as immature as I am!”

She smacks my arm. “I havetoogrown up. I’m just trying not to laugh at how lame you are, defending your stupid fart video.”

“But you’re not too old to hit me like you used to.”

“Only when you really deserve it.”

“Fighting just like old times,” I say gently. “That’s what we do best, remember?”

“I’m not sure I want to remember.”

I never want to forget, Fina. Ever.

Chapter 6

STICK A FORK IN HIM

Sera: High School

Atypical Friday night in our little town meant dressing to theme for Thane and Bash’s basketball game and yelling until my throat was hoarse. There was no other time in the whole world when standing shoulder to shoulder in a large crowd sounded like a good time, but basketball games were different. I happily crammed like a sardine with my fellow classmates to scream my guts out at sweaty athletes until the final buzzer rang. It gave me joy… and also an excuse to watch the specimen that was Thane Donnelly without looking like a creeper.

The stands cleared as we ran onto the floor, jumping and hugging to celebrate our championship win. Life. Was. Perfect. Bash came to wipe his sweat all over me—as big brothers do—but my eyes were on Thane. He carried himself with the confidence of a man but smiled like a little boy who had just found the perfect stick on an adventure. My heart stuttered at the sight of him: sweaty hair dripping in his eyes,chest still heaving from the adrenaline rush of making the winning shot. A swarm of our classmates fought for the turn to congratulate him, and I watched in slow motion as he took selfies with his many admirers. I hated that he made my stomach fill with butterflies, because I didn’t want to be anything like all the other girls in school who loved him. He was Mr. Popular, and I… was not the female counterpart of that.

The only reason I was in an adjacent social circle with him was because I was Sebastian Spencer’s kid sister. I hated the precedence that came along with that, but the VIP perks weren’t bad. Then again, it was hard to make friends, because most girls just wanted to come hang out at my house so they could gawk at Bash and Thane by the pool or out on the court. I learned pretty quickly which girls liked me for me, and which ones were motivated by the attractiveness of my older brother. There was only one I trusted completely, and that’s because she and I had been friends since first grade, and we gagged about stinky Bash and Thane together. That girl was Ruby. She was my ride-or-die, and the only one who knew how I really felt about my hot next-door neighbor.

I walked out to my car with Ruby and a cackle of acquaintances—ten conversations going simultaneously. My face hurt from smiling, but I couldn’t stop.

“Hey,” I said, slipping my arms into my coat and shrugging it on, “are you coming over to my house for the afterparty?”

Ruby shook her head. “Can’t. It’s my turn to babysit Grandma. My parents are out on a date, and my sister stayed home just long enough to come to the game. I alreadyowe her big time. If I’m late, she’ll kill me, and Grandma will probably get lost in the yard again.”

I sighed. I hated being at those parties alone. Thirty of the most popular of our classmates would be invited to a pool party after whatever sport was playing on Friday nights. In the warm weather, it was the swimming pool; in the cold, it was billiards in the basement. It usually ended up closer to fifty kids before the night ended, and I felt like a stranger in my own house. No, more like a ghost. No one even noticed I was there. I just floated from room to room, looking for a place to exist, but eventually settled in my favorite chaise by the window in my room with a good book.

“Okay. Well, you got to come to the game at least. Thanks for coming with me,” I said as we parted ways and headed to our own cars.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Of course! Pedicures at eleven!”

She gave me an excited squeal and ducked into her car.

I slammed my own door and sat in the cold, my breath fogging up the windshield within seconds. I turned on the ignition and shivered until my old car warmed up before making the trek to my house. My favorite spot in my room beckoned to me the whole drive, and my thoughts ran so far ahead of me, they reached home before I did.

I glanced at the clock on the stove as I darted through the kitchen and scurried up the stairs before my house filled with people. I slipped into my baggy flannel pants, oversized T-shirt, and wool socks, switched my contacts for glasses, and pulled my hair into a messy bun. Then, to finish my complete transformation into a really bad “before photo,” I brushed my teeth and clicked in my retainer.

I jogged down the hallway toward my room, and just as I reached my door, a voice stopped me.

“Sera, what are you doing? Everyone is going to be here in, like, twenty minutes and you haven’t done the dishes.”

I turned toward Bash and pushed my glasses up on my nose. “What dishes?” I asked.

“Did you not see Mom’s note on the kitchen counter? She asked you to do dishes when you got home. Her and Dad are at the Donnellys’ house playing games.”

I imagined half of the cool kids at school seeing me all nerded-up, and my chest tightened.