The Thrashers(31)

Julian reached for the volume knob and blasted the music as they squealed away from the Denny’s parking lot, ending the conversation.

Two minutes later, they pulled into the long line of cars queueing for the ticket booth, and when the car in front of him didn’t pull up, Julian smacked his hand down on the horn.

“Was that necessary?” she said, leaning her elbow out the open window.

He glared straight ahead and then clicked the button to roll up her window. She jerked her arm back inside.

When they pulled up to the ticket booth, a pimply guy a few years older than them passed a cursory glance into the window and said, “Two?”

“Yep.” Julian popped the p. “Stephen King double feature.”

Jodi groaned. Zack said she’d hate it, and he was right.

“Starts in a few minutes. Lot 3.” He glanced over at Jodi as he printed the receipt. “Date night?”

Her lip curled. Julian said, “You betcha.”

“Have fun.” He handed over the receipt.

“Doubt it. She’s a virgin.” His grin spread across his face, and the truck squealed forward, heading for Lot 3.

Jodi crossed her arms, a blush crawling up her neck. “You don’t know that,” she bit out.

“I know that.”

“You don’t. I haven’t talked to anyone for two weeks. I could be having tons of sex. Skipping class, doing it in the parking lot, in the art supply room—”

“You’re not.”

He slowed for the rocky, unpaved road of the lot, and she chanced a look at him. The corner of his mouth was curled upward. He drove to the front row and flipped around to shine his brights at every car that had gotten there early, pulling in so the truck bed faced the screen.

“You’re an asshole. This is inconspicuous?”

He ignored her, finally turning off his lights after a lot of honking, and tuned the dial to the movie audio. Jodi slid out of the truck, throwing apologetic looks to the cars around them. Julian was sticking out a lot. Paige, Zack, and Lucy were tossing the tarp off themselves and laughing about the ride. Jealousy coursed through her, but she buried it as she grabbed the sleeping bag and blankets tucked behind the passenger seat.

“Are there any fries left?”

“Yeah, but they’re soggy.” Paige handed the box over and pulled out a Stanley cup that probably held forty ounces of vodka. Lucy grabbed her pack of glass Coke bottles from the front and started mixing the vodka into them for her and Paige.

Jodi took a handful of limp fries and climbed into the bed of the truck. She hated scary movies, but what she hated even more was being vulnerable while watching them. Tucking herself into the center of the truck, she leaned back on the rear window and grabbed a blanket as the music for It started. Paige slid up next to her, and Lucy and Julian left for the bathroom and concession stall, respectively. Zack lit up Julian’s pipe.

“What’s the second one?” she asked Paige.

“It Chapter Two.”

“Fuck.”

Paige laughed and wrapped an arm around her. There was a child talking to a sewer grate by the time Lucy got back. She jumped up into the truck with a graceful twirl and leaned back on Paige’s thighs.

“What did you end up changing fourth period to, Jo?” Lucy asked.

“I stuck with drama.”

“Really?” Paige turned to her sharply. “Is it fun?”

“Well, I chose to be on crew. So I’m not gonna be playing Juliet or anything.”

“You should! Damn it, I wanted to take that class,” Paige whined. “Fucking Tunisia.”

Jodi laughed. “Is that your Model UN nation?”

Paige nodded and finished the end of the fries. Zack was fully invested in the movie, watching with a slack jaw as the three of them chatted. Julian returned with only a Diet Coke for him to pour the contents of his flask into.

“So kind of you to offer to grab us something, Julian,” Paige said pointedly. “I would have loved some nachos, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Paige,” Julian said, hopping up on the truck bed. He sprawled out longways, stretching his legs over the girls’ and leaning back on the side of the truck.

Jodi started a game on her phone to keep her eyes from watching the screen. Lucy and Paige passed the vodka back and forth, while Zack smoked and Julian drank. It was nice to just all be in the same place again. She might not be able to watch the screen, but she would much rather hear Paige complain about AP Calculus and Julian do impressions of the teachers. She’d missed this.

Paige leaned into her after twenty minutes of a terrifying soundtrack and whispered, “I can stop drinking after the first movie if you don’t want to drive my car home.”

“No, I’m good. But can we walk back to Denny’s if Julian is being a dick about it?”

Paige nodded, but Julian spoke up with his eyes on the screen. “I will let you drive the truck to Denny’s if it means you’ll shut up and let me watch the movie.”

“And we’ll sit down and order something to sober you up?” Jodi raised a brow at him.

“Sure.” He wrapped his lips around the straw.

“I can’t wait that long,” Zack said, turning to them with clouded eyes. “Anyone want snacks?”