The Row(8)

“Seriously, Riley, something about you is so familiar.” Jordan squints and that sense of dread creeps over me again. My stomach goes shockingly cold after such a fun day. I plead inside my head. Don’t remember me from a newspaper or a picture online somewhere. Not today. Not you. “Are you sure I don’t know you from somewhere?”

“I don’t know.” I stall before continuing as we approach my car. “Maybe you saw me here before. Do you spend most of your Wednesdays with your brother at the mall?”

“We’ve never been here before, actually.” Jordan adjusts the green bin of cars that he has tucked under his arm. I hear several tiny crashes from inside it.

“Like I said, one of those faces.” I shrug and pull my keys out of my pocket.

Matthew runs his monster truck over the hood of my car and then abruptly hugs me. “Thanks, Riley.”

“You’re welcome, Matthew.” I pat his head. When I open the door to climb inside, my car seems oddly emptier than it did this morning.

“You want me to give you two a ride to your car?”

“No, we’re just a few rows over.” Jordan opens his mouth to speak again, but then looks down at my car and frowns. “Uh … does your tire always look like that?”

“I have a flat?” I ask, but it’s more of a statement than a question now that I’ve seen it. The tire is so empty it looks like the only thing holding the car up is the rim.

“Yes, you do.” He follows me to the trunk. When I open it, I see an empty spot where the jack is supposed to go and I groan. I’d lent it to Tony—a guy from my old job—a week before my co-workers had found out and started giving me trouble about Daddy and I’d quit.

My perfect distraction day just took a very wrong turn.

I close my eyes and rest my head against the open trunk lid. I almost let a storm of curses burst out of me. How could I forget about the jack? Why did my tire go flat right now, and out here of all places? Why on the night before Daddy’s hearing?

What am I supposed to do now? Who can I call? Mama is working late and even if I can get her on the phone, I know I’ll have to wait until she finishes up before she’ll be able to come and get me. Why is Mama never around when I need her most?

The last question ricochets through my body like a microscopic bullet. I don’t usually let myself think like that. The thought pierces every cell until there is nothing in me that doesn’t hurt, that doesn’t bleed. This particular question is the one I actively try not to ask … because I’m honestly not sure I can handle it if the truth is that the only parent who really cares about me is on death row awaiting execution.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I turn around and sit on the edge of my open trunk. The still-hot metal heats my legs uncomfortably even through my khaki shorts, but I don’t care anymore. I look up at Jordan.

“It appears that I am seriously lacking in the jack department.”

Jordan grins suddenly. “I believe I can help with that. Stay here, we’ll be right back.”

Before I even get a chance to answer, he picks Matthew up and carries him like a sack over his shoulder. Matthew giggles and then makes an uhh sound as Jordan jogs across the parking lot. With every foot landing, Matthew’s voice gets louder.

“Uhhh UHhhh UHhhh UHhhh UHhhh.”

I watch them, a laugh bursting free from my chest. They climb into a blue Honda and drive over to park next to my car.

When Jordan hops out, Matthew follows him like a little shadow.

Jordan hesitates, but then looks down at him. “You can play right around these two cars or inside my car. Nowhere else, okay?”

Matthew nods and starts running his silver monster truck across Jordan’s bumper.

Jordan walks up to me and extends a hand to pull me up from my spot on the trunk.

“Thank you,” I say quietly, wishing I could’ve ended our meeting as the cool person they just met and not the helpless girl who isn’t even able to take care of her own flat tire.

His hand squeezes mine as soon as I’m up, then he drops it and pops open his trunk. He grabs his own jack and I start freeing the replacement tire from my trunk. Jordan helps me lift it out.

“I’m sure I can do this myself if you need to go.” I try to let Jordan off the hook as I reach out for the jack, but the truth is I have no clue how to change a tire. It isn’t like I have my dad around to teach me, plus then Jordan would be the one without a jack when he someday needs it.

Thankfully, Jordan is already shaking his head. “Let me help. I’d rather not disappoint my folks’ dream of turning Matthew and me into good Southern gentlemens.”

“Lofty goals.”

He shrugs as he pushes the jack into place. “It’s good to have dreams.”

“I suppose.” I can’t find a witty comeback this time. I sit down close to the car, watching Jordan so I’ll be able to take care of this on my own if it ever happens again.

Jordan frowns at my now hopelessly dirty shorts. “You can just sit in your car or go inside the mall while I do this.”

“No way. I’ve never been confused for a good Southern lady, but even I know better than to leave the guy helping me outside on a hot summer evening while I wait in the air-conditioned building.” I look through my bag. “I just wish I had some sweet tea or anything flat I could use to fashion a large fan.”