Lying Out Loud(22)

“What? No. She’s always like that,” I lied.

“She is?” Ryder looked skeptical. “That didn’t seem like the Amy I know.”

“You don’t know her as well as you think.”

“Hmm.”

“Come on,” I said, eager to change the subject. “We should get to class, too.”

Ryder nodded and he fell into step with me as we headed for Mr. Buckley’s classroom. Despite my failed attempt before, I tried to start a conversation with him again. I skipped the small talk, though, and went straight for the big guns.

“So how’s your dad’s campaign going?”

Ryder shrugged. “No idea. Why?”

“I’m just curious. Tuesday is election day, and I know he’s running for reelection.” But since Senator Cross didn’t represent our region, I realized that might have been a wee bit strange, so I added, “Amy told me.”

“My dad and I aren’t exactly speaking right now. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. I know his campaign is kind of a big deal. I just thought you might be going to DC to help him with it.”

“I’m sure you and everyone else in this school would love that,” he said as we entered the classroom and took our seats.

“No,” I said quickly. “That’s not what I meant. I was just wondering.”

“Well, to answer your question, no. I don’t particularly want him to win, so …”

“That’s pretty harsh,” I said, surprised. I knew what his dad had done, but I’d also done some research on Senator Cross. He was, without question, a shitty husband, but by all accounts, he was a good politician. He’d been the champion of several progressive bills over the past few years, and he seemed to be doing a lot to help the poor and middle class in Maryland.

Hot supermodel mistress aside, I would’ve voted for the guy.

“Nothing he doesn’t deserve,” Ryder said.

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, not when I technically wasn’t supposed to know the details of the falling-out with his dad. I was saved the trouble, however, when the bell rang and class was underway.

An hour and a half later, I caught up with Amy as she left her first block class.

“If it isn’t Late Amy,” I teased. “You still bloated? Also, wow, that sounds like a pregnancy joke.”

“Ugh.” She groaned. “I didn’t know what to say. That was so awful.”

“No, it wasn’t,” I told her. We were weaving our way through the crowded hallway. For a school that barely had four hundred students, Hamilton High could get surprisingly congested. “Actually, you were perfect. Just do that every time you see Ryder, and he’ll be over you in no time.”

“But I don’t want to do that,” Amy said. “It was so awkward.”

“It was supposed to be.” I looped my arm through hers. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. Just a few more encounters with weird, flaky Amy and this thing will all be done.”

Amy looked like she was about to protest, but then I realized something.

“Crap. I left my toothbrush in your bathroom this morning. You don’t think your parents will go in there, right? And notice?”

“Notice your toothbrush?” Amy shook her head. “I doubt it. They have no reason to go in there. They have their own bathroom.”

“Good,” I said, relieved, as we slid into our seats in Mrs. Perkins’s English class. “I’ve been getting sloppy lately. I left my shoes on the mat the other night, and two days ago I forgot to lock the front door on my way out.”

“Well,” Amy said, pulling out her textbook, “they haven’t said anything to me about any of those things.”

“Yeah. I know. I’m just paranoid.”

“If you’re really that worried about it, we could just tell them,” she suggested. “They won’t care that you’re staying, Sonny. I’ve told you. If you just tell them you were kicked out —”

I shook my head. “No. It’ll be too complicated. They’ll want to talk to my mom and … just no. It’s better if we keep things the way they are.”

Amy sighed. “Okay,” she said. “I still don’t see what the problem is, but it’s your choice. A few weeks ago I would’ve said there’s no way we could keep it from my parents for this long, but clearly that’s not the case.”

“I am a magnificent sneak,” I said. “The Russians should hire me as a spy. In fact, for all you know, maybe they already have.”

“You just told me like three things that could’ve given you away,” Amy pointed out.

“But they didn’t!” I declared.

Amy shook her head, giggling.

“I should stop worrying about it, though,” I said as Mrs. Perkins entered the room and began scribbling instructions on the whiteboard. “Your parents figuring things out, I mean. It’s been a few weeks. If they were going to find out I was living with you, they would have by now. I’m probably in the clear.”





“We know Sonny’s been living here.”

So maybe I’d spoken too soon.