Free Under My Skin by Laura Diamond Page A

doing stupid things, they won’t be mad.”
    “What happened yesterday wasn’t my fault!” I wave my hand for emphasis.
    “You shouldn’t let Stephanie get to you.” He sounds like Principal Shepherd.
    “You’re just as bad as they are. This is a total double standard.”
    He shifts to a lower gear after cresting a hill. It’s pure ice. I tuck my hands under my thighs. “I don’t know why you’re mad at me. You’re the one who screwed up.”
    “Why didn’t you stick up for me last night? I could’ve used your help then.”
    “There was nothing to stick up for. I warned you at the party and you ignored me.”
    “Wow, thanks for throwing that in my face. And newsflash, Mom and Dad listen to you, not me.”
    “What could I say about you ending up in the Principal’s office?”
    “Forget it.” I cross my arms over my chest.
    The car skids a bit. Daniel taps the brake. “I hope you drop this whole revenge thing.”
    “I said forget it, okay?”
    “Okay. Geez.” He hits the brake a little stronger.
    The slope dips. We speed up, despite Daniel’s shifting to first gear. The Mustang’s back end swings left. Daniel counter-steers into it, but overcorrects. We spin to face a drop off bordered by a guardrail.
    My heart races as my breath catches in my throat. I press my palms against the dashboard. “Daniel!”
    “Shit!” Daniel works the steering wheel some more. The car whips in the opposite direction. We cross the double lines, right in front of a truck climbing the hill. Bright headlights wash us in yellow light.
    We’re going to die. Oh god, oh god, oh god.
    “Hang on.” He yanks the wheel right. The car slides on an angle, but doesn’t entirely return to our lane. I scream, covering my face with my hands.
    Air brakes squeal. Time slows until I can see individual shards of ice falling from the sky and feel the reverberations of my heart pumping blood through my body.
    I suck in a breath.
    In a click of infinity, the clock rushes forward and the truck barrels toward us, lethal and inescapable.
    The truck slams into Daniel’s door. Boom! Glass shatters as metal smacks metal, letting out a screeching cry. I jerk left into my seatbelt then crash into the door. My skull bounces off the window and I bite my tongue.
    Like a hockey puck, the car slides across the road, aimed for the drop off.
    “Daniel!” My voice cracks.
    We smash into the guardrail. The impact launches me forward. The seatbelt holds tight but my head bobs so fast something pops in my neck. Searing pain streaks down my shoulders and arms, leaving my fingers an instant mess of numbness and tingling. Air shoots out of my lungs. Hungry blackness chews at the edges of my vision as an obnoxious blaring stabs my ears.
    I turn my head toward Daniel, wincing at the crunching agony ripping down my spine.
    He’s slumped over the steering wheel. His eyes are closed. Blood streaks down his face. Something glittery peppers his hair. His hands lay limp in his lap. I slide my gaze to the spider web pattern marking the windshield.
    No, it’s not a spider web. The glass is shattered and bits of it sprinkle across the dashboard and, oh my god, it’s glass in his hair, not glitter.
    Warning bells drone in my head. His head must’ve hit the windshield! Wasn’t he wearing his seatbelt? Why isn’t he moving? Is he breathing?
    Tears sear my eyes. “Daniel? Wake up, please. Daniel!”
    I reach out to him. Pain spikes in my neck and swallows me whole until I’m consumed by darkness.

Chapter Seven
     
    Adam
     
     
    The next night, I’m still chewing on Dr. Shaw’s words. I don’t repeat them to Mum or Dad. There’s no point to. My parents are eating out of her hand like tame deer and I don’t have the energy to explain my side of the story.
    Dad tosses our take-out containers in the trash. “I should head out. I have some work to catch up on.”
    Mum rushes to give him a hug and kiss. “Drive carefully. Looks icy out there.” She gestures to