Free One and Done (Two Outta Three #2) by S. Briones Lim

courage and headed toward the school. I knew it was stupid, but I was Jesse Tyler after all.
     
    ***
     
    Okay, I take that back. I was stupid. A downright unintelligible amoeba. Why did I have to follow Rocky to that dumb school? Why?
    Sure, things started off well at first. We joked, we laughed, and I could almost see the look of contentment in Rocky’s eyes, and God, did her eyes look especially beautiful under the field lights. I was lost in her chocolate browns and entranced by the gold ring surrounding them. Feeling an indescribable need to remember her eyes forever, I did what any other kid my age would do; I grabbed her camera, marking the event with a selfie.
    Despite the smile on my face, I’d felt a horrible tugging in my gut. We’d be separated soon enough. It would only be a matter of months until she moved away to college. She deserved it, of course. She needed to have all her dreams come true, but I didn’t want to let her go. That’s why I promised her that if we ever left town, we’d leave together…
    Yeah…It sounds like romantic shit, but yet another one of my brash decisions fucked everything up.
    “You had to leave her alone on the field, didn’t you? Then you had to take the blame for everything.”
    Like an idiot, I made the valiant decision to steal my portrait back from the art teacher that swiped it from her. Again, it was a romantic idea, but with a horrible, horrible, result. Not only was she found loitering on the football field, but she was found with my flask! I couldn’t let her to take the fall for me. Never once and never will.
    “And now you’re expelled and moving to Charleston. Perfect,” I grunted to myself. I exhaled deeply, running through the empty streets. My shoes thumped against the slick asphalt, but falling wasn’t a worry of mine. I needed to get to Rocky’s house quick. I hoped to God her parents hadn’t barricaded her inside, especially since they’d looked ready to kill me in Mr. Elliott’s office. I couldn’t really blame them.
    It was my liquor.
    It was my fault Rocky was outside waiting for me.
    Everything was my fault—I shouldn’t have even been there in the first place!
    “Forget about it, Jess. Just focus on getting to her. You need to tell her you’re leaving. It needs to come from you.”
    I skidded to a stop once I reached the Rossis’ driveway. It was as if a giant force field pushed back against me, freezing each limb until I clammed up, unable to move. Mr. Rossi stood in front, trembling with rage.
    “Mr. Rossi—”
    “What are you doing here?” He cut me off, breathing heavily. His big belly rose and fell, betraying his staggered breaths.
    “I want—need—to see Rocky.”
    One step after the other, he bounded toward me, shaking his fist in the air. Surprisingly, his voice was eerily calm. “Leave. Now.”
    “I need to talk to her,” I pleaded. I glanced up at her window, desperate to see her face one last time.
    “Leave!” he shouted.
    “But—”
    Without another word, he turned toward his front door and quietly stalked away.
    Surprised he didn’t pick me up and throw me toward the street. I scratched my head, staring at his retreating figure, thankful for my dumb luck. Yet I knew better than to stand out there for long. Mr. Rossi was up to something. I just didn’t know what.
    Quickly, I ran toward the front lawn, listening to the grass crunch as I positioned myself under Rocky’s bedroom window.
    “Rocky! Rocky! Open up!”
    There was a slight rustling amid the baby blue curtains before a makeup-streaked face peered between the cloth. “Jesse! What are you doing here? If my parents see you here, they’ll kill you!”
    How was I supposed to tell the one person I cared about that I may never see her again? Feeling my soul crumble, I cried out, “They’re making me leave, Rocky.”
    “What?” Her face was one of fear-stricken panic. “Who?”
    “My parents. My dad.” I gulped, fighting back a feeling of hysteria