Free Emily For Real by Sylvia Gunnery Page B

it’ll be out of fuel and that’ll piss him off even more.”
    â€œHe’ll know you did this.”
    â€œWho cares?”
    â€œWhat if someone comes along and sees the truck running and takes it?”
    â€œEveryone on this road knows the truck’s Dad’s. They wouldn’t touch it. Come on. Let’s get going.”
    What choice do I have?

Seven
    It didn’t take us long to get back to the city. I was tired and cold and extremely worried about how Leo abandoned his father’s truck like that. It’s going to mean big trouble. And not just for Leo, either.
    Saturday night and all I want is to stay in my room alone. Mom and Dad are watching a movie, which in other circumstances I might watch with them, but no way could I concentrate on a movie tonight.
    Leo’s father’s bound to find his truck and know who took it and the exact reason why. I picture his father being an older version of Leo. Maybe even bigger. When Leo says his father’s an idiot, it might just be another way of saying the man has anger issues. The same ones Leo inherited.
    And Caroline’s so little and so sweet. I remember how Leo said, “Ping-Pong anyone?” when Jane told him that Caroline would live sometimes with her dad and sometimes with Jane. Now I have this ominous feeling that what Leo did today is somehow going to make things a lot worse for Caroline. Maybe his father will try to keep Leo from visiting her. Can he legally do that?
    This is when I suddenly think of Aunt Em. I won’t call her tonight because it’s ten-thirty, and calling now would make this situation more into an emergency when I really want to tone everything down. But tomorrow I’ll call and find out from her exactly what could happen to Leo police-wise and court-wise. And what could potentially happen to me.
    I can’t sleep.
    Even after reading almost three chapters of this book, which I can’t remember anything about, I’m not the least bit sleepy. Mom went to bed at least two hours ago and Dad went not long after that. I go to the washroom very quietly. There’s no light showing under their bedroom door, which means they’re probably asleep.
    I look out my bedroom window and wonder whether Leo’s father found his truck yet.
    It’s 1:20.
    Even though I know it’s not necessarily a good idea, considering what happened last week, I decide to go out again. It’s cold, but not freezing cold. I wear my scarf and mittens anyway.
    I close our front door and stand for a minute facing the street, almost thinking I should just turn around and go right back inside. It’s crazy to go for a walk when everyone else is in bed sleeping. I know it’s crazy. And it probably isn’t safe. Why would I keep doing something that probably isn’t safe?
    For sure I’m not going the way I went last time. The more traffic, the more likely there’s losers around, so I keep to quiet streets.
    I should be afraid. But it’s all how you look at it. If this was two o’clock in the afternoon, I’d be walking anywhere I wanted and who’d care? And people feel safe on their own streets. Just take that to the extreme and all neighborhoods must be safe because there’s people in every neighborhood who aren’t afraid to be there because that’s where they live. So that means I don’t have to be afraid, no matter what street I’m walking on.
    It’s a darkness-and-shadows night. Quiet. I actually like this. Being away from everybody and just walking by myself. I don’t even have to think about anything if I don’t want to. I’m here. I’m me. That’s it.
    When I decide to go back home, I’m just walking at my normal pace. I’m not afraid because what’s there to be afraid of, anyway.
    ***
    Leo’s ahead of me. I’m hurrying a bit so I can tell him what I need to tell him.
    Some guys are razzing a girl