Free Razor's Edge by Nikki Tate

school?”
    â€œThought you’d never ask.”
    In the truck, Sassy slides across the seat and glues herself to my side. She keeps squirming against me until I put my arm around her. “That’s better. So, where was Jasper this morning?”
    I don’t answer at first. “He left early.”
    â€œAfter he beat you up?”
    â€œHe didn’t mean to—” I am about to say he didn’t mean to cause the fight, but Sassy jumps in before I can finish.
    â€œHe’s an Indi an—v iol ent and unpredictable.”
    I don’t bother challenging her on that. She has said a lot of mean things about Jasper, but until just now, she hasn’t mentioned anything about violence. I doubt she’d believe that he was the one who walked away, even though he thought I was accusing him of being the thief. And, apparently, I don’t need to feel bad about that. That razor blade and the hair in his bag don’t look good. My pulse speeds up. Stupid Jasper. What is he thinking? If he needs money for some reason, he should have asked. Not that I have any to give him, but I’m sure Ryan and I could have come up with some kind of plan. Some way to help.
    â€œSo I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Sassy says.
    It sinks in that Sassy has been talking while I’ve been thinking about Jasper.
    â€œSorry. Do about what?”
    She sighs. “You don’t really care, do you?”
    â€œI have a lot on my mind. I do care. What did you ask me?”
    â€œAbout a car.”
    I really feel like an idiot now. A car? “A car for you? Did you say you wanted to buy a car?”
    Sassy jabs me in the ribs. “If you’d been paying attention…”
    â€œSorry. Tell me.”
    â€œYes, I want to buy a car. Not for me. For my mom. She lost her job, and her old car died, and it will cost more to fix it than to get another one, but she hasn’t got any money, and my—” Sassy catches herself and stops. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. It’s not your problem.” She rests her head against my chest. My fingers stroke her hair.
    â€œMaybe I can think of something,” I say.
    She sniffles and snuggles against me. When we pull into the parking lot at school, she reaches up and strokes my chest. “Thank you,” she whispers. “I knew you’d help me.”
    I don’t know what to say. I have no clue how to help her. Every penny I make at the feed store goes to the horses. I have a few hundred bucks in the bank, but that’s for gas and truck insurance and horse bills. Besides, it isn’t enough to buy a car. Why did I say I’d try to think of something?
    Sassy’s breath is warm and soft on my neck. She presses a gentle kiss against my throat and then another a little higher up. Her fingertips brush the bruises on my cheek so softly I barely feel her
touch. Another kiss and another and then her lips find mine. By the time I finally pull free, my truck windows are completely fogged up.
    â€œI’m going to be so late for English,” I say, checking my watch.
    She just laughs. “See you later,” she says when I sprint away across the parking lot. I look over my shoulder to see if she’s following me, but she’s moving off down the sidewalk away from school. Maybe she has a spare first thing. I don’t have a whole lot of time to think about where she’s going, because I have to sign myself into the late book in the office, dash past my locker to grab my books and then slide into my desk at the back of the classroom. Mr. Ormand glares at me over his reading glasses and then starts talking again. Whatever he’s saying is completely lost on me. By the time the bell goes I realize I’ve filled half a page with doodles and thought about nothing other than Sassy Calloway, and how I’m going to help her buy a car for her mother.

chapter eleven
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