Free Under the Bridge by Michael Harmon Page B

you?”
    Silence.
    “You are, aren’t you?”
    He grunted. “Will asked me to mule some stuff for him, and I did. So what?”
    I clenched my teeth. “Why?”
    Indy dug in his pocket and fished out a hundred-dollar bill. He held it up, sneering at me. “That’s why,” he said.
    “So you’re going to be a drug dealer.”
    “Call it whatever you want, but I’m making money.”
    “Come on, Indy,” I said, trying to reason with him. “So you don’t like school. Big deal. What about your writing? What about skating? You know you could be pro one day, and the Invitational coming up could do it for you. They’re offering sponsors if you win.”
    He looked at me for a moment, then smiled. “First of all, nobody gives a crap about my writing, and second”—he eyedme—“I can tell you’ve been jonesing to do the Invitational ever since we heard about it, and you could be the one to win. Not me.”
    “Don’t do this.”
    He smiled, and something in his eyes, some kind of painful spite, swirled around like water going down a drain. “It’s already done.”
    “What about Cutter? He’s dead, Indy. And he’s dead because of the crap you’re muling now. That doesn’t matter to you? We all had a deal. No more.”
    He looked at me. “You know what, Tate? I don’t blame him for shooting up. This world sucks, and as far as I’m concerned, anything that makes it better is good.” Then he left. I watched him walk back toward Angie and Will. There was nothing I could do, but I felt like I had to do something. I just didn’t know what.
    I went back to Sid and Piper, hopping up on the wall.
    Piper looked over his shoulder, toward the park. “Bad news?”
    “He’s staying with Will.”
    Sid shrugged. “Looks like a parting of the ways.”
    “Shut up, Sid. This is serious.”
    Sid smirked. “Dude, Tate, calm down for once. Take a toke or something.”
    I clenched my teeth. “Sometimes you say just about the worst possible thing you could ever say.”
    Sid shrugged again. “Just saying. And by the way, I’m not smoking, but you’re like a firecracker ready to explode. That’s all. And it’s not your fault that Indy is flaking off.”
    I faced him. “We’re a crew. We take care of our own.”
    He looked away. “Listen, Tate, the only one around here who doesn’t want to be part of the crew isn’t here. It’s his choice.”
    I clenched my teeth again. “Yeah, and remember those two guys in the park who gave you a hassle last summer? They had you down when I got there, Sid. Remember that? Remember who saved your ass a beating?” I stared, ice running through my veins. “Yeah. Me. That’s no sweat, though, huh? You just take what you can get, right?” I shook my head. “Stick it up your ass, Sid. You’re a dick.” I stared at him. “He’s part of the crew and he’s in trouble. Just like Cutter was, and just like you’ve been. And if you don’t get that, then maybe you should fuck off.”
    Sid was rock-steady, blunt and indifferent as usual. “He’s making the choice, Tate. And maybe I will go fuck off, because I think you’re being the dick.”
    Piper took a breath, cutting in. “You
are
on the edge, Tate. Like
dangerous
on the edge.”
    I kept my eyes on Sid. “No, I’m not.”
    Piper went on. “I know what you’re thinking right now. That’s on the edge.”
    My chest tightened. I felt like the whole world was against me. “Oh yeah? Then tell me what I’m thinking.”
    He swallowed. “You’re thinking about beating the crap out of Sid, who you’ve known since you were six years old. That’s not right, Tate. Not right at all.”
    I stared off in the direction Indy went, realizing Piper wasright and I did feel like everything was out of control. I looked at Sid. “I’m sorry.”
    Sid nodded. “No sweat, Tate. You know how I feel about Indy. I’m just saying we all have choices.”
    I sighed. “Listen, I’m heading home. And I’m sorry. I’ve just got to get my head