Free Something Like Spring by Jay Bell Page A

said. “Mrs. Hubbard—Mom—was upset during the whole drive there. Couldn’t stop talking about it.”
    “Yeah, I know,” Jason said. “She gave me an earful before you guys left.”
    “Then why didn’t you go? Unless you’re playing the redeemed sinner.”
    “Redeemed sinner?”
    “Yeah. If you’re good your whole life, nobody cares. You never get credit for it because that’s who you’ve always been. But if you’re bad and then later realize the error of your ways—” Peter made bunny rabbits with his fingers to surround this with quotation marks. “—then everyone makes a big deal out of how hard you’ve worked to change. I refused to wear these stupid clothes for the first few weeks here, and then showed up at the breakfast table one morning in a starchy white dress shirt. Mrs. Hubbard almost cried.”
    Holy shit! What a calculating little bastard! “I’m not playing any games,” Jason said. “I didn’t go because I didn’t want to.”
    They walked in silence for a block. Peter kept glancing over at him, as if trying to read his mind. Jason tried to clear his thoughts, just in case he could.
    “You’re not staying, are you?”
    “Probably not,” Jason said, mostly in the hopes that the subject would be dropped.
    “Too bad,” Peter said, but his expression held a hint of satisfaction. “I’m surprised. I mean, I switched foster families too. There were a few I wouldn’t have wanted to be adopted by, and I made sure they didn’t want me. But the Hubbards… If a rich family doesn’t do it for you, then what are you looking for?”
    “The impossible,” Jason said.
    Peter rolled his eyes. “You should at least milk it while you’re here. You have a birthday coming up, right? Ask for something cool like a PlayStation. When you get booted out, there’s no way they can ask for it back.”
    “I’ve always wanted a dog,” Jason admitted.
    “A dog? They won’t let you take that back to the group home. No, you’re better off asking for electronics. Maybe a laptop. Some are good for gaming, you know?”
    Jason felt more at ease with Peter talking video games and kept him on that subject until they parted ways. His day went pretty much as it had on Friday, right up to the moment between fifth and sixth period when a familiar face showed up at his locker.
    “Again,” Caesar said. “What do you have against my car?”
    “Peter wanted to walk with me,” Jason said. “Besides, it was wait around or be late.”
    “I’m never late. That’s why I have a fast car. I just need extra time for all of this.” Caesar gestured at himself. “Such perfection doesn’t come naturally.”
    But Jason had seen him with bedhead and knew that it did. “I might let you give me a ride home again.”
    “Actually, a couple of us were thinking about knocking some colorful balls around after school.”
    “Pool?” Jason guessed.
    “Nah, we’re not that cool. Minigolf. Wanna tag along?”
    “Yeah, okay.”
    Just like the previous school day, Jason had a whole class period to be nervous, mostly because he didn’t know Caesar’s friends, but even if they were heading out solo, he still probably would have had the jitters. This time when he walked to the parking lot, not as many people had gathered yet. Steph was there, side-by-side with Caesar as they leaned against his car. The guy with the shaved head was also present. Jason got a proper introduction. His name was Kurt, and the handshake he offered was painfully firm. Jason noticed his solid build, which along with the skinhead vibe, made him intimidating. They were soon joined by two other girls who couldn’t stop giggling. They all piled into two separate cars, the giggling girls and Kurt in one, Jason and Steph riding along with Caesar.
    Steph sat up front, of course, allowing Jason to observe them as they talked. Occasionally she turned to include him in the conversation, but Jason mostly just wore a blank expression like he couldn’t hear