She linked her arm in mine. “That’s okay. It seems like, whatever it is, it was just what you needed today.”

I nodded, slipping the card in my pocket. It was like having Bill right there with me. And a reminder that today I was going to knock ’em dead.

Iris The Full Moon

I am in Merit McDonald’s car, I wanted to text everyone. But the hope that people would actually see me get out of his car in the parking lot was even cooler. That would say more than any text ever could and would deliver the kind of wow factor that would leave people talking about my potential maybe “thing” with Merit instead of my imprisoned father. So, that would be a nice change of pace.

Wordlessly, Merit handed me a phone. Then he handed Emma twenty bucks. “Is this it?” I gasped.

“Must be,” Emma said. “Because Merit only gives me twenty bucks when he wants me to keep quiet.”

“What about beach house rules?” I said, trying to swallow my nerves. “Wouldn’t this fall under what happens in the beach house stays in the beach house?”

“Nope. Because what happens in the school parking lot, I’m going to tell Mom.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Merit said, “Your bright, shiny new burner phone.”

Guilt pulsed through me. I didn’t want to lie to my mom. Plus, I thought of myself as a good person. But I wasn’t really lying to my mom. No. I was lying to Alice. And, while I liked Alice, I didn’t really owe her anything. Right? Although, I mean, yeah, she was currently keeping us from being homeless. No way around it: I sucked.

“Wow,” I said, trying to seem thrilled and grateful. Merit didn’t have to know how nerdy my thoughts were. “I don’t know what to say. But I need to pay you back for this.”

“Nah,” he said. “It’s not fancy. But it can handle your apps. Basic texting. Obviously, you’ll have to give your friends your number. But if I were you, I’d be careful who you give it to. You don’t want to give it to someone who’s just going to get mad at you and tell their mom or something.”

“Did you ever think that maybe it’s kind of sad that you guys can’t be without your phones for, like, two hours?” Emma interjected.

“Maybe if you had a social life, you’d understand,” Merit shot back.

Kind of mean. I glanced over my shoulder at Emma, who rolled her eyes. “Yes, Merit. You are God. How could your subjects exist on a planet where they didn’t have access to you for a few hours after football? The world would surely end.”