ASHER PULLED INTO a 7-Eleven parking lot on the way home, and we sat in the Jag while it idled, neither of us speaking.

“What are you thinking?” I said after too many long minutes of silence. For once, I couldn’t seem to decipher his thoughts.

“I’m thinking about how the hell we’re going to make this happen. I’m trying to come up with some way to encourage Mom and Dad to take you back because if we fail, you’ll either be quitting school or letting some random guy you meet on the internet fuck you for money, and I’m not okay with that.”

“You know I wouldn’t actually do that, right?”

“No, I don’t know. Because I know how important school is to both of us, and I know you’re about to lose everything. Desperate people do desperate things. Case in point, look at us.”

“So what now?”

Asher breathed audibly, his face contorting as he stared out the windshield at nothing in particular. “We do what Jay said to do. We practice so we don’t fuck it up tomorrow. I’d give anything to make that Lewis prick eat his words.”

“Okay.”

“But where? How? We can’t go to Aaron’s house, and Mom and Dad are home tonight.”

“Sneak me in. They never barge into our rooms. Hell, they never grace the west wing at all. It’s our sanctuary. Or it was. I guess it’s all yours now. You’ve done it with plenty of girls. Just pretend I’m another fling.” I heard myself and made a face. “Okay, that sounded bad, especially with what we need to practice.”

“All right, fine. I’ll take us to the house. You stay hidden until I ensure the coast is clear. I’ll get you upstairs, and we’ll lock the door and crank some music. That way they won’t hear you either.”

“Okay. Perfect.”

Asher wet his lips and kept staring out the window. It was another minute before he nodded, blinked out of his thoughts, and put the car in gear. We drove in silence. I did all I could not to squirm. To keep busy, I studied the character breakdown sheet Jay had given us. Apparently, I was Elliot.

I read.

Elliot:

• Nerdy twin
• Book smart
• Shy
• Always lives in Ender’s shadow
• Nervous virgin

“What the hell?”

“What?” Asher focused on the road ahead.

“I have to be a nervous virgin. I am not nervous virgin material. My virginity has been gone since senior year of high school, thank you very much. Tray Regan is the proud owner of my virginity. I gave it to him fair and square in this car. Right back there on a Tuesday night when I told Mom and Dad I was going out to study with some guys from school.” I thumbed over my shoulder, pride swelling my chest.