“Right. My text will say I was feeling sick and I got my mother to pick me up.”

“And?” This part was important.

“I’ll mention that I didn’t want to interrupt you two because it looked like you were having a good time.”

I snapped my fingers. “Perfect.”

It was plausible. Didn’t put Kiera in a position where she felt she had to leave for Jameer’s sake, and didn’t get into a creepy setup vibe because we were still in a loud public place. We could talk about Purity Pledge, sure, but that wouldn’t take all night. Who knew what direction things took after that?

“How are you getting home, by the way?” I asked.

Jameer said, “A friend.”

I didn’t know Jameer had other friends besides me and Kiera. But, okay. If he was good, I was good. Until . . .

We reached his house, and I thought about his doorless, mirrorless room.

I came close to asking more about it. Probing to make sure he was, indeed, good.

We were in such a solid place with the Kiera plan, though. Best not to spoil the vibe. I dropped him off, went home, and fell into my first good night of sleep that week.

In the morning, sunlight peeked around the edges of my closed blinds, waking me moments before my alarm would’ve went off. I didn’t mind. Tonight was the night, me and Kiera. Wonder if I could convince her to take an after-dinner drive with me. I opened my blinds to look at this new day full of all the possibility in the world and found my driveway parking spot empty.

My car was gone.

“Mom!” I shot down the stairs barefoot, tugging a sweatshirt over my head, holding car keys that would do me absolutely no good. “Dad!”

Groggy at the top of the stairs, pulling the flaps of her robe closed, Mom said, “Del, what on earth?”

Dad, in a T-shirt and boxers, pressed up to Mom’s back. “Junior?”

“Call the cops,” I said, working my foot into my other shoe, “someone stole my car.”

I reached for the knob, unsure what I planned to do when I got outside. Check the driveway for skid marks, fibers, and DNA?

Dad trotted down the stairs, grabbing my arm before I jetted into the cold morning. “Calm down, son. No one stole the car.”

“What do you mean? I parked it last night and it’s missing. Look.”

Mom descended the stairs, groaning, massaging the small of her back. She removed her cell from her robe pocket, tapped the screen. “I’m texting Cressie now.”

“Why are you texting Cressie? What’s she got to do with—”

No. No. Nonononononono.

Dad said, “She came home late last night. You were knocked out, so we didn’t bother to wake you.”

“But you let her take my car?”

Mom huffed. “That car’s for both of you. Last time I checked, you weren’t exactly honoring your part of our driving agreement.”

“Where is she now?”