My leg bounces up and down with nervous excitement as I stare at the clock. It's 3:12. Eight more minutes until I get out of class and get behind the wheel, taking the driver's test for the third time.
Mr. Pollock rambles on with some boring history lecture and I find it particularly hard to concentrate. This time I feel like I'll pass the driving test. I have to. Dan's practically already gone, so I've lost my source of transportation. I'm not going to fail this time.
"Emily? Ms. Smyers?" Mr. Pollock asks me.
"Huh? I'm sorry...what?" I respond stupidly.
"Can you tell us what a common nickname given to the 1920's is?"
"Umm...the Roaring 20's?"
"You're lucky, Ms. Smyers. Please make sure you're paying attention in class." The class's laughter intermixes with the sweet sound of the ringing bell. "Ah, the bell. Have a good rest of your day. Don't forget, read Chapter 13 tonight."
I shove my pencil and book into my backpack and dash out of the room. I make my way to Dan's locker. My eyes scan the halls for a sign of Dan. I finally spot him against the wall, lips attached to Abby's. She holds the collar of his denim jacket (he calls it a jacket, it's really more of a denim button up tank top). They seem busy, so I decide to talk to Jason before I leave for the test.
After I forced myself to understand that Shay and I can't be together, I realized how much I really like Jason. Jason's leaning against a locker talking to Bryan. I put my finger to my lips when I catch Bryan's eye, signaling him to not say anything. I place my hands over Jason's eyes. "Guess who?" I whisper in his ear.
He laughs as he turns around and presses his lips to my own. His strong arms wrap around my waist. I smile into the kiss as I place my hands on his chest. "I'm about to take the driving test for the third and hopefully final time!" I announce.
"That's great! Good luck baby," he says, drawing me back into our previous actions. I kiss his lips twice more.
"I have to go," I say.
"How about a date later?" he asks. "We could grab something to eat after your test."
"That sounds great," I say, pecking his lips between each word. "See you later."
I leave Jason and Bryan and make my way to Dan. He's still kissing Abby. "Umm...Dan?" I ask. He doesn't respond, but he keeps kissing her. "Hello? Dan?" I tap on his back. "DAN!" I exclaim.
"What?" he asks angrily.
"Will you give me a ride to my driving test?" I ask.
"Are you kidding me? Oh my God. Okay, sure Emily, I will." His exasperated tone surprises me, so I decide not to say anything else. "Babe, I will see you later," Dan says, kissing Abby's lips again. She giggles as he walks away.
"I'm sorry, Dan," I say to him. "I wasn't trying to ruin your...moment."
"It's fine."
Dan seems upset again. I want to ask him what's wrong, but I know he won't talk about it. We walk in silence down the long hallway and turn a corner, exiting the school. We end up in the student parking lot. As we're about to make it to Dan's car, Shay Mooney appears out of nowhere.
"Hey," Shay says to Dan.
"Hey," Dan responds. "Where have you been all day?"
Shay hesitates. His black eye looks even worse than before and he's walking with a limp. I wonder what's going on with him. "I...I had a family thing. Sorry," Shay says, not meeting my brother's eyes when he speaks.
"Are you okay?" Dan asks in a whisper.
"Yeah, yeah, sure. I'm fine."
"Do you want to hang out later? You could come over to my new hotel room home and we could watch a movie and eat some pizza..." Dan proposes.
"Umm...yeah, sure. That sounds good," Shay responds.
"I have to drop Em off at her driver's test so I'll be back...home...around 4:15."
"Okay...see you then." Shay quickly walks away, limping. He eyes me as he leaves, but doesn't speak to me.
I can sense the awkwardness of their conversation still lingering in the air. Something is up with Shay and I wish he would talk to my brother. It's really upsetting Dan.
I get into Dan's Mustang and don't talk. I watch as a silent, single tear rolls down his cheek. He must be more upset than I even thought.
~ ~ ~
A/N: What do you guys think? What's up with Shay? Do you like Jason? Let me know your opinions and theories in the comments :)
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My Brother's Best Friend (Shay Mooney)
Fanfiction"In that moment, I see him differently. For some reason this statement changes my opinion of him. He may not be the bad boy I've always assumed he is. I see a different side to him, a side that's more sensitive and more reserved. I see the side of h...
