Damn Good Reasons **DISCONTINUED - SEE NEW VER!**

Chapter 16 - Secret of Success

It was the perfect spot. I was standing outside Lewiston High School, looking in at the main hall where music from a live band was pouring out of every crack and window. Saxophones, stand-up bass and guitar were covering Rock Around the Clock, and I could see teens inside, bopping the night away in their suits and poodle skirts. It looked like a school dance – everyone was inside having fun, and nobody was in the parking lot out front.

I had to hurry. There was no time to think. I walked through the gates and straight up to the one that I had picked out from the roadside. It was a '38 Ford Coupe - I knew that because I once had a boyfriend who had one just the same but his was dark blue. This one was gleaming red with whitewalls, a split windshield and an ass to die for. Quite frankly, it was the hottest thing in the parking lot. I couldn't wait to see the look on Vince's face when I rolled up in this beauty.

It was on the left-edge of the lot, three rows from the front, and I was not in the direct line of sight of the people in the hall. I whipped my tension wrench and pick from my back pocket and poked them both into the keyhole.

Adrenaline surged through my system. It was pouring through me so thick I could taste it. It made my head so clear and focused that I picked the lock in under five seconds flat. I opened the door and slid into the incredibly comfortable leather interior before sticking my tools into the ignition. After another few seconds, my tension wrench turned all the way and the red beast purred. Excitement leaped up within me, and my grin was wide.

And then I put my foot on the gas.

It was just a touch, and the V8 spat out a roar as loud as a hot rod on a drag strip. Any coolness I'd had about me evaporated as quick as an ice-cube being thrown on a flame grill. I panicked. I threw the car into reverse and frantically snaked backward out of the parking lot, all the way out onto the street. Lucky there weren't any cars coming, because I sure as hell didn't stop to look. I threw the car into gear and peeled out, praying that the music was loud enough to drown out the commotion outside.

I flew past the 'Now leaving Lewiston' sign with one eye on the road and the other on my rearview mirror. No angry people were chasing me and - more importantly - no cops. It seemed that the hard part was done.

Up until then, I thought I would feel a terrible guilt for doing it, but I didn't. I blamed Diego. I blamed Lewis. I did these things because of their greed, not my own. I began to think that maybe it was for the best that 'what's her name' showed up and stole Ace away. Afterall, he was in the same 'greedy' category as the rest.

As for me, as far as I was concerned, I was a saint compared to any of them. But apparently, me and Karma didn't see eye to eye. Just as I passed the '15 miles to Castle Rock' sign, the engine began to judder every few seconds, shaking the entire car.

"Oh no... don't you dare..." I said as everything vibrated around me. "Just another few miles, I beg you."

If it heard my pleas, it still showed me no mercy. It just spat and coughed for a while before slowing to a roll and then dying on the side of the road.

"Shit!" I said, pounding both fists on the wheel. I jammed my picks in the ignition again and tried the starter, but it blatantly refused me. "Come on, this isn't fair!"

I looked down at the dashboard and quickly realized my mistake. The needle of the gas gauge pointed to 'E'.

-2-

I blamed Ace entirely. He was supposed to warn me about these things.

It took me about a second to decide that I had no choice but to abandon it. It was a loss that I couldn't afford, but the other guys might have been and gone, and I couldn't risk hanging around in case it had already been reported stolen.