Friendship
If he's guilty, he'll probably go to jail," Mom pointed out. "At the very least, he'll lose his job and maybe even his license to teach."
"That's if he's guilty," Dad said with emphasis.
"What do you mean 'if'?" Cody exploded.
"There's no if about it! Liberty said he tried to rape her. Don't you think she would know?
I can't resist tossing a few simple tricks—rock the baby, elevator, tidal wave. My hands whir, my arms loosen up. I've only practiced at home, but this feels pretty fine. I take up more of the sidewalk. People weave around me, staying clear of the yo-yo as it extends and then glides back. There's only me and the yo-yo working with the noise and confusion of the street corner.
Suddenly I'm angry. Really angry. I bounce off the door frame and grab him again. He throws my hands off. With a solid crunch, he slams his shoulder into my chest and sends me flying.
Down the stairs.
Maybe Lisa had appeared out of nowhere for a reason. I was kind of like a frog in a fairy tale who needed a kiss from a princess so he could turn into a prince. Only, instead of a frog, I was a might-be-gay kid who needed straightening out, and instead of a princess, she was a cigarette-smoking tattooed city girl with a bag full of mix tapes. I figured that was close enough.
