Overdrive Read Online Free Page A

accident.
    I sighed in relief.
    â€œI don’t know what you’re worried about,” Mickey said. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
    â€œI was street racing with him!”
    â€œBefore the accident happened.”
    â€œLike five seconds before the accident happened!”
    â€œFive seconds, five minutes, five months… you weren’t racing him when the accident happened, right?”
    â€œNo,” I admitted.
    â€œAnd if he hadn’t been such an idiot and kept racing, then it wouldn’t have happened. The accident is his fault…or maybe the fault of the guy who cut in front of him…but it’s not your fault.”
    I didn’t know what to say. Maybe Mickey was right. But I still thought I should have stopped.
    â€œI think it’s against the law to leave the scene of an accident,” I said.
    â€œBut you weren’t in the accident. You were just driving by it. I bet you there were dozens and dozens of cars driving by in the other direction before the police arrived. Do you think all of them stopped?”
    â€œOf course not, but they weren’t almost involved in the accident,” I argued.
    â€œAlmost is the important word. You weren’t involved because you drove so well to get around it. They should give you some sort of driving award for not hitting those cars.”
    Again I didn’t know what to say. Everything he said made sense. He was right. Or at least, I wanted him to be right.
    I turned onto my street. I felt safe. I slowed down and went to pull into the driveway when I saw my brother standing there. He looked annoyed.
    â€œWhat time is it?” I asked.
    â€œA couple of minutes after ten.”
    â€œGreat, just great,” I muttered. I pulled into the driveway and turned to Mickey. “Not a word about what happened. Not to him. Not to anybody. Understand?”
    â€œI guess so.”
    â€œNo guessing!” I snapped. “Do you understand?”
    â€œYeah. Sure. Nothing.”
    We climbed out of the car.
    â€œTick tock,” Andy said, tapping his watch as he walked up to the car.
    â€œI’m really sorry,” I apologized.
    â€œNot as sorry as you’re going to be if I’m late to pick up Natalie. She can turn ugly really fast if I’m not on time.”
    â€œSorry,” I repeated.
    Andy looked like he was studying me.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” I asked.
    â€œThat’s what I’d like to know.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œYou didn’t say anything about how easy it would be for Natalie to turn ugly or something like that.”
    â€œWhy would I say—”
    â€œYou always take shots at Natalie. Why not now? What happened?”
    â€œNothing happened!” I protested.
    â€œDid you do something to the car?” he questioned. “Did you break something or hit something or—”
    â€œI didn’t hit anything, honest!”
    â€œThen what’s that?” he demanded, pointing at the hood.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œRight there on the hood. Is that a dent?”
    Andy reached over and touched the hood. That was the place where the Coke can had hit.
    â€œAnd it’s sticky? Why is it sticky?”
    I looked over at Mickey. He was studying his shoes.
    â€œSomebody spilled a pop on it,” I said.
    â€œAnd you didn’t wash it off?”
    â€œI was going to.”
    â€œYou
are
going to! Right now! Do you know what Coke can do to a car’s paint?”
    â€œI know, but I didn’t think it mattered because it’s getting painted next—”
    â€œIt eats into the primer coat, and if you don’t wash it off, then the next coat won’t stick right. Get a bucket right now.”
    â€œI’ll help you,” Mickey said. “It was my fault.”
    â€œYou spilled the pop?” Andy demanded.
    â€œNo, not me!” Mickey said, holding his hands in front of him like he was afraid my