Jag scowled at A.
“Hethinks he’s relevant,” Mal muttered.
“He’s not relevantto you,” A amended.“Or thissituation.Now, what’s the deal, Mal?”she kept at him.
“You’re right.Mom doesn’t know I’m kicked out of group.Ididn’t tell her,” Mal spat out like the words didn’t taste good.
A leaned back and crossed her arms on her chest.
“Right,” she said slowly.“So what have you been doing afterschool?”
“None of your business,” Mal replied.
“It’s my business, you want another shot at group,” shesaid.
Mal’s gaze darted to her hopefully.
He wanted another shot at group.
“Seriously?”he asked.
Jag also looked to her, and when Mal was finished, herepeated, “Seriously?”
“Stay out of this, J,” she muttered.
“If the kid’s stealing from you, babe, justsayin’,” Jag returned.
Her head ticked and she focused on him.“Babe?”
“Babe,” he confirmed.
That was when A looked heavenward.
“Are you guys, like, together?”Mal asked, his gaze dartingbetween them.
“Mind your business about J, Mal, and answer my question,” Ademanded.
But Mal was still busy looking between “Arch” and Jag.
“It’s weird, he’s biker, you’re punk, but I see it,” hedecided.Then he said to Jag, “I’d call her ‘babe’ too, because she’s totally ababe.”
“Mal!” A snapped.
“Nothin’,” he whispered, and Jag wasn’t a huge fan of hissudden change in tone or the look on the kid’s face.“Nothin’.Justmessin’ around,keepin’ tomyself.Hangin’ at the laundromat sometimes.But theHarris brothers—”
And Jag didnotlike the way “Arch” responded tothe words “the Harris brothers.”
He shifted in a way he was closer to her and the kid.
“They know I’m loose and they’ve beengivin’me shit,” Mal finished.
“Why don’t you go home?”A asked.
The kid hung his head, and if there was a rock to kick, hewould have.
“Mal,” she pushed.
He looked up at her.“Mom’dknow Iwas home if I went home, you know?”
