"I was only looking at her because she had on a really tight shirt, and I liked how she did her hair that day."
"If you want Eve," I say, "you gotta like her for more than her looks. And she has to know that, and know you're not just saying it. She'll be able to tell if you're lying."
"How doyouknow?"
"Because Brook told me. It's why they're friends. She likes that Eve can see through people's bullshit and call them on it. So you staring at her breasts isn't going to get Eve to go out with you. You'll have to actually put in effort if you want to date her."
"Just find someone else," Danny tells him. "You've got plenty of girls at school who want to go out with you."
"Yeah, and I'm bored with them. They're all the same."
"Then wait for college. You'll have a whole new group of girls to choose from." Danny turns back to me. "Any news on Jake?"
"No. Did you tell people about my dad?"
"Yeah, and it's been on the news. They showed pictures of him."
"No shit?" I sit up more. "How'd he look?"
"Bad. Are you sure you didn't hit him when he came after you?"
"I tried, but I missed. Why?"
"He had a black eye and a cut going down the side of his face."
"Maybe he got in a fight. He'll fight anyone who pisses him off."
"Where do you think Jake ended up?"
"I'm guessing he's trying to get a ride so he can get back home."
"He wouldn't go to the police?"
"Not unless he was forced to. He doesn't trust the police. Remember when they tried to take him from me?"
Danny nods. "Yeah, I remember."
When my mom took off, Jake told someone at school. A teacher overheard and called social services. They showed up at the house with a cop and took Jake. I had to go to court to get him back. It scared the shit out of him. He thought he'd end up in foster care. Now just seeing a cop car go by makes him nervous.
"Shit," I say, thinking about that.
"What?" Danny asks.
"The cops are looking for Jake. If he sees them, he might run away instead of going to them for help. Fuck, I didn't even think about that."
"He's older now. He's gotta know they're just trying to help him."
"But he doesn't trust them. He won't go with them if he doesn't trust them."
"Would he go with someone else? Someone who would give him a ride?"
"Maybe. When he was younger I told him if he's ever lost to find a mom with little kids. I figured he'd be safer going with someone like that than some random guy. Even our own loser mom would help out a little kid, even if she didn't know him."
"It's good advice. Maybe that's what he did."
"It might not work. He's not a little kid anymore. People could see him as a threat and not give him a ride."
"He's been all over the news. There's a chance people would recognize him."
