Read Something Like Spring for Free Online

spirals of hair stepped forward. “I’m no liar! Although I might have stretched the truth a few times, if only to spare your feelings.”
    “You’re cruel, Steph. So terribly cruel.” Caesar hooked her with his free arm, drawing her in much as he’d done Jason.
    Except Steph didn’t turn around. She pressed herself against his chest, raising her head for a kiss. Jason found this extremely awkward, since Caesar still had an arm around him. He’d never been this close to a kissing couple before. If Jason strained his neck a little, he’d be right in the middle of the action, not that he had such an urge.
    The arm around him tightened, probably reacting to Caesar’s other arm that was now wrapped around Steph. As exciting as it was seeing Caesar’s tongue slide into a girl’s mouth, Jason mostly felt like disappearing.
    Thankfully, Caesar broke the kiss and gently released them both. “I gotta get home.”
    “Aw!” she complained.
    “You know how my mom is with the new ones. She’ll be worried if I don’t have him back on time.”
    “I can walk,” Jason offered, causing Steph to perk up.
    “Nah. It’s no problem. Hop in.”
    Their chariot was a long silver car, the make oddly familiar. Jason realized he had a poster of it on his bedroom wall. Maybe Mrs. Hubbard had intentionally put it there. From the joints in the roof, he guessed it was a hardtop convertible. The car looked like the sort an older business executive would buy—respectable enough to please the wife, but sporty enough to recapture some youth.
    As soon as Caesar was seated and the engine turned over, music blared to life. Hip-hop lyrics accompanied their ride home, preaching the hardships of the ghetto and the pain of losing best friends to drive-bys. Jason found this ironic since all they drove by were expensive shopping boutiques and fancy restaurants. He didn’t relate to rap music much. Jason preferred listening to Brian May destroy the stage with Queen, or better yet, Eric Clapton coaxing moody sounds out of his guitar. Still, the way Caesar’s head bobbed to the rhythm, the way he spat along to the lyrics, made it somehow tolerable. Of course Caesar could probably roll around in dog poop and look good doing so. Only when they cruised into their neighborhood was the music turned down. The car slowed as Caesar glanced over at him.
    “So what’s the real reason you didn’t want a ride this morning?”
    Jason hesitated. “I noticed Peter walking and figured if you didn’t give him a ride, you probably wouldn’t give me one either.”
    “Peter.” Caesar said the name as if it exhausted him. “That kid is disturbed. No one his age should be so bitter.” He shook his head, adding, “Not that I don’t get it. I mean I don’t , not entirely, but I know it can’t be easy.”
    “What?” Jason asked.
    Caesar locked eyes with him. “Trying to find the right family. One good enough for you. That’s gotta be rough. But Peter hasn’t gotten any better since he first arrived.” He returned his attention to the road. “In fact, I’d say he’s gotten worse.”
    “He’ll grow out of it,” Jason said. “Eventually you get used to everyone having a family when you don’t. Or getting kicked out of a home for things other kids only get grounded for.”
    “Yeah, but he’s got a family now.” Caesar frowned. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I’ll admit I’m a dick and I never give Peter a ride, but the kid depresses me.”
    “It’s not like he chose to lose his parents,” Jason said, feeling defensive.
    “That’s not what I mean. You can always talk to me about being on your own or whatever. It’s Peter’s attitude that gets me down. You seem cool though, like you’ve got it all figured out.”
    “Oh, totally,” Jason said, repressing a smile. “The world is my oyster. The merest gesture gets me what I want. I wink and the ladies fall at my feet!”
    Caesar grinned. “You’ll have to teach me how that