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the bills. “How about we
make it five?”
    Lane flinches, almost undetectably,
before he scoffs at Gregory. “Nah, man, I wouldn’t want to take
your money, it’d be too easy.” Lane leans back against the side of
his car with his sleeves pushed up and his arms crossed. Looking
cool and indifferent, like Martha’s Vineyard’s very own rebel
without a cause.
    Gregory doesn’t buy it; I
can see it in his eyes. “Really?” He takes slow deliberate steps
around Lane’s car, like a lion stalking its prey. “You don’t want
to take my money?
Because you’re raking in the tips at the Grille,” Gregory says
condescendingly. “Or at least you were . Right, big guy?”
    Andrew leans into Lane. “Dude, you
have to take this bet, you’ll totally smoke him.”
    I’m not surprised Andrew is trying to
persuade Lane. My brother’s favorite pastimes are being persuasive
and taking chances. My father always says Andrew would make the
perfect politician or CEO, but I think Andrew rather likes to use
his skills for more advantageous endeavors. Like gambling and
girls.
    “Yeah, I know, but…” Lane trails off
then quietly says to Andrew, “I can’t cover the bet. I don’t have
that kinda cash.” His eyes dart to me and when he sees I can hear
him, he shoves his hands in his pockets and looks away
embarrassed.
    “Dude, I got you. You still have that
bill I gave you earlier?”
    Earlier? Why would he have given Lane
money earlier? And how exactly does Andrew even know Lane in the
first place? I shake my head. I’ll have to get the whole story from
Andrew later, that’s for sure.
    “Yeah…” Lane says, dragging out his
response; his brows furrow as Andrew covertly pulls out nine one
hundred dollar bills from his wallet and hands them to
Lane.
    Lane’s eyes go wide. “What are you
doing? I can’t take this,” he says under his breath, trying to hand
the money back without anyone noticing.
    “Yes, you can. Just pay me back when
you win.” Andrew clasps Lane’s fist closed over the money then
pushes himself off of Lane’s car, grinning at Gregory. Conversation
over.
    “Make it a thousand and Lane’s
in.”
     

Chapter 5
    Lane
     
    What. The. Hell?
    Less than an hour ago I was scrounging
for five bucks to get a burger and fries for dinner because I
didn’t want to break the hundred dollar bill I got as a tip, and
now, I’m at the bluffs with a bunch of Stays with a thousand
dollars in my hand and apparently I’m about to drag race. Oh, and
the girl I haven’t been able to get out of my mind all day is here
with her jerk of a boyfriend, and she just happens to be Andrew’s
sister. Not exactly the night I bargained for.
    I glance around at all the unfamiliar
faces cheering me on and stop when I come to Ashley’s. She’s
standing with a group of girls a few feet away, whispering back and
forth, but she’s not paying them any attention, she’s smiling, at
me.
    Her long dark hair is blowing in the
wind and she looks cold, only wearing a thin sweater and a short
dress. I should look away since she’s already taken, but just like
this afternoon, I can’t take my eyes off of her.
    “I’m all in.” I hear myself say, still
staring at Ashley, my adrenaline pumping. I’m not a big gambler,
but the chance to make a thousand bucks is just too much to turn
down, and if it means she’ll keep looking at me with that smile
then I’m in. All in.
    Gregory pulls out his wallet again and
grabs a few more bills. He waves them in the air like it’s nothing
while I have mine gripped tightly in my fist.
    “You’re on,” Gregory says smugly, like
he really believes he’s going to win, and I have to keep myself
from laughing in his face. I have this in the bag.
    Some guy standing near Gregory shouts
for everyone to be quiet. “Alright, alright. Here’s the deal,” he
says. “You two will start up Lighthouse road where it forks.
Whoever makes it back to the bluffs first, wins. No other rules.
Agree?” He looks