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started driving Tiffany home, usually because she would miss the bus after meeting up with him after school. This also did not help her grades, but all great love demanded sacrifice. Tony or trigonometry—not exactly the hardest decision she’d ever had to make.
    Pretty soon he’d treated her at every McDonald’s within an hour’s drive of the school, not to mention all the better Taco Bells and Tim Hortons. They would drive down by the lake, through the woods, over the drumlins that were scattered all through the county, and to places the school bus had never taken her.
    In the next few weeks, they saw each other about three to four times a week. Sometimes they would just hang out, watching television. Other times they would go up to the bluff that overlooked Baymeadow, the small, mostly white town where their school was located. Occasionally, they would go shopping. One day, when they were both picking up some jeans at a discount store, she once more offered to use her status card for him.
    â€œI shouldn’t really be doing this, we’re told not to, but hey, what’s a . . . friend for?” said Tiffany. She’d almost said “girlfriend,” but had caught herself.
    Later that evening, Tiffany told Darla about her “Tony” favors. “Oh, not you too,” was Darla’s response. “Some people will take advantage of you for doing that.”
    Even though she was on the phone, Tiffany shook her head. “Tony wouldn’t.”
    â€œDo you know how many white people do things like that? I got cousins who bought things as a favor, and it was for friends who wanted them just because they could get tax off of things. You should be careful, Tiffany.”
    â€œYou’re just jealous that I got a boyfriend and you don’t,” was Tiffany’s well-thought-out response.
    â€œI got a boyfriend.”
    â€œWell, mine’s got a car and all yours has is a police record.” Annoyed, Tiffany hung up.
    Almost like it was a game of some sort, Tony kept buying things when he was with her. At first Tiffany was pleased that she could help him out, but slowly she become more and more uncomfortable. Those feelings hit their max seven days ago when they were out for a drive after school. Tony had turned left onto Sumach Street and parked by Reynolds’ Jewelry Store.
    â€œCome on, there’s something I want to show you.” And with that, they entered the shop.
    Once inside, Tiffany’s breath was taken away. Rings, watches, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, and everything else way too gorgeous and expensive for a girl from Otter Lake beckoned to her. Granny Ruth had an old pearl necklace, and her father had his wedding ring, now stored in the back of his sock drawer. But this was amazing.
    Tony knew exactly what he wanted. He went to the glass case at the back of the store and pointed down to a row of bracelets.
    â€œThat one.” He indicated a lovely interwoven bracelet that looked like real silver, right beside a gold one. Tiffany was speechless. Tony took his baseball cap off and waved down the store-owner. “Could we see that one, please?” The man took it out and placed it on Tiffany’s wrist. It was cold to the touch, but it looked perfect and pretty.
    â€œI love it,” she said without looking up.
    â€œThen it’s yours. We’ll take it.” Tiffany was so happy. Her first serious gift from a boyfriend. Darla and Kim, her second-best friend, will just die, she thought. Then she noticed Tony looking at the bracelet on her wrist. She thought something was wrong.
    â€œWhat is it? You don’t like it?” she asked hesitantly.
    â€œNo. In fact, just the opposite. My mother would love one just like it. Her birthday is just next week and—”
    â€œI thought we picked out that perfume?”
    Tony shook his head. “I was in their room the other day and noticed she already had a full bottle. So