“Maybe if you thought with something other than your fists, you’d be passing math on your own.”

Gabriel stared, having no idea what to say.

And in that moment of silence, she picked up her backpack and rounded the corner, without once looking back.

CHAPTER 6

Gabriel took a third processed chicken patty from the pan on the stove and another scoop of macaroni and cheese, then joined his brothers at the table. Nick had cooked, which usually worked out best all around. Not that mac and cheese was haute cuisine, but their older brother’s cooking skills topped out at pressing buttons on the microwave. After their parents died, Michael had been all they had left, so they’d spent the latter half of middle school living entirely on frozen dinners.

The table was quiet for a change. Michael was absently eating, his laptop open on the table in front of him. He made an effort to sit at the table with them, but he might as well have been sitting in the garage. Chris was glowering at his plate. Gabriel wondered what was up with that, but he couldn’t stop rolling Layne’s words around in his head.

Maybe if you thought with something other than your fists, you’d be passing math.

Nick jabbed him in the arm with his fork. “What’s up with you? Usually you don’t shut up about my crap cooking.”

“Maybe I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”

Chris snorted, finally looking up from his plate. “That’ll be the day.”

Gabriel kicked him under the table. “What’s up with you? ”

“Nothing’s up with me.”

“Becca’s with Hunter,” said Nick.

Chris rolled his eyes and stabbed a piece of chicken.

Gabriel smiled. “Want to come out with me and Nicky and blow stuff up on the beach?”

Michael’s hands went still and he looked up over the laptop.

“You’d better be kidding.”

He wasn’t, but Michael didn’t need to know that. “Don’t worry. Go back to your ‘work.’” Gabriel made little air quotes with his hands.

“You’re supposed to be lying low,” said Michael. “Do you have any understanding of what that means?”

Gabriel ignored him.

“I’m talking to you,” said Michael.

Gabriel’s fork clinked against his plate and he leaned in against the table. “Don’t start this shit with me, Michael.”

Nick put a hand on his arm. “Stop. It’s fine.”

Gabriel didn’t say anything, just glared across the table at his older brother.

But Chris was staring across the table at Nick, his eyes telegraphing something Gabriel couldn’t figure out.

He drew back. “What? What’s with the look?”

Nick pulled his hand back. “Chris is going out with Becca later.”

“I’ll alert the media. So what?”

“So . . .” Nick pushed the macaroni around on his plate.

“Quinn was giving her a hard time about leaving her sitting at home, and I made some comment that we should make it a double date, and she said yes.”

“You like her?”

“Maybe.” Nick shrugged and looked at his plate, pushing the macaroni noodles with his fork. “It’s something to do.”

The only time Nick hedged like this was when he really liked a girl. Gabriel smiled. “Don’t you mean some one? ”

Now Nick snapped his eyes up. “It’s not like that.”

Oh, this was fantastic. “You know she had her tongue down Rafe Gutierrez’s throat, like, three days ago.”

“I said it’s not like that.” The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.

Michael was looking over the top of the laptop again. “Easy.”

Nick’s eyes were like ice. “Maybe we should talk about what happened in third period today. I didn’t even ask if you were okay.”

What a bastard. “Shut up.”

“What happened?” said Michael.

“Nothing,” said Chris. He glared at Nick across the table.

Good little brother. “Yeah,” said Gabriel. “Nothing.”

“It was all over school,” said Nick. “Lights exploded for no reason at all. They’re getting experts in to check all the wiring.”

Michael slapped the laptop shut. “What?”

Gabriel wanted to knock his twin upside the head his hand was already tight at his side. But he kept hearing Layne’s parting comment, and he kept his hands to himself.

He sighed and looked back at his plate. “It was an accident.”

“An accident.” Michael looked like he was going to have an aneurysm, right here at the table. “Are. You. Crazy.”

“Yeah, Michael, I’m crazy.” Gabriel shoved away from the table. He couldn’t help it: He smacked Nick on the back of the head. “And you’re an ass**le.”

Gabriel flung his plate into the sink and stormed through the back door.

Michael caught up to him before he made it off the porch.

“Wait a minute. Tell me what happened.”

“Forget it. Go back to work. I’m going for a walk.”

“Please tell me you’re not really having a tantrum because Nick decided to do something without you.”

Oh, for god’s sake.

Wait. Was he?

“Jesus, Michael, we’re almost eighteen years old. Nick does stuff without me all day.”