Chad took Tucker aside when they returned to the school. It was evening, and already dark. “I missed you,” he whispered.
“Me, too.”
“Check it out, man. Since I don’t dare come to the van in the evenings anymore…Chicken City…can you, like, maybe get out of track practice some days to rehearse in the chorus room? My stupid mom, she, like, doesn’t like me staying after, either, but I told her you—” Chad actually covered his mouth. He obviously had let out a secret.
“Wouldn’t be there? You had to tell her you weren’t hanging out with me, right? You had to promise.”
“Yeah.” Tucker could feel the shame in Chad’s expression, even if he couldn’t actually see it quite clearly. “But what she don’t know won’t kill me.” Chad giggled as if he had made up the popular phrase himself.