Chapter 7: Off the Hook

After study hall, the sun was setting—shadows long over the parking lot. Tyler’s motorcycle roared up, Natalie clinging to his waist, their gang fanning out behind them like extras in a teen movie.

A guy in a neon windbreaker, another with spiked blue hair—they blocked my way. I squared my shoulders. “What do you want?”

Tyler flicked a cigarette, his friend lighting it for him. “You pissed off my girlfriend? Four-eyed nerd, you’ve got guts.”

Natalie pressed closer to him, boasting, “Derek, apologize and pull all-nighters to tutor me. Then I’ll tell my boyfriend not to mess with you.”

I almost laughed. “I don’t want trouble. But Natalie, I’ve always kept your secrets. If I tell your parents, can you still be so carefree?”

Her smile froze. Tyler sneered, “So what if they know? I’ll go visit my future in-laws. With a son-in-law like me, they’ll be thrilled!”

Natalie threw her cigarette box at me. “You really think I want your notes? Bookworm! I have my own ways—just wait and see! Honey, let’s go!”

They revved their engines, roaring off, the smell of exhaust lingering. That night, Mrs. Grant called me, her voice tight: “Thank you for helping Natalie. Focus on your own exams now.”

Natalie must’ve spun the story, but it didn’t matter. I’d finally cut the cord. Whatever happened next was her problem, not mine.

After the mock exam—a rare half-day off, the halls buzzing with relief—I napped, ate chili and cornbread, then hurried to study hall. As soon as I walked in, I heard, “Did you hear? Natalie and Tyler were caught cheating—the school’s calling their parents.”

As the whispers swirled and the classroom door swung shut, I realized—for the first time in years, whatever happened next wasn’t my problem. And that felt like freedom.