Chapter 14

I'm going over to help decorate for prom after school. Do you want to race me to the country club? Same bet.

Jake laughed to himself as he read the card. He checked the "yes" box and sent it back to Ann Marie with Abby Tabor.

He spent the next four periods plotting a way to get a jump on his girlfriend. If he could get out of his room immediately after the last bell rang, he could probably beat the buses, which would hold up traffic in and out of the school for at least ten minutes. His room was closer to the parking lot than Ann Marie's and if he could pawn his kids off on another teacher, he wouldn't be slowed down by crowded hallways.

With five minutes left in seventh period, Jake sent his students next door to Mr. Apgar's room, shut down his computer and then hustled out to the parking lot. After all, it was the Friday before prom, standardised tests were starting the next week, and no one was allowed to give homework or assignments to be done over the weekend.

When the bell rang, Jacob was standing on the sidewalk, his jaw hanging open, staring at his truck in disbelief.

Miss Armstrong and a gaggle of girls streamed past him, piled into her car and drove off. As she turned to put her seatbelt on, she blew him a kiss, then laughed, knowing that once again, she had won and that Jake would have to spend the next week fulfilling her every sexual desire.

While that wasn't much of a loss—at least as far as Jake was concerned—two thoughts raced through his mind.

How did she get her hands on four jackstands? and Where the hell are my tires?