“Were we like that?”

His thumb started to rub under my shirt. “We are like that.”

Images of us from the day flashed in my mind. Another tingle rushed through me.

And then Becky popped out of the car. Her cheeks were red and she smoothed her dress down with frenzied hands. “Hey, I—um—” She looked over when the driver’s door creaked open. She was right. Rex was a lanky guy with crystal clear blue eyes. As he strolled around the car in tapered jeans, a white tee shirt underneath a ripped flannel, and a leather strap necklace that fell to his crotch, he gave us a lazy grin. A hand rose to push back some of his hair that fell over his eyes. He brushed it back and then ruffled the rest of his hair. Some of it stuck straight up, others went to the left, right, flattened, and a few more ends curled. A nest could’ve been in there, but Becky sighed as she watched him.

“Heya.” He held his hand out to Mason. “Rex.”

Becky’s finger jerked up. “No, she’s my friend.”

He moved the hand from Mason to me. “Heya. Rex.”

I gave him a polite smile and shook his hand. “Hi.” His hand was soft and clammy. I held back a cringe at what he’d been doing with it. I didn’t want to know. I shook my head. Becky had landed a pretty boy stoner. He had feminine features with soft pink lips, but she’d been right when she said his eyes were glazed over. They still were.

He flicked his hair back again and looked over to Becky. “I thought you said your friend was a dude.”

“I said her name was Sam.”

“That’s a dude’s name.” He looked at me and curled his lip up in a smooth smile. “No offense.”

Mason chuckled again in my ear. I gritted my teeth when I replied, “None taken, Rex Thursto.”

“Oh.” He laughed. “Yeah, my mom named me after their hamster. He died the day I was born. She still has him in our freezer.”

Mason barked out a laugh but covered it right away. I felt him pull back from me and knew he had stepped away from our group. I understood. I really did.

“So.” Becky danced up to us. She had her hands clasped together in front of her. Her eyes flashed back and forth as if she were watching a movie. “What do you think, Sam? I’m so happy that you’re the first to meet him.”

“Adam didn’t meet him?”

“Oh no. Adam already took off. He was helping some girl home because she drank too much. He’s such a nice guy.” She sighed on a dreamy note.

I looked at Rex to see his reaction, but his eyes were trained on Mason, who was now lounging against a post as he waited for us. Then Rex asked him, “You go to Public?”

A slight smirk hovered over his lips. “Yeah.”

Rex pointed a finger at him, but he nodded in approval. “Hey, yeah. You’re the YouTube guy. You’re awesome. You took that bat to those mofos like Rambo style. My buds and I watched it a bunch that night.”

Mason walked over to us again. “You’re with the stoners.”

“Yep.”

There was no shame.

And Mason nodded at him.

Then Rex snapped his fingers again at him. “You’re a Kade. Your brother was at my house today. He banged my sister all day.”

My mouth started to fall open, but I locked my jaw quickly. A weird gurgling sound came out.

Mason narrowed his eyes. Nothing else was said and Rex bobbed his head up and down again. “Yeah. I like your brother. My sister was in a good mood all day. Mostly, she’s a bitch. I think he’s still at my house. We could all go over there. I’ve got a bowl we could share.”

Becky giggled behind her hands. Rex’s eyes lit up and his lips spread in a slow grin.

Then Mason’s phone beeped and he snorted as he read it. “Logan at Ethan’s now. I don’t think he’s at your house.”

“Oh, yeah. That makes sense.” But Rex didn’t care. His eyes were fixated on Becky and he gestured at her. “She’s knocker, huh?” He jostled his shoulder towards Mason and thumped his chest. “I love ‘em when they’ve got rolls to hold onto, you know.”

Mason glanced at me, but I saw him fighting back his laughter. His shoulders started to shake.

Rex continued. His hair fell back over his eyes, but he never moved it back. He slid his hands in his jeans’ pockets and it slipped down an inch on his waist. His black boxers were now visibly showing. “Yeah, man, and her laugh. It’s like bugs bunny came to life for me. Smooth sailing with the buzz, you know.”

He looked up for approval from Mason, who coughed and shook his head. “I don’t do drugs.”

“Really?” He seemed amazed.

“Nah. I don’t like ‘em.”

“Oh yeah, you’re a big time athlete, aren’t you?” His head bobbed again. “Cool, cool. Hey, I hope your brother bangs my sister again. She’s a lot easier to handle.”

“He probably won’t.”

Rex lifted a relaxed shoulder. “Yeah, I understand that. She’s a bitch. All my buds want to bang her, but she’s a bitch. I wish she’d let ‘em, you know. She’d always be in a good mood, but she thinks she’s too good for my buds. I understand that too.”

“So, Rex.” I cleared my throat, though it came out strained. “Where are you taking Becky on your date?”

He shrugged. “I was thinking whatever party’s going on.” He twisted to Becky. “That cool with you?”