“No. If Ash can do this, so can I,” she says.

Oh, man. “Then let me help you.”

“No.”

“Don’t be stubborn.”

“I can be stubborn all I want, Vic. It’s my life. If I want to scale a damn fence, then I’ll scale a damn fence.”

I quickly follow her up the fence, hoping at some point she’ll realize this was a bad idea. She’s almost at the top.

“Don’t fall,” I tell her.

“I won’t.”

But on her way down, her foot slips. She falls the last five feet and lands with a thump. My heart stops.

“You okay?” I call out frantically as I jump off the fence and kneel by her side.

She sits up slowly. “Leave me alone,” she says weakly. “I think I’m fine, so just go away.”

“You think you’re fine?” I ask.

She brushes dust off her knees. “I’m not leaving, if that’s what you think. So I fell. It’s no big deal, Vic. Stop looking at me as if I just became disabled. I don’t want or need that.”

I shake my head, then hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. Do whatever you want, Monika.”

Jet rushes over to us, stumbling from side to side and almost tripping on a misplaced bench because he’s still looking out of one eye hole. “Her shirt glows like a fuckin’ yellow highlighter, Vic. If she won’t leave, give her your shirt and cover that shit up.”

“Here,” I say, lifting my black shirt over my head and shoving it into her hand. “Put this on and wait here. I’ll be right back.”

I run to my truck and snatch the fourth knit cap that Trey was supposed to wear, then hurry back to the football field and pull the cap over Monika’s face.

“I can’t see anything,” she complains as she braces herself on the metal fence and slowly stands. She rips the mask off and tosses it to me.

“That’s the least of your problems. You hurt yourself,” I tell her as she hobbles just a bit before righting herself.

“I’m fine.” She snatches a spray can from my hand and walks away. She might think she’s hiding the slight limp, but I totally notice it.

When we get to the middle of the field, Derek and Ashtyn are having a loud conversation not fit for a covert operation.

“You spelled it wrong,” Ash is telling Derek. “Rebels are numer 1? Baby, you forgot the “b” in number.”

Jet laughs. “If I could see out of this fucking itchy hat, I’d have made sure he spelled it right. Derek, when you search “dumb jock” online does a picture of you come up?”

I go up to the word and spray paint an “o” after the “r,” so it reads numero.

“Good cover-up, amigo,” Jet says, patting my shoulder.

“Shit!” Derek calls out. “It’s the cops!”

I turn around to see a squad car turning into the school parking lot with a big spotlight on the field.

“Let’s bounce!” Jet yells as he runs toward the fence with Derek and Ashtyn following close behind.

I look at a panicked Monika. There’s no way she can run to the car without being seen.

I rush up to her and grab her hand. “Come on,” I say, urging her toward the bleachers. “Lay down under one of the benches.”

Without another word, we’re lying nose-to-nose as we squeeze our way under one of the benches. Adrenaline is rushing through my veins. Being caught with Monika Fox in the bleachers with spray paint cans in our hands is not a good scenario. I want to protect her, but what if we’re caught?

I don’t care about me, but I need to get her home safe.

“Did you break your ankle when you fell?” I whisper. “Because even if we can get out of here without bein’ caught, there’s no way you’re gonna be able to get back over that fence.”

“I didn’t break anything, Vic,” she says, her voice so soft it’s like she’s mouthing the words. “I’m fine. I deal with pain every day.”

Wait. What? “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She looks away. “Nothing. Just forget about me and focus on getting us out of here.”

Chapter Ten

MONIKA

We watch as the police patrol the football field.

“They haven’t noticed the spray paint yet, but they will,” Vic whispers as he peeks over the benches at the officers getting out of their car. “We need to get out of here.”

My joints ache more than usual. That fall did a number on my knee. “I don’t know if I can move.”