Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson

out. Later, I feel bad. I do like Tasha. She’s fun to argue with. People are interesting sometimes. I forget that. They’re interesting and complicated and sorta cute sometimes.
    On Friday night, my dad wants to have a family activity. So we go ice-skating. It’s me and my mom and my dad and my sister. It’s like we’re all together. It’s like a beautiful dream. It’s like the Disney Channel. Except that my dad and I hate each other. And my mom hates herself. And my sister is humiliated by the bunch of us. And I’m secretly waiting for the inevitable devastation of our entire civilization.
    But except for that.
    On our last night, there’s an 80s Dance Party at the TeenZone. I go with Libby. I’ve never done so many social things with Libby, so it’s been an interesting week in terms of that. We really are “being a family,” whatever that means. We arrange to meet Tasha. I’m looking forward to that, actually. Could I be falling for her? No. She’s just entertaining.
    But then Tasha shows up and she’s dressed up allsexy. I don’t know what to make of that. I mean, she’s got eye shadow and lip gloss and this low-cut dress on, like she’s trying to show cleavage. But she doesn’t have anything to show.
    The music starts. “Girls on Film” is the first song. Tasha seems very focused on me. We dance a little. Then Libby goes off somewhere and leaves us alone, which is not good. Tasha and I end up dancing close and she gets a little touchy. So then I suggest we play video games, to hopefully keep things under control, but that’s just as bad. She’s bumping shoulders, bumping hips, I feel her hand graze my butt at one point. The hard part is, she smells good. And the top of her head seems to fit perfectly right under my chin. And there’s only so many times a girl can touch you and lean against you and brush her fingertips across your arm before you start to respond…
    So we kiss. It just sort of happens, just for a second, next to Intergalactic Commandos or whatever. Then, before I can say anything, she’s pulled me into this little storage room. We really start making out then. It’s pretty crazy. After a minute of this, she looks up at me with one of her dramatic expressions.
    â€œThere’s something I haven’t told you,” she says. “I have a boyfriend.”
    â€œGood!” I say back.
    That makes her mad. We go back to the dance and I try to act normal, but she keeps giving me these angry looks. It’s all very awkward. Especially when Libby comesback. The two of them go off and talk, and they both ignore me after that.
    We drive home on Sunday. Libby and I sit in the back of the Pilot. We wear our seat belts and don’t look at each other. She’s probably not thrilled about the whole Tasha situation. It was pretty weird.
    We leave Sun River and get back on the main highway. Instantly, the outside world changes from shiny SUVs, shiny people, shiny eighth grade girls to dirty trucks, broken-down cars, dull-faced people looking across at you. I think about Tasha, how she rested her hand on the small of my back during the video games. How she raised her face so slyly up toward mine for that first kiss. At one point she whispered, “I like how you touch me.” Or some crazy thing. She’s in eighth grade!! Unbelievable.
    Meanwhile, in the front seat, my dad is cursing the lack of radio reception. My mom is checking our home messages with her cell. There’s a message for me, she says. That’s a surprise. She hands me the cell phone and tells me to push 1.
    I push it and listen: “Hey, James, Sadie here. I want to talk to you about something. If you wouldn’t mind. You’re probably off somewhere on vacation but can you give me a call when you get this? Thanks. See you.” I lower the phone from my ear.
    Wow, I think.
    Wow.
    James Hoff
    Junior AP