Nobody Likes Megan McGowen

39. The Rescue

As soon as Jen had that corkscrew idea, Megan was filled with a renewed sense of hope. Finally, she had a way to fix what she'd done. She could hardly stand to wait until after school, but she didn't want to get up in the middle of class and make an unnecessary scene. Instead, she satisfied herself with texting Karen.

Can I get a ride home after school? she asked.

The sooner she got home, the better. She wasn't about to wait for the bus, and there was absolutely no way she was going to track.

Sure. Meet out back after class, Karen wrote back.

K, Megan typed quickly before slipping her phone back in her pocket.

It seemed like forever before the bell finally rang. When it did, she sprang up from her seat and raced down the hall. She beat Karen out to the parking lot by three minutes.

"So what's up?" Karen asked as they headed towards her car in the back.

"I need to see Jake." Megan told her. Karen grinned.

"Is this the first time you've talked to him since he's been absent?"

"Yeah." Megan felt bad admitting that. And the reality was even worse than whatever Karen might have imagined.

"Well, I'm glad you're going to see him. Want me to take you straight there?"

"No, I need to go home first." Megan told her. She tried to remember where Jake even told everyone he lived.

"Sounds good." Karen pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.

As they drove, all Megan could think about was the fact that she'd finally see Jake again. She found herself grinning at the thought. Until she did the math – today was Friday, which meant that Jake had been stuck there for four days. She just hoped he wasn't too mad to even speak to her.

"Karen?" Megan asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure – what do you need?" Karen asked instantly, eyes never leaving the road.

"Can you not tell anyone about this?"

"What? That we're ditching practice so you can visit your sick boyfriend?" Karen grinned, staring straight ahead.

"Pretty much." Megan replied. "It's kind of embarrassing. Besides, Jen would kill me."

"Eh, she'd probably be ok." Karen shrugged. "But Stacey would make fun of you 'til the day you died."

"That too." Megan said.

"You really do like him, don't you?"

"Yeah." Megan told her. "I mean, he's a good friend."

"That's not what I mean and you know it." Karen told her matter-of-factly.

"I know." Megan sighed. "It's complicated."

"Yeah? Why's that?" Karen asked.

Megan struggled to come up with something other than because he's a genie.

"Look, if you like him, that's all that's important." Karen told her. "Well, that and if he likes you – he does like you, right?"

"I don't know..." Megan said slowly. It wasn't that she'd never thought about it; she did that plenty. But their relationship was based heavily on her being in charge of him.

"Well, have you ever asked him?"

"Not exactly..." Megan admitted.

"Well you should." Karen said firmly. "And let me know how it goes."