Dare You To (48 page)

“I will,” I blurt. “Keep my mouth shut.”

Owner Guy curses under his breath. “One

race.”

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I LEAN AGAINST MY CAR DOOR and assess the group illegally loitering in the parking lot of the abandoned strip mall. Green, blue, and red neon lights frame the bottom of different makes and models. A few of us puritans remain on the streets, refusing to decorate our cars like Christmas trees. The bass line of rap rattles frames and a couple drivers are brave enough to blare the screeching electric guitar of heavy metal.

Clouds cover the sky, leaving all of us in a dark pit. Close to a week after Christmas, the presents have been opened, the turkey dinners have been demolished, and mommies and

daddies are either tucked in bed or sucked into a bottle of Jack. Time for the rats to hit the streets.

“Isaiah!” Eric Hall abandons two girls in
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short skirts and faux fur jackets and heads for me. Most people underestimate the bleach-blond, skinny son of a bitch, but that mistake could prove lethal for your billfold and your health. On the streets of the south side, this nineteen-year-old is king. “Merry belated Christmas, my brother.”

I accept his outstretched hand and the half hug.

Eric is who I came to see, and if I don’t watch myself, I’ll end up indebted to him. My goal in life is to be free of everyone—foster care, school, social workers. Eric Hall may not be official, but he’s an organization all his own with the street business he created. He even has

“employees”: guys with bats and tire irons that willingly beat the hell out of anyone who doesn’t pay.

He motions to the two giggling girls. “Santa brought me twins and in the spirit of the season, I’m willing to share. That is, if you drive for me tonight.”

This is the reason why I’m here. Noah and I need cash and Eric can make that happen. If I play this right, I’ll rake in money and stay free.

While sucking on a lollipop, the twin with
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black hair stares at me longer than her

sister. “Ho, ho, ho,” mumbles Eric.

My thoughts exactly and I turn my back to them. I have a bad track record with girls with black hair. “You know I don’t street race.”

Typically, I don’t. Street racing can put my ass in jail and cost me the setup I have with Noah. I have no intention of being placed in juvie or worse—a group home. I race legally at The Motor Yard, but The Motor Yard is closed for the holidays. Tonight will be a one-time deal.

He leans in close as if what he’s saying is a secret. “I’ll give you twenty percent of what I make on top of the Christmas cheer. I’m giving my other boys ten.”

Eric has never offered anyone such a

commission, but if he’s starting off high, maybe he’ll go even higher. “Twenty percent isn’t going to cover my bail if I get arrested.”

“I know you, my brother,” says Eric. “You need speed and I have the need for green. Say yes and you can race my recently acquired suped-up Honda Civic with two full tanks of nitro.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m looking
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for a one-time race, Eric. That is, if we can come to an understanding.”

The sweet purring of an engine grabs not

only my attention, but that of every hot-

blooded, car-worshiping male in the lot.

Jesus—that’s a 2005 Mustang GT. And unlike the other muscle cars parked on the strip, not a piece of her looks like it’s seen the inside of a body shop.

A flood of male bodies surround the

beautiful pony. I drop back and let the wolves have first crack. A car like this is here for one reason—to race, and any new piece of

machinery has to pass Eric’s inspection.

Someone is going to have to approve the

engine and I have no doubts I’ll be the one caressing that soft underbelly.

The driver shuts down the engine, opens the door, and a halo of sunshine slides out of the car and into the light of the only working streetlamp. Fuck me. God does exist and he sent an angel in a white Mustang to prove it.

Angels are small—at least this one is. She stands barely a foot taller than the top of her car. Her long golden hair curls at the ends and she has a slender frame. Her leather-gloved
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hand grips the top of her door and she uses the door as a shield between herself and the street rats.

“Nice car.” Like a vulture, Eric slowly

circles her.

“Thanks.” She glances at two guys exiting a Corvette. Those college boys belong here even less than she does. All three of them are easy prey.

The angel tucks her hair behind her ear. “Is this where I can drag race?”

I wince internally at her words. Asking for anything on the streets is a cardinal sin. Asking nicely is basically serving your soul to the devil. God didn’t send this angel to save me.

He sent her as a sacrifice….

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Playlist for
Dare You To

Overall theme:

“Dirt Road Anthem” by Jason Aldean

“F**kin’ Perfect” by Pink

Taco Bell dare:

“Summertime” by Kenny Chesney

“U + Ur Hand” by Pink

Beth’s mother in the bar:

“Farmer’s Daughter” by Crystal Bowersox

Beth wakes in Scott’s house:

“Heart Like Mine” by Miranda Lambert

Ryan in town:

“Back Where I Come From” by Kenny

Chesney

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Isaiah offers to run away with Beth:

“Somewhere with You” by Kenny Chesney

Isaiah betrays Beth by taking her away from her mother:

“Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails

Ryan takes Beth to a field party:

“My Kinda Party” by Jason Aldean

Ryan dances with Beth:

“Just a Dream” by Nelly

Beth stays the night with Ryan:

“Don’t You Wanna Stay” by Jason Aldean

and Kelly Clarkson

Beth sings her mother to sleep:

“Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Beth tries to scare Ryan away with the truth:

“Don’t Let Me Get Me” by Pink

Ryan teaches Beth to float:

“Broken Arrow” by Rod Stewart

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Beth and Ryan are briefly happy:

“Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry

Beth’s final showdown with her mother:

“25 to Life” by Eminem

Songs written for
Dare You To
by Angela
McGarry:

“Ribbons and Bows”

“We Weren’t Meant to Be”

Check out the songs at

www.reverbnation.com/AngelaMcGarryMusic

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Q & A with Katie McGarry

What inspired you to write
Dare You To
?

In high school, my best friend and I would spend our evenings riding around in her car with the windows rolled down and music

turned up. At some point, we would always find ourselves at a late-night fast-food

restaurant.

Some of the most interesting things in my life happened between bites of greasy food.

Those memories pushed me to write the

opening scene of
Dare You To
and, from there, Beth and Ryan became full-fledged characters who demanded their story be told.

Your first book,
Pushing the Limits
, takes
place in an urban/suburban setting. What
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made you decide to set a majority of
Dare

You To
in a rural environment?

I grew up in a fringe neighborhood south of a large city. While we had a city zip code and all the conveniences of a larger population area, we would run into farmland if we

traveled a few miles south. Because of that, I grew up with a mixture of friends. I knew people who owned lowrider cars with

hydraulics along with guys whose tires on their four-wheel-drive trucks were almost as tall as me.

Beth was definitely a city girl and I liked the idea of shaking up her world by placing her somewhere different. Ryan was then born!

What type of research did you do while
writing
Dare You To
?

Ever since I’ve known my husband, I’ve

spent a good majority of my Friday nights during the summer up at the ballfield watching him play. It’s amazing to see how a group of guys work, and sometimes don’t work,

together on the field.

I knew immediately that Ryan would play

baseball and while I learned quite a bit from
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my husband, I wanted to understand

baseball in the context of a teenager chasing a pro career and/or an athletic scholarship. I visited an indoor baseball training facility and was able to talk to trainers there. I also spoke with teens and parents of teens in similar circumstances as Ryan.

Everyone was extremely helpful and their

answers and experiences helped shape the

situations that Ryan faced.

Why did you choose not to have Isaiah and
Beth end up together?

What if I told you that when I wrote
Pushing
the Limits,
where they appear as secondary characters, I did see them together? I’m sure no one would be shocked by that answer.

When I began to examine Beth and Isaiah

closely, I realized that in order for them to find peace they needed to be challenged by

someone else. Beth and Isaiah are very similar and Isaiah completely enables Beth’s behavior.

The two of them had a lot to work through, and as I began plotting, I realized they couldn’t grow as individuals as long as they were

together.

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I love Beth and Isaiah as if they are real live people and I truly want them to be happy.

Unfortunately, I just didn’t think they could find true happiness as a romantic couple. Ryan, on the other hand, is Beth’s perfect match.

Beth doesn’t see who she really is and

because Ryan has no history with her, he’s able to see her very clearly. He falls hard for the wonderful person buried deep inside her. Beth holds on to a past she can’t change and Ryan helps her learn how to let the past go and look toward the future.

Now, one of the many wonderful chain

reactions that stemmed from writing Beth with Ryan was the joy of writing Isaiah’s story,
Crash Into You.
My heart broke several times for Isaiah while writing
Dare You To
and I can’t tell you how excited I am for my readers to see who Isaiah ends up with and how this will change his life forever.

I promise—you won’t be disappointed!

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