Pushing the Limits (40 page)
Read Pushing the Limits Online
Authors: Katie McGarry
“How do you know I’m a jock?”
Her eyes wander to my chest and I fight a grimace. Written in black letters across my gray shirt is Bullitt County High School, Baseball State Champions.
“So you are stupid,” she says.
I’m done. I take one step in the direction of the table then stop. I don’t lose. “What’s your name?”
“What do I have to do to make you leave me alone?”
“Give me your phone number.”
The right side of her mouth quirks up. “You’re kidding.”
“Give me your name and phone number and I’ll walk away.”
“You must be brain damaged.”
“Welcome to Taco Bell, can I take your order?”
We both look at Drive-Through Chick.
I pull out my wallet and slam ten dollars on the counter. “Tacos.”
“And a Coke,” Skater Girl says. “Large. Since he’s paying.”
Drive-Through Chick enters the order and returns to the drive-through window.
We stare at each other. I swear this girl never blinks.
“I believe a thank-you is in order,” I say.
“I never asked you to pay.”
“Give me your name and phone number and we’ll call it even.”
She licks her lips. “There is absolutely nothing you can do to ever get me to give you my name or number.”
Ring the bell. Playtime ended with those words. Purposely invading her space, I steal a step toward her and place a hand on the counter next to her body. It affects her. I can tell. Her eyes lose the amusement and her arms hug her body. She’s small. Smaller than I expected. That attitude is so big I hadn’t noticed her height or size. “I bet I can.”
“Eight tacos and one large Coke,” says the girl from behind the counter.
Skater Girl snatches the order and spins on her heel before I can process I’m on the verge of losing. “Wait!”
She stops at the door. “What?”
Her
what
doesn’t carry much anger. Maybe I’m getting somewhere. “Give me your phone number. I want to call you.”
No, I don’t, but I do want to win. She’s wavering. I can tell.
“I’ll tell you what.” She flashes a smile that drips with a mixture
of allure and wickedness. “If you can walk me to my car and open the door for me, I’ll give you my number.”
Can.
She steps into the humid night and skips down the sidewalk to the back parking lot. I never would’ve bet this girl skipped. I follow, tasting the sweet victory.
Victory doesn’t last long. Before she can even make it past the yellow lines confining an old rusty car, two menacing guys climb out.
“Something I can do for you, man?” Tattoos run the length of his arms.
“Nope.” I shove my hands in my pockets and relax my stance. I have no intention of getting into a fight, especially when I’m outnumbered.
Tattoo Guy crosses the parking lot and he’d probably keep coming if it wasn’t for the other guy with hair covering his eyes. He stops right in front of Tattoo Guy, halting his progress, but his posture suggests he’d also fight for kicks. “Is there a problem, Beth?”
Beth flashes an evil smirk. “Not anymore.” She jumps into the front seat of the car.
Both guys walk to their car while keeping an eye on me, as if I’m stupid enough to jump them from behind. The engine roars to life and the car vibrates as if duct tape holds it together.
In no hurry to go inside and explain to my friends how I lost, I stay on the sidewalk. The car slowly drives by and Beth presses her palm against the passenger window. Written in black marker is the word signaling my defeat:
can’t
.
PLAYLIST FOR
PUSHING
THE
LIMITS
Music is my muse of choice. These songs helped shape the overall theme of the story:
‘Push’ by Matchbox Twenty
‘Bad Romance’ by Lady Gaga
‘Scar Tissue’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers
‘Use Somebody’ by Kings of Leon
To help get into character for Noah, I listened to the following:
‘Down’ by Jay Sean
‘Changes’ by 2Pac & Talent
‘Hey, Soul Sister’ by Train
For Echo, I listened to:
‘Paint’ by Roxette
‘Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough’ by Patty Smyth & Don Henley
‘The End of the Innocence’ by Don Henley & Bruce Hornsby
Songs used for specific scenes:
‘Undone (The sweater song)’ by Weezer—This song inspired the moment between Noah and Echo at the party.
‘Crash Into Me’ by The Dave Matthews Band— I listened to this song whenever I needed to write a kiss between Echo and Noah.
‘Free’ by Zac Brown Band—This song represents everything I wanted Echo and Noah to have gained by the end of the story. If you’re curious as to what happened between them the summer after the story ends, just listen to this song.
A song special to me:
‘Can You’ by Angela McGarry—After reading a draft of
Pushing the Limits
, Angela was inspired to write ‘Can You.’ Check out the song performed by Mason Stonebridge on my website: www.katielmcgarry.com.
Q&A WITH
KATIE McGARRY
What was your inspiration for writing
Pushing the Limits
?
I had two main inspirations:
One, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write a story in which my characters felt strong enough to leave their pasts behind and create new futures for themselves. The first scene I ever saw in my mind was Echo and Noah leaving town after graduation.
Two, I wanted to write two characters who were facing overwhelming issues and who, through battling these issues, found hope at the end of their journey.
How did you come up with Echo’s name?
Echo went through several name changes as I wrote the manuscript.
For a while, she had a very normal name, but it always felt off. It wasn’t until I looked at Echo from her mother’s point of view that I found her name. Echo’s mother loved Greek mythology, so it made perfect sense that she would name her children after the myths. I read several Greek myths and the moment I found Echo’s, I fell in love. Echo, to me, was the girl who lost her voice. Thankfully, she finds it by the end.
Which character is the most ‘like’ you?
All of them. I gave each character a piece of me (though some have larger slices of me than others). Overall, I’d say I’m a strange combination of Echo, Lila and Beth. Echo has my need to please, Lila has my unfailing loyalty to my friends and Beth encompasses my insecurities.
Did you experience friendships with Grace types when you were in high school?
Yes. And the more people have read this story, the more this question comes up. Grace has struck a stronger nerve in people than I ever would have imagined. It seems most of us have unfortunately experienced a relationship where a person wants to ‘like’ you and wants ‘be your friend,’ but only if it serves their needs. In case anyone is wondering, that isn’t friendship.
Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
Yes. The relationship between Noah, Isaiah and Beth. Beyond my parents and sister, my nearest family members were over fourteen hours away. My friends became my family. The people I grew up with were more than people I watched movies with or talked to occasionally on the phone. These were people with whom I shared life’s most devastating moments, but also my hardest laughs. These were people who I would have willingly died for and I know they would have done the same for me.
They shared my triumphs with smiles on their faces and congratulatory hugs. They held me when I cried and offered to beat up whoever hurt my feelings. These were also the same people who were more than happy to get in my face if
they thought I was making a wrong decision.
Did anything that happens to Echo happen to you?
Sort of. I was bitten by a dog when I was in second grade and repressed the memory. It felt very strange to have no memory of an incident that other people knew about. It was even stranger to have injuries and not have an inkling where they came from. In college, I finally remembered the incident when a dog lunged at me. I relived the horrible event and sort of ‘woke up’ a few minutes later to find myself surrounded by people I loved.
Even though I ‘remember’ the incident, I still don’t remember the whole thing. I only see still frames in my mind and there is no blood in any of the memories.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Mira Ink is a registered trademark of Harlequin Enterprises Limited, used under licence.
First published in Great Britain 2012.
MIRA Books, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,
Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1SR
© Katie McGarry 2012
ebook ISBN: 978-1-408-95743-1
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