Zoe Francis lived a couple of miles away from me, in a seedier section of the burb—-which basically just meant that instead of white picket fences, the yards were designated with chain link. Since I didn’t drive, wouldn’t be caught dead on a bicycle, and my only older sibling was already out of the house, I was limited to my feet. True, I knew plenty of illicit short-cuts which helped chop the travel time, but it was still a good ten minutes before I pulled up two houses away from hers to catch my breath.
Why did she want to see me? Was she finally going to express her undying love for me? Maybe this was her not-so-subtle way of letting me know I should go ahead and make a move already. Were her parents home? Would we be alone? I wasn’t about to try anything with her mother around. She’d probably just give us tips, but still, it would be awkward.