Broken Road Read Free Page B

people realize that you’re from Jersey, maybe they’ll stop thinking of it as merely being the diner capital of the world, or worse yet, for having the most toxic waste dumps in any state in the nation.”
    Although Dante had originally come from Chicago, he had grown to love New Jersey and considered himself a native son of the state. Although they were best friends, they were such polar opposites of each other. Jarrod was tall, nearing six foot two, with an amazing athletic build, wavy hair that reached just above his neckline, in a color reminiscent of dark chocolate. His eyes were so blue that they could easily be compared to the beauty of the turquoise waters off the Caribbean Sea, inviting one to luxuriate in their warm depth. Dante on the other hand, had two inches on Jarrod and was exceedingly thin. As far as muscles go, if he had any, they were hidden deep within the long, loose, ill-fitting football jerseys he preferred to wear. He kept his light-blond hair cut short in a military style and wore a single small gold loop earring in each ear. But appearance was not where their contrasts ended. While Jarrod lived and breathed sports, Dante had absolutely no interest whatsoever in participating or watching, preferring to hang out with his buddies and to crash any party he could. He was also by far one of the most intelligent people Jarrod had ever met. He could discuss anything as mundane as the reason why prepubescent teenage girls were obsessed with love stories involving vampires to the more complex subject of President Obama’s stand on foreign policies, without batting a single eyelash. Yet he refused to apply himself when it came to school. He had built a solid reputation as the class clown, and due to his infinite charm and sense of humor, was exceedingly popular with all—including the teachers who nevertheless continued to dole out Ds and Fs to him on a regular basis.
    Dante and his parents had moved to New Jersey from Chicago when he was only ten years old. The move from the wildly exciting Windy City to a small, suburban town in a state best known for farming tomatoes was taxing enough, but even more difficult was leaving his friends behind. His first day in his new school was, to say the least, challenging, nerve-wracking, and beyond terrifying. All the other fifth graders looked at him as if he carried some horribly contagious disease and would pass it on to them by merely imparting them with a passing glance. Except for Jarrod. He boldly came up to him during recess, introduced himself, and asked if he wanted to join him and two others in playing four square. Since Dante had never heard of the game, Jarrod quickly explained the rules. They played together that day and became fast friends. The friendship had only grown and flourished with each passing day.
    “If Springsteen wasn’t able to put Jersey on the map, I seriously doubt I’ll be able to,” Jarrod said. “Besides, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. We still don’t know anything yet. Not until tomorrow.”
    “Oh c’mon, Wentworth! You want this so much, you’d give up Alec’s firstborn for it,” yelled Joey from the back.
    “Hey,” wailed Alec as he punched Joey in the arm. They all started laughing, but Jarrod became somewhat serious as he looked out the passenger side window, sighed deeply, and quietly whispered, “I do want it.” Although it was barely audible, everyone seemed to either have heard it or sensed what he was thinking and kept silent.
    After a few thoughtful moments, Dante said, “Dude, do me a favor and grab the AC/DC disc out of the glove compartment and put it in for me.”
    From the backseat you could hear Alec groan, “Not ‘Thunderstruck’ again!”
    “Excuse me,” exclaimed Dante. “I’ll pull over right now and leave you here on the side of the road if you continue to make negative comments toward the Gods of Rock ‘n Roll!”
    Everyone chuckled at his retort since they all knew Dante’s