Total pages in book: 238
Estimated words: 231781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1159(@200wpm)___ 927(@250wpm)___ 773(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 231781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1159(@200wpm)___ 927(@250wpm)___ 773(@300wpm)
I turned to him. “Not going to carry on the family tradition?”
Trevor was three years behind his brother Michael. Plenty of time left in high school.
But he just scoffed. “You mean the once-a-year beef fest where my brother and his friends get the whole town to suck their cocks because they’re too stupid to remember how to be men the other three-hundred-sixty-four days of the year?” He shook his head. “No.”
I snorted. I may have misjudged him. The silver spoon in his mouth was salty.
“When everyone grows up and realizes they’re nothing,” he continued. “I’ll laugh and celebrate then. Or when they finally get arrested for all the dumb shit they pull.”
“Some brother you are.”
He shrugged, but I smiled a little. He might not be so bad, after all.
And I understood where he was coming from. I wouldn’t cry if my brother got into a little trouble.
In the distance, Will took out a cell phone as he stepped into the hangout, looking like he was filming a couple of the guys rough housing.
“That is true, though, isn’t it?” I thought out loud. “About the risk of getting arrested, I mean. They film everything with that phone. It’s pretty careless.”
Trevor followed my gaze, everyone knowing that the Horsemen recorded their escapades. There was proof of all the petty crimes and pranks they’d pulled.
“If anyone had half a mind to,” I went on, “there would be no way to ignore their behavior if someone shared those videos in the right place, you know? Can you imagine the embarrassment?”
The places they’d robbed? Vandalized? The underage girls—maybe guys, too—or hey, maybe there were even married women on that phone. The town would go crazy.
He was silent for a moment, and when I looked back at him, his gaze was still on the crowd in Sticks, but his expression was serious as the wheels in his head turned.
“They’re too comfortable in their surroundings, that’s for sure,” he added.
I nodded. “False sense of safety and all that.”
They took video—probably pictures, too—because they knew they were invincible. Even if anyone found it, would it amount to any more than a slap on the wrist and some very embarrassed parents?
Money solved all problems.
Trevor still stood there, gazing after them in the billiards hall.
“Learn a lesson from this,” I told him. “Don’t document your shit. The Internet lives forever. Got it.”
But I didn’t think he heard me as he absently nodded.
“See ya,” he said, finally turning away and heading back to his friend.
I gazed across the street, hearing the music from here and knowing I’d made the right decision. I wouldn’t belong in there with them. Could you imagine? Me? Like, having fun?
I’d be wondering what the point was the whole time. I couldn’t not be serious, and he was never serious.
Turning, I picked up my bag, but the flap flew open, and I spotted a packet of papers inside.
Pulling them out, I turned it over and saw “Lolita Study Guide” written on the front.
“Huh?” I mumbled. I’d looked everywhere for this! Including this bag, both of my lockers, my house, the garbage…
What the hell?
But as I looked over the packet, my name written at the top, I saw the questions already completed. All of them. Neat, block lettering in pencil.
I flipped through, inspecting every page and reading every answer, seeing that it was all completed, the answers impressive, even for me, although a couple of the responses kind of pissed me off.
I dropped my hands, staring off. I thought for sure Godzilla and the granola bar was Will, but this was snuck into my locker, as well. And it was done tonight. This wasn’t in my bag before I went swimming.
There was no way he’d done this. Unless he buttered up a girl to do it for him.
It did look like a guy’s penmanship, though.
I raised my eyes, making out his black T-shirt and chocolate-colored hair as he stood near a pool table inside Sticks.
He wouldn’t have to look for me, because I had a question that needed answering.
See you on the bus tomorrow night, Will Grayson.
Emory
Present
I blinked my eyes open, the blurry room in front of me slowly coming into view. The weight of a truck sat on my back, and I rolled myself over, peeling my face off the pillow.
My arm draped over the other half of the empty bed.
It was just a dream.
I stared at the ceiling, still feeling him next to me in bed, but I knew he wasn’t there. He was closer than ever now, but I felt his absence more than I ever did.
Tears ached behind my eyes, remembering how he felt and how much I really wanted to feel that again right now.
He barely looked at me yesterday. He always looked at me.
God, who put me in Blackchurch? My brother wouldn’t have the clout for this. I’d heard he’d married, but it had been years since I’d seen him. Why now?