asks.
“Yes. How about you?”
“Freshman at Mason.”
I nod. “I’m planning on going to UVA.”
His lips twitch. “Yeah?”
And my stomach flutters again. “Yeah.”
“Well.” He shrugs. “Guess I’ll see you at the next meeting then. Bye.”
“Bye.” I watch him jog back across the street and my eyes go down to his ass. It’s a good ass. Fills out his jeans. He climbs on a motorcycle. Boy’s got balls. I’ll give him that much. It’s thirty-five degrees and he’s on a bike. Crazy.
He gives me a two-finger salute as he rolls past, and I nod.
Maybe this grief group won’t be so bad after all.
On my way home I drive by Bucky’s just to see whatever there might be to see and to watch my rearview for signs of anyone who might be trailing me.
Bucky’s place is all lit up, and I catch sight of a woman sitting in a big chair reading. The rest of the windows have curtains, stopping me from seeing inside. I cruise on by, still watching my rearview, but don’t see anybody behind me.
I head on home and straight to Justin’s room. He’s in his jim-jams, lying in bed, reading some graphic novel.
Jim-jams. That’s what our mother used to call them.
Justin looks up. “Hi.”
I close his door and sit down on his bed. “Tell me everything you know about this Bucky guy.”
My brother swallows, and the gurgle of it fills the air between us. He’s really nervous.
“I . . . I don’t want to,” he mumbles.
I take a patient breath. “Why? Are you scared?”
He nods and looks away.
I feel my jaw tighten and concentrate on not looking pissed. I don’t want to scare him any more than he already is. “Did he threaten you?”
Justin starts to shake his head, and then he swerves his big hazel eyes over to mine and reluctantly nods. “Please don’t tell Dad.”
Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m taking care of this myself. “What did he do to you?”
“He didn’t touch me, just threatened to beat me up if I told anybody. But don’t worry, I know how to avoid him.”
Anger festers in me. “Where does he hang out?”
“Mostly the trail.”
I know exactly what trail Justin’s talking about. It weaves through neighborhoods and playgrounds. People use it for biking and jogging. Kids use it to walk home. “How long has this been going on?”
“Only a couple of weeks.” Justin fingers his blanket, obviously anxious about the whole subject. “I feel stupid. I thought he was the Masked Savior at first.”
“What? Why?”
“Because of the way he was dressed.” He rolls his eyes. “Stupid, I know.”
“It’s not stupid, Justin. Tell me, is he trying to sell you drugs?”
“Yeah. He was giving away some too. You promise you won’t tell Dad?”
I concentrate on maintaining a calm expression and not showing the fury boiling through me. Dressing as the Masked Savior and trying to peddle drugs. “You didn’t take any, did you?”
“No! I promise! But . . .” He glances away. “Some of the other kids did.”
“Justin, stay off that trail. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.”
I kiss the top of his head. “Night. See you tomorrow.”
As I’m leaving Justin’s room, I see Dad in his bedroom looking through photo albums. It reminds me of the two pictures he gave me and that I want to ask him about them.
“Dad?”
With a pleasant smile he glances up, and I find myself smiling back. It’s so good to see him happy.
“What’s up?” he asks.
“Those two pictures you gave me. One had a dark-haired woman. Do you know who she is?”
He shrugs. “Probably just someone they knew from the marines.”
“Were they from Mom’s locker at work?”
He heaves a sigh. “No. I still haven’t done that yet.”
“It’s okay.” I nod to the photo album. “Well, I’ll let you get back to it.”
I go to my room, get the picture out, and take another long look at the woman. I don’t know . . . I think there’s something about this woman my mother didn’t want
“Yes. How about you?”
“Freshman at Mason.”
I nod. “I’m planning on going to UVA.”
His lips twitch. “Yeah?”
And my stomach flutters again. “Yeah.”
“Well.” He shrugs. “Guess I’ll see you at the next meeting then. Bye.”
“Bye.” I watch him jog back across the street and my eyes go down to his ass. It’s a good ass. Fills out his jeans. He climbs on a motorcycle. Boy’s got balls. I’ll give him that much. It’s thirty-five degrees and he’s on a bike. Crazy.
He gives me a two-finger salute as he rolls past, and I nod.
Maybe this grief group won’t be so bad after all.
On my way home I drive by Bucky’s just to see whatever there might be to see and to watch my rearview for signs of anyone who might be trailing me.
Bucky’s place is all lit up, and I catch sight of a woman sitting in a big chair reading. The rest of the windows have curtains, stopping me from seeing inside. I cruise on by, still watching my rearview, but don’t see anybody behind me.
I head on home and straight to Justin’s room. He’s in his jim-jams, lying in bed, reading some graphic novel.
Jim-jams. That’s what our mother used to call them.
Justin looks up. “Hi.”
I close his door and sit down on his bed. “Tell me everything you know about this Bucky guy.”
My brother swallows, and the gurgle of it fills the air between us. He’s really nervous.
“I . . . I don’t want to,” he mumbles.
I take a patient breath. “Why? Are you scared?”
He nods and looks away.
I feel my jaw tighten and concentrate on not looking pissed. I don’t want to scare him any more than he already is. “Did he threaten you?”
Justin starts to shake his head, and then he swerves his big hazel eyes over to mine and reluctantly nods. “Please don’t tell Dad.”
Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m taking care of this myself. “What did he do to you?”
“He didn’t touch me, just threatened to beat me up if I told anybody. But don’t worry, I know how to avoid him.”
Anger festers in me. “Where does he hang out?”
“Mostly the trail.”
I know exactly what trail Justin’s talking about. It weaves through neighborhoods and playgrounds. People use it for biking and jogging. Kids use it to walk home. “How long has this been going on?”
“Only a couple of weeks.” Justin fingers his blanket, obviously anxious about the whole subject. “I feel stupid. I thought he was the Masked Savior at first.”
“What? Why?”
“Because of the way he was dressed.” He rolls his eyes. “Stupid, I know.”
“It’s not stupid, Justin. Tell me, is he trying to sell you drugs?”
“Yeah. He was giving away some too. You promise you won’t tell Dad?”
I concentrate on maintaining a calm expression and not showing the fury boiling through me. Dressing as the Masked Savior and trying to peddle drugs. “You didn’t take any, did you?”
“No! I promise! But . . .” He glances away. “Some of the other kids did.”
“Justin, stay off that trail. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.”
I kiss the top of his head. “Night. See you tomorrow.”
As I’m leaving Justin’s room, I see Dad in his bedroom looking through photo albums. It reminds me of the two pictures he gave me and that I want to ask him about them.
“Dad?”
With a pleasant smile he glances up, and I find myself smiling back. It’s so good to see him happy.
“What’s up?” he asks.
“Those two pictures you gave me. One had a dark-haired woman. Do you know who she is?”
He shrugs. “Probably just someone they knew from the marines.”
“Were they from Mom’s locker at work?”
He heaves a sigh. “No. I still haven’t done that yet.”
“It’s okay.” I nod to the photo album. “Well, I’ll let you get back to it.”
I go to my room, get the picture out, and take another long look at the woman. I don’t know . . . I think there’s something about this woman my mother didn’t want
Similar Books
