ended in a quadruple homicide. “Weird is good.”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t show that side when Mom and Dad are around. Carrie still fights against it, but she’s made it this far. Peter stepped into line too. He got adopted, but he still lets my mom dictate how he dresses. Have you considered that?”
“No.”
“Peter knows how to play the game. I don’t get why he still resents me, but whatever. So I guess what I’m trying to say is you can have my life too. If you want it, I mean.” Caesar flashed him a smile. “I’m willing to share.”
Jason shook his head. “I still say you’re spoiled.”
“Says the guy who’s getting a free meal and movie out of me.”
Jason laughed. “Well you did say you were willing to share. Hey, what time is it? Doesn’t the movie start soon?”
“No phone, no clock. Let’s head over there anyway.” Caesar stood, picking up their trays. “Aren’t you going to eat your fortune cookie?”
“Nah,” Jason said. “I can’t stand the things.”
* * * * *
“There was nothing funny about it!” Caesar complained as they pulled into the driveway.
“They made papier-mâché brains and hid explosives inside them,” Jason said with a grin. “It didn’t even make sense. Zombies must be able to smell when brains are fake.”
“Well, that’s why they hid them inside the shop mannequins.” Caesar shuddered and put the car in park. “Definitely not a funny film.”
But Caesar had laughed a lot. They both had, mostly at the bad acting or the snarky lines Jason kept adding to the end of dialogue. A Sunday afternoon horror movie wasn’t on most people’s agenda, so the theater had been mostly empty. They’d had a good time, even if Caesar had tensed up whenever a zombie appeared on screen.
“Speaking of monsters,” Caesar said. He fetched his phone from the back seat and turned it on. “Twenty-six text messages, two voicemails.”
“Must be nice to be so popular.”
“They’re all from the same person.”
“Oh.” Jason thought of dark corkscrew hair. “Steph?”
Caesar glanced away from the phone momentarily, eyeing him before answering. “Yeah. Things have been pretty crazy with her lately.”
Jason swallowed. “Crazy hot, or crazy crazy?”
“Crazy crazy. She and I dated on and off for years. It never works out, so we decided to do the whole best-friends-with-benefits deal. You know what I mean?”
Jason nodded numbly.
“Now she’s even more into me. The casual thing was her idea, but I think she still takes our relationship seriously.”
“But technically she’s not your girlfriend?”
Caesar shook his head, distracted by the phone again. Jason watched the amber eyes dart around the screen, brow furrowing at what was displayed there. Jason felt like grabbing the phone and throwing it out the window so it couldn’t ruin the day they’d had together. Finally Caesar sighed, shoved the phone in his pocket, and opened the car door. “Come on. It’s almost dinner time.”
“I’m still full from lunch.”
“Yeah, me too, but we still have to make an appearance.” Caesar led the way to the front door. “I won’t be able to sleep tonight,” he moaned. “I’m coming to your room if I have a nightmare.”
Jason smiled at the idea. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ll protect you from a zombie invasion.”
“They’d hear you coming a mile away. I didn’t want to say anything, but what’s with the shoes?”
Jason blushed. He’d been squeaking around the mall the whole day. Every single step was a noisy reminder of the stupid sneakers. “Hey, I worked hard for these. They’re my chore reward. I wanted a pair of lime-green Converse, but— Uh…”
“My mom,” Caesar said, shaking his head. “Maybe you can try oiling them or something.”
“Like cooking oil? I’ll take them to Burger King and have them dipped in the deep fat fryer.”
Caesar guffawed on their way into the house, which might have been what
“Yeah, but she doesn’t show that side when Mom and Dad are around. Carrie still fights against it, but she’s made it this far. Peter stepped into line too. He got adopted, but he still lets my mom dictate how he dresses. Have you considered that?”
“No.”
“Peter knows how to play the game. I don’t get why he still resents me, but whatever. So I guess what I’m trying to say is you can have my life too. If you want it, I mean.” Caesar flashed him a smile. “I’m willing to share.”
Jason shook his head. “I still say you’re spoiled.”
“Says the guy who’s getting a free meal and movie out of me.”
Jason laughed. “Well you did say you were willing to share. Hey, what time is it? Doesn’t the movie start soon?”
“No phone, no clock. Let’s head over there anyway.” Caesar stood, picking up their trays. “Aren’t you going to eat your fortune cookie?”
“Nah,” Jason said. “I can’t stand the things.”
* * * * *
“There was nothing funny about it!” Caesar complained as they pulled into the driveway.
“They made papier-mâché brains and hid explosives inside them,” Jason said with a grin. “It didn’t even make sense. Zombies must be able to smell when brains are fake.”
“Well, that’s why they hid them inside the shop mannequins.” Caesar shuddered and put the car in park. “Definitely not a funny film.”
But Caesar had laughed a lot. They both had, mostly at the bad acting or the snarky lines Jason kept adding to the end of dialogue. A Sunday afternoon horror movie wasn’t on most people’s agenda, so the theater had been mostly empty. They’d had a good time, even if Caesar had tensed up whenever a zombie appeared on screen.
“Speaking of monsters,” Caesar said. He fetched his phone from the back seat and turned it on. “Twenty-six text messages, two voicemails.”
“Must be nice to be so popular.”
“They’re all from the same person.”
“Oh.” Jason thought of dark corkscrew hair. “Steph?”
Caesar glanced away from the phone momentarily, eyeing him before answering. “Yeah. Things have been pretty crazy with her lately.”
Jason swallowed. “Crazy hot, or crazy crazy?”
“Crazy crazy. She and I dated on and off for years. It never works out, so we decided to do the whole best-friends-with-benefits deal. You know what I mean?”
Jason nodded numbly.
“Now she’s even more into me. The casual thing was her idea, but I think she still takes our relationship seriously.”
“But technically she’s not your girlfriend?”
Caesar shook his head, distracted by the phone again. Jason watched the amber eyes dart around the screen, brow furrowing at what was displayed there. Jason felt like grabbing the phone and throwing it out the window so it couldn’t ruin the day they’d had together. Finally Caesar sighed, shoved the phone in his pocket, and opened the car door. “Come on. It’s almost dinner time.”
“I’m still full from lunch.”
“Yeah, me too, but we still have to make an appearance.” Caesar led the way to the front door. “I won’t be able to sleep tonight,” he moaned. “I’m coming to your room if I have a nightmare.”
Jason smiled at the idea. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ll protect you from a zombie invasion.”
“They’d hear you coming a mile away. I didn’t want to say anything, but what’s with the shoes?”
Jason blushed. He’d been squeaking around the mall the whole day. Every single step was a noisy reminder of the stupid sneakers. “Hey, I worked hard for these. They’re my chore reward. I wanted a pair of lime-green Converse, but— Uh…”
“My mom,” Caesar said, shaking his head. “Maybe you can try oiling them or something.”
“Like cooking oil? I’ll take them to Burger King and have them dipped in the deep fat fryer.”
Caesar guffawed on their way into the house, which might have been what
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