[sic]

by Scott Kelly

  The girl began calling the number out. Decision time. If my backpack got searched, the teacher’s wallet would be found, and I’d be in much, much bigger trouble.

  “I have it,” I announced. “I have her phone.”

  As the words left my mouth, the teacher pressed the final button on her cell phone. My backpack started singing some bullshit radio jingle.

  The class tittered as I pulled the device out. “Is this your phone?” I asked the girl. Could feel Nora’s disappointed stare burning holes in my back. “Uh, I found this in the hallway, on the floor by some lockers. I thought maybe it was someone else’s. My other friend lost her phone, too.” A lifetime of quick lies.

  “You clearly knew the phone was hers,” my teacher pointed out. “You confessed.”

  Knew I’d have to dig a little deeper. “Look, my sister just broke her front tooth on some shot and she’s upset, and I thought I could give her the phone to make her feel better and…” I blubbered on, playing up my reputation as the poor trashy kid.

  The teacher snatched the phone from me, which shut me up. She handed it to the girl. “Is the phone okay?”

  Call a goddamn medic.

  “Yeah, looks all right,” the girl answered slowly, though she seemed puzzled for a moment as she cleared Steven’s mysterious text from the screen.

  “Do you want him to go to the office?”

  I put my hands together in a praying motion and mouthed ‘Please’ to the girl, whom I’d never spoken to before.

  “He’s a jerk,” the girl said, “but it’s okay. I mean, it’s the last day, and I have a little sister, too.”

  “That’s good of you, Samantha,” the teacher said.

  I hunched down in my seat; could feel everyone’s eyes on me. Could hear the murmurs. And why? For something Steven did. Wasn’t this how it always was, though? How often was someone despised in this high school for something they had no control over?

  “What the hell?” Nora whispered ferociously. “You’re stealing now?”

  “It’s not like that. I was set up,” I said. And this was the worst. I could give a shit about the rest of them—but Nora mattered. Nora was real.

  “Yeah, right.”

  “I’m serious,” I whispered. “There’s this guy, Steven; he’s doing this to me.”

  Nora shook her head and turned away, silent. I could hardly blame her; this was exactly the kind of craziness I’d promised would end at Geoff’s funeral.

  As the bell rang for the class to end, I flew out the door. Just in time, too. As I stepped around the corner, I heard the teacher yelling for everyone to come back in. I didn’t have time to check if anyone watched; as quickly as possible, I snatched the teacher’s wallet from my backpack and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. The teacher rounded the corner a moment later.

  “Stop right there, young man,” she said, voice tinged with panic. This was the most she’d worked all year.

  “Yes?” I asked.

  “My wallet is missing. It was right here.” She opened up her purse and demonstrated where the wallet usually sat.

  “I don’t have your wallet,” I said.

  “Don’t you dare move. We’re gonna put an end to your little crime spree.”

  Nora joined the crowd of people who gathered to see what was happening. Almost as good as a fist fight. I only prayed no one saw me throw the wallet into the garbage.

  The teacher returned with a security guard, who took the backpack off my shoulders and dug around carefully, like my bag was gonna be full of needles.

  I stared at Nora; she stared at the trashcan. She’d seen. Rip my heart in two. This was as bad as getting caught. She shook her head then turned away.

  “Nothing,” the security guard reported.

  “If I find out you are responsible for this, I’m going to make sure you don’t graduate,” the teacher scowled.

  I shrugged. “All right. That’s your prerogative. Can I go to my next class now?”

  The teacher didn’t say anything. Just walked away.

  The security guard was staring me down, so I smiled, turned, and left.

  I spent the rest of the day trying to apologize to Nora between classes. By the last bell, I’d gotten her to talk to me again.

  “I don’t like this, Jacob.”

  “I know this seems crazy. Look, it’s almost over. If I can graduate, I can get away from them forever.”

  “Who is ‘them?’” Nora asked.

  “The other kids from Broadway. They’re…hunting me, I guess.”

  “I thought you quit all this.”

  “I did, I promise. My quitting is the reason they’re doing this—I didn’t steal that girl’s cell phone and I definitely wouldn’t steal a teacher’s wallet.”

  “I saw you throw it away,” she said as we walked through the emptying halls. “Someone should tell the teacher where her wallet is.” She seemed to reconsider for a moment. “I do hate her, though.”

  “I’m willing to bet Steven did that. The little geeky kid? You may not remember him; he dropped out of school a year ago.”

  We stopped in front of my locker. The lock was gone; I swung my backpack off my shoulders and dug through the bag, yanking out my keychain. My locker key was gone, too.

  This day just kept getting better. Steven must have taken my key and lock.

  “What’s the matter?” Nora asked.

  “I’m not sure yet. Someone’s been in my locker,” I said, hoping to use my honesty as a preemptive defense for whatever Steven had in store. “There’s gonna be something messed up in here. Maybe drugs. A human head? The way this day is going, maybe a fist will fly out and hit me in the face. I have no idea, Nora. I think he’s trying to prove something to me, like he’s the smartest guy on Earth. Over-compensating, if you ask me.”

  “Your life is freaking ridiculous. You know that, right?” she asked, thick brown eyebrows furrowed.

  I opened the locker. Inside, a note. On it, one word: Boo.

  I blushed. “Like I said. He’s out to get me.”

  Nora rolled her eyes. “Look, I’m trying to trust you.”

  “Seriously?” I shoved the note into the back of the locker, putting my books over the paper. “I thought you’d get pissed and leave, honestly.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t think many people have trusted you before. You might not be used to this. No offense, but you don’t inspire confidence.”

  “I just wish these people would leave me alone.” That was partially true. Sort of.

  “What exactly does Steven want?” Nora asked.

  “He wants to be better than David, and I’m the only person who knows them both. I’m the only one who can justify him. They’re kind of in a contest to see who’s craziest.”

  “And is he really better? I mean, crazier?” Nora asked.

  “No, not nearly.”

  “You aren’t going to start acting crazy again, are you? I don’t know if I can handle that.” Worry warped the deep wells of her eyes.

  “I’m not, okay? Let’s go to your house. I’ll listen to your speech. I’m sure you’ll do great.” Changing the subject to tomorrow’s festivities seemed to lighten the mood.

  “I’m so nervous,” she admitted. “I have to give a speech to the entire school. You remember when David did his last year?”

  I remembered all too well. “I don’t think you’ll top that for entertainment value.”

  33. The weapon of choice

  Now

  “Framing. It’s an interesting thing to call it, don’t you think? Putting someone in a particular view.”

  Mr. Ashen answers me: “But, Nora trusted you. Her view of you didn’t change when you got framed. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

  Maybe it does. Maybe my problem is, no one loved me up until that moment. Still, that doesn’t help what happened next.

  “That kind of trust has limits, Mr. Aschen. Those limits got tested that very same day—tested and broken.”

&nb
sp; *

  Two days ago

  Just me and Nora, unsupervised in her house. Finally, some sanctuary. Nothing could touch us in that nice, clean home with a church ceiling and stone floors that made the greatest sound when my shoe struck them. The sound of civilization.

  No wasting the hour between when we got to her place, and her father got off work. We quickly became a heap of writhing clothes on her bed. Nora’s hot breath tickled the stubble on my face, and my hands found their way into the wonderfully warm space between her blouse and skin.

  She stopped kissing me as I worked to undo her bra. “You were weird today. None of that for you.”

  “Oh, c’mon. Being a little weird never hurt anyone.”

  She became rigid and pushed me away, and I knew I’d said something wrong. “Sometimes when you get weird—it ends up hurting me in the process. Do you really think ‘being weird’ is in your best interest at this point?”

  “I don’t think I have any idea what ‘normal’ is, I’m trying—”

  Nora screamed—not at me, but in genuine fear.

  I twisted under her, turning to follow her horrified stare.

  Emily waved at us through Nora’s window, face inches from the glass. “Hey, guys,” she said loudly. The cheeriness in her voice was muffled by the pane between us.

  What the hell. Emily, here. Why? Could be any reason; Emily was crazy. I froze in the face of all the different ways this could go. Did she have a weapon? No. Was she breaking in? Not yet.

  “What’s she doing here?” Nora asked, climbing stiffly from her position on top of me.

  I understood only the basics. “Emily plays Eureka. She wants me to tag her,” I answered.

  “You mean after I saw this skank kissing you, you still have anything to do with her?” Nora asked, loudly enough for Emily to hear. “I thought it was pretty well assumed that if we were a couple, you wouldn’t be hanging out with any exes.”

  She stood patiently outside, arms crossed behind her back, until we’d finished. “Can I come in?” Emily asked. “It’s hot out here.”

  “No,” I said. “Look, I wouldn’t touch her.”

  “Except that one time,” Emily supplied helpfully.

  “You dick,” Nora said, punching me in the shoulder.

  “I thought you hated me. And it was for Eureka…”

  “Eureka and orgasms. If you could—” Emily tried to say.

  “What is she talking about?”

  “This was before you came and picked me up on Christmas.” I said, trying to calm Nora. “When we weren’t talking.”

  “Proceed to the front door…” Emily continued, folding her arms.

  “I’m trying to explain. Look,” I put a hand on Nora’s shoulder, which she flung off.

  “YELLOW SKITTLES!” Emily shouted, finally getting our attention. We both turned and looked at her. “They’re my favorite out of the bunch.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.

  “Let me in, kiddies,” Emily said. “We can sit down and talk like grownups. Or, alternatively, Jacob can tag me and I will go home.”

  “You’ve always been a total bitch to me,” Nora said. “Why would you come to my house? How do you even know where I live?”

  “I thought your calming influence might help me talk some sense into Jacob,” Emily said.

  I rubbed a hand across my face in frustration. Her presence alone had nearly broken us up. Had to get Emily out of here, fast—but what could I do? I wasn’t ready to give up.

  “I will give your car back, Jacob,” she said, dangling my keys at me. “I’m tired of running from the police, anyway. Just tag me, goddamnit.”

  “You can have the car,” I said.

  “Wait—why does she have your car?” Nora asked.

  “He gave it to me,” Emily said. I scowled at her. “Let me in, and I’ll tell you all about it. I’ve got tons of dirty secrets.”

  “There is no way are you coming in!” Nora said, arms crossed, lips pressed tightly together.

  “I didn’t give her the car—Eureka made me,” I tried to explain.

  “How can a game make you do something? Why didn’t you tell the cops?” Nora asked.

  “I couldn’t. It would have been…” I struggled to think of the words.

  “Poor sportsmanship?” Emily supplied, her voice still muffled.

  “Sorta,” I agreed.

  “Let’s move this to the front, so I can kick you both out,” Nora quietly decided, shaking her head. “I cannot handle this right now. Jacob, I’m trying. I really am. You’re making this too hard.”

  As we walked through the house to the front door, I tried to reason with her. She wasn’t having it. Nora shut down, and my words fell on deaf ears.

  Emily waited outside, one arm up against the side of the home, the other one holding a cigarette to her lips. Short maroon dress pushed against her curves by the wind, night to the day of Nora’s blue jeans and t-shirts.

  “Put that out,” Nora demanded. “You’ll make the whole place stink.”

  Emily ignored her. “Jacob, if you tag me, I’ll leave,” she said. “I don’t mean to break your life. I only want what I want. I want what we had.”

  Tagging her was tempting, I had to admit. Every moment she spent here, she destroyed the weeks I’d spent rebuilding trust with Nora.

  She continued: “We had a good thing going, Jacob. Let’s start it again. Just tag me, promise me, and then you can go back to banging the nerd, all right?”

  “Hey,” Nora objected.

  I didn’t know how to defend a girl from another girl.

  Emily addressed Nora next. “He is in a state of denial. I know that he knows Eureka is a beautiful thing. I’ve seen it in him. Except, now he’s got a girlfriend, and he’s scared to lose her, so he’s changing. He’s changing by refusing to change. You’re ruining him.”

  Nora turned to me. “Would you get this crazy bitch off my lawn?”

  “What am I supposed to do, drag her by the hair?”

  “It would be a nice start,” Nora said. Emily stared. “Just get her out of here. I can’t handle this.” Tears sprung up in the corners of her eyes. “What do you two want from me?”

  I put my arms around Nora and hugged. She held her hands up so all I felt were elbows and forearms.

  Emily spoke again: “Jesus, she’s got a fragile mind. It’s not that—”

  She was interrupted as Nora shoved me back and away from her, turned, and punched Emily in the mouth. Her fist connected with a solid thwack and my temptress stumbled backward in her platform shoes, falling onto the soft grass, cigarette landing several feet away.

  “You punched me,” Emily said in shock, wiping her mouth with her forearm.

  “You should go,” I said. “She’s probably going to do it again.”

  Nora was sniffing back tears. She spun around, shoved me away from the door, and slammed it between us.

  “Nora, come on. I didn’t do this!”

  “Go to hell, both of you!” I heard her cry.

  “Son of a bitch,” I proclaimed to no one in particular.

  Emily was still on the ground behind me. She extended a hand so I could help her up. “Not this time,” I said, walking past.

  34. The Grackle King

  The road out of Nora’s neighborhood cut through fields of corn which stood golden brown and six feet high. As I walked, my legs seemed to power the gears in my mind, which struggled to grind through this last chunk of experience.

  Emily was right. Would I stay with Nora? Was Nora even an option, after what Emily did?

  Hot May sun baking me, radiating my skin. They say in a billion years, the sun will devour the Earth. Texas is the appetizer. Three hours of walking to do, but at least dusk would set in before long.

  I heard a car slowing down behind me, but I didn’t bother turning my head. Figured I knew who it was.

  “Go away,” I said as the window rolled down with a squeak. “You’ve d
one enough. I’m still not tagging you.”

  “Just wanted to give you a lift, Jacob,” David said. “That’s what friends do, right?”

  I turned, shocked. David sat in a beat-up red sports car with a mismatched hood and door. His arm relaxed out the window, sleeves of his flannel shirt rolled up to the elbows. A constant grumble emanated from the car’s hood, punctuated by a few odd bursts of noise. “This yours?” I asked, secretly relieved to see him.

  “Someone loaned it to me. Sort of.”

  I walked around to the passenger side. “How’ve you been?”

  “I’ve been tired,” David said, and he looked it. Deep lines of worry radiated from the pits of his eyes, as though the orbs smashed into his face at great speed and left cratered Earth behind.

  “You look like shit,” I commented.

  “You look even worse. How’ve you been?”

  “I’m alive,” I said. “That’s enough, right?”

  “Sometimes just waking up in the morning is a victory,” David said, putting the car in drive, easing up to speed on the farm road as loose stones kicked up into the undercarriage.

  We didn’t speak for the first five minutes. I think he wanted me to talk first—but I wasn’t sure what to say. After a while, he seemed to relent. “I thought you’d come back by now. I’m surprised, Jacob, and a little disappointed.”

  I rested my chin on my hand, staring out the open window. “I’ve been a little bit of an idiot,” I said. “Emily was just explaining it to me, actually.”

  He grinned. “Oh yeah?”

  We reached the edge of Kingwood forest; it sped past us. Called to mind riding stolen bikes down this same road all those years ago. “I love Eureka. It’s the opposite of modern life, and at the same time, it’s exactly what our lives are, if we’re willing to admit we don’t really have control. But, something happened to the group. I can’t go back, not to you and Cameron and Steven. We ruin each other.”

  “You still want to quit?” he asked. The pain in his voice was evident, and it cut at my chest. “What if I make some changes? What if I promise to really listen to you?”