what Adam wanted: headphones? New Jordans? Like I said, none of my business. I don’t care. Besides, who cares about Adam Michaels when Jamie’s on my mind? She’s always on my mind, it just depends on the corner.
I hear a voice call my name.
“Dylan!” My name comes at me. “Dylan! A word, please! Don’t go home yet!”
I am not in the mood for any more delays. “Hey, Coach Fowler.”
He jogs down the hall, his silver whistle bobbing all over the place. Dignity, my man, you lost it when you started harassing me to play a sport I want no association with. Panting, he arrives and lays a heavy hand on my shoulder. “I know we’ve chatted before…,” he begins.
“Yeah, and my leg’s still broken.”
“But it won’t be next year!” he says. “We could really use you. It would be a great help to the school if we had you on the team.”
“You know the farthest I got was Pop Warner when I was ten.”
He throws his hands up. “I don’t care! I’ll take you under my wing, give you a recommendation to any school you want. Heck, I’ll even drive you to tour the colleges!”
“I already said no.” Go Team Brain.
“If you’re worried about being behind, you’ve got plenty of time to learn.”
It’s not hard to learn how to be a brick wall. “Once again, not interested.”
“Dylan, please…” He leans in and whispers, “Think of the girls!”
I grin. “Already got one,” I say, turning my wheels to go. “Later, Coach.”
Leaving him hanging in the hall was good, but even better? Going to see Jamie and get more. More bus rides and more five good things about her and just plain
more
of everything. I want more. We’ve only seen each other once in a room full of nutters—but now I’m the one feeling something crazy. I feel hope.
Mom picks me up and starts lecturing as soon as my seat belt buckles. “No running off today. You say hello to that girl and have a nice visit, but you stay at the hospital, understand?”
“Yeah.”
“Yes,” she demands.
Jeezus. “Yes.”
She rambles on about therapy and how worried she is, blah blah blah. There’s no convincing her I am fine and do not need therapy, so I nod my head to the beat. Yes, I’ll be there when you pick me up. Yes, I’ll listen to the doctor. Yes, I’ll participate. But the whole time my heart is thumping Ja-mie, Ja-mie, Ja-mie, Ja-mie….
We slow down in front of the entrance and she helps me unload. Mom hands me my bag and looks me dead in the eye. “You’ll be here waiting for me, when?”
“Ninety minutes from now.”
She smothers me in a big hug. “I love you, sweetie. Have a good session. Be strong.”
Inside the lobby, I roll toward our dismal room and wonder if she’ll be there early, like me. “Hey,” she says from behind.
I spin around. It’s her.
Jamie leans against a metal fire extinguisher cubby. “Want to get out of here and do something horrible?”
“Yes, immediately.”
TWELVE
Ten minutes later we’re across the street at a little park where tiny kids take turns falling off a slide onto a squishy sponge disguised as grass. Moms pretending not to check their phones while they push their tots on the swings. I wonder if they have actual things to check or if they’re just bored. The kids don’t care. They swing and jump and play under the drifting leaves among the last rays of afternoon light.
It’s not like Jamie and I want to be here with all these moms, but the park is close enough that I can be back at the hospital in ninety minutes. We meander to nowhere in particular and end up under an old dome that’s been repurposed into a rotunda. She holds on to a wrought iron pole and lets gravity swing her down to the stone step below with a plop.
“I just didn’t want to be there, you know?” she says. “I’m tired of it. The drivel.”
“I hear you.” It’s crisp without the threat of rain, and I lift my face to the sun. My eyes might be closed, but I can see her clearly through
I hear a voice call my name.
“Dylan!” My name comes at me. “Dylan! A word, please! Don’t go home yet!”
I am not in the mood for any more delays. “Hey, Coach Fowler.”
He jogs down the hall, his silver whistle bobbing all over the place. Dignity, my man, you lost it when you started harassing me to play a sport I want no association with. Panting, he arrives and lays a heavy hand on my shoulder. “I know we’ve chatted before…,” he begins.
“Yeah, and my leg’s still broken.”
“But it won’t be next year!” he says. “We could really use you. It would be a great help to the school if we had you on the team.”
“You know the farthest I got was Pop Warner when I was ten.”
He throws his hands up. “I don’t care! I’ll take you under my wing, give you a recommendation to any school you want. Heck, I’ll even drive you to tour the colleges!”
“I already said no.” Go Team Brain.
“If you’re worried about being behind, you’ve got plenty of time to learn.”
It’s not hard to learn how to be a brick wall. “Once again, not interested.”
“Dylan, please…” He leans in and whispers, “Think of the girls!”
I grin. “Already got one,” I say, turning my wheels to go. “Later, Coach.”
Leaving him hanging in the hall was good, but even better? Going to see Jamie and get more. More bus rides and more five good things about her and just plain
more
of everything. I want more. We’ve only seen each other once in a room full of nutters—but now I’m the one feeling something crazy. I feel hope.
Mom picks me up and starts lecturing as soon as my seat belt buckles. “No running off today. You say hello to that girl and have a nice visit, but you stay at the hospital, understand?”
“Yeah.”
“Yes,” she demands.
Jeezus. “Yes.”
She rambles on about therapy and how worried she is, blah blah blah. There’s no convincing her I am fine and do not need therapy, so I nod my head to the beat. Yes, I’ll be there when you pick me up. Yes, I’ll listen to the doctor. Yes, I’ll participate. But the whole time my heart is thumping Ja-mie, Ja-mie, Ja-mie, Ja-mie….
We slow down in front of the entrance and she helps me unload. Mom hands me my bag and looks me dead in the eye. “You’ll be here waiting for me, when?”
“Ninety minutes from now.”
She smothers me in a big hug. “I love you, sweetie. Have a good session. Be strong.”
Inside the lobby, I roll toward our dismal room and wonder if she’ll be there early, like me. “Hey,” she says from behind.
I spin around. It’s her.
Jamie leans against a metal fire extinguisher cubby. “Want to get out of here and do something horrible?”
“Yes, immediately.”
TWELVE
Ten minutes later we’re across the street at a little park where tiny kids take turns falling off a slide onto a squishy sponge disguised as grass. Moms pretending not to check their phones while they push their tots on the swings. I wonder if they have actual things to check or if they’re just bored. The kids don’t care. They swing and jump and play under the drifting leaves among the last rays of afternoon light.
It’s not like Jamie and I want to be here with all these moms, but the park is close enough that I can be back at the hospital in ninety minutes. We meander to nowhere in particular and end up under an old dome that’s been repurposed into a rotunda. She holds on to a wrought iron pole and lets gravity swing her down to the stone step below with a plop.
“I just didn’t want to be there, you know?” she says. “I’m tired of it. The drivel.”
“I hear you.” It’s crisp without the threat of rain, and I lift my face to the sun. My eyes might be closed, but I can see her clearly through
Similar Books
