that?”
“What were you doing?” I said. “You were embarrassing yourself.”
Lila stopped. “What the hell, Charlie?
Embarrassing
myself?”
“He looked really uncomfortable.”
“We were just talking. Jesus.” She started down the hall and I followed.
I let a moment pass, then said, “I had to pull you away. He was clearly getting a dangerously large erection.”
She glanced at me. “Bet it’d look better in a Speedo.”
“True,” I said. “Let’s hope someday we find out for sure.”
The newspaper had become my favorite part of the week. Our lit classes weren’t long enough, and Drummond was more relaxed after school; most days
Truth Bomb
became an excuse to chat rather than a legitimate enterprise. Even Asha seemed more tolerant of him now, though she was usually at a computer working while the rest of us talked.
That day she was taking pictures. I mostly kept my head down so she wouldn’t notice me, but eventually she came over and stood in front of me as I read one of my most recent library selections.
“You know I still exist even if you keep your head down?” she said. “I think they call that object permanence.”
I laughed despite myself. “What’s up?”
She slid onto the edge of the table. “I don’t want to interrupt when you’re clearly busy, but can I get a picture with you and Dev?”
“No pictures.”
“Come on, you have to. Otherwise how will they know who to complain to?”
I looked at Dev, who was working at a computer with Drummond.
“With Dev?” I said.
“You guys are the two opinion columnists. In theory, anyway.”
“Oh, right,” I said. I could tell she wasn’t going to leave until I agreed. Asha didn’t brook argument when she’d made up her mind. “Okay, if I have to.”
She turned around. “Dev!” she said. “Get over here.”
He looked up and so did Drummond. He said something to Drummond, and Drummond nodded. He watched as Dev came over to us.
“I need you to pose with Charlie,” Asha said.
Dev looked at me. “I take it she’s bossing you around too?”
“I’d call it decisiveness,” I said.
He huffed. “You know, I’m older by ten minutes.”
Asha ignored him. “Come on, kids,” she said. “The quicker you do this, the quicker it’s over.”
Dev sat across from me so we were on either side of the table, and we posed a few times with pencils askew in our teeth. I saw Drummond glance at us occasionally and it thrilled me, knowing he was watching. Everything I did in his presence had become a performance I hoped he would notice.
“All right,” Asha said finally. “You can get back to your little golf column.”
“What’s the golf column?” I asked.
Dev looked at me without turning from Asha. “I’m writing a column on whether golf is a sport or an activity.”
“It’s more like pin the tail on the donkey for adults, isn’t it?” I said, and Asha laughed.
“It takes skill!” he said, but he laughed too and turned toward me.
“I didn’t say it didn’t,” I said. “But you could definitely improve it with blindfolds and alcohol.”
“Since when do you like golf, anyway?” Asha said. “I thought it was Xbox sports only.”
“Dad took me a few weeks ago.”
“What, when he was home?”
“Yeah, and when he’s on leave for Christmas, he’s taking me and Frank again.”
“Hang on,” she said. “I thought the two of us were—” She glanced at me. “Never mind. I have to upload these pictures.” She passed Drummond as she left. I looked at Dev and he shrugged and rolled his eyes in a long-suffering sort of way.
“What’s this ruckus about?” Drummond said, and rapped his knuckles on the table.
Dev looked up. “Ah, good. We need you to arbitrate something for us.”
Drummond sat down on the table, between me and Dev. He’d never gotten this close to me.
“What’s up?” he said. He leaned back and put his hands out behind him so that he was nearly touching my hands, which I’d
“What were you doing?” I said. “You were embarrassing yourself.”
Lila stopped. “What the hell, Charlie?
Embarrassing
myself?”
“He looked really uncomfortable.”
“We were just talking. Jesus.” She started down the hall and I followed.
I let a moment pass, then said, “I had to pull you away. He was clearly getting a dangerously large erection.”
She glanced at me. “Bet it’d look better in a Speedo.”
“True,” I said. “Let’s hope someday we find out for sure.”
The newspaper had become my favorite part of the week. Our lit classes weren’t long enough, and Drummond was more relaxed after school; most days
Truth Bomb
became an excuse to chat rather than a legitimate enterprise. Even Asha seemed more tolerant of him now, though she was usually at a computer working while the rest of us talked.
That day she was taking pictures. I mostly kept my head down so she wouldn’t notice me, but eventually she came over and stood in front of me as I read one of my most recent library selections.
“You know I still exist even if you keep your head down?” she said. “I think they call that object permanence.”
I laughed despite myself. “What’s up?”
She slid onto the edge of the table. “I don’t want to interrupt when you’re clearly busy, but can I get a picture with you and Dev?”
“No pictures.”
“Come on, you have to. Otherwise how will they know who to complain to?”
I looked at Dev, who was working at a computer with Drummond.
“With Dev?” I said.
“You guys are the two opinion columnists. In theory, anyway.”
“Oh, right,” I said. I could tell she wasn’t going to leave until I agreed. Asha didn’t brook argument when she’d made up her mind. “Okay, if I have to.”
She turned around. “Dev!” she said. “Get over here.”
He looked up and so did Drummond. He said something to Drummond, and Drummond nodded. He watched as Dev came over to us.
“I need you to pose with Charlie,” Asha said.
Dev looked at me. “I take it she’s bossing you around too?”
“I’d call it decisiveness,” I said.
He huffed. “You know, I’m older by ten minutes.”
Asha ignored him. “Come on, kids,” she said. “The quicker you do this, the quicker it’s over.”
Dev sat across from me so we were on either side of the table, and we posed a few times with pencils askew in our teeth. I saw Drummond glance at us occasionally and it thrilled me, knowing he was watching. Everything I did in his presence had become a performance I hoped he would notice.
“All right,” Asha said finally. “You can get back to your little golf column.”
“What’s the golf column?” I asked.
Dev looked at me without turning from Asha. “I’m writing a column on whether golf is a sport or an activity.”
“It’s more like pin the tail on the donkey for adults, isn’t it?” I said, and Asha laughed.
“It takes skill!” he said, but he laughed too and turned toward me.
“I didn’t say it didn’t,” I said. “But you could definitely improve it with blindfolds and alcohol.”
“Since when do you like golf, anyway?” Asha said. “I thought it was Xbox sports only.”
“Dad took me a few weeks ago.”
“What, when he was home?”
“Yeah, and when he’s on leave for Christmas, he’s taking me and Frank again.”
“Hang on,” she said. “I thought the two of us were—” She glanced at me. “Never mind. I have to upload these pictures.” She passed Drummond as she left. I looked at Dev and he shrugged and rolled his eyes in a long-suffering sort of way.
“What’s this ruckus about?” Drummond said, and rapped his knuckles on the table.
Dev looked up. “Ah, good. We need you to arbitrate something for us.”
Drummond sat down on the table, between me and Dev. He’d never gotten this close to me.
“What’s up?” he said. He leaned back and put his hands out behind him so that he was nearly touching my hands, which I’d
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