Six by Mark Alpert

after-school mood. “I’m gonna go talk to Ashley for a second,” she says. She pats Ryan on the back and speed-walks away.
    At the same time, Dad shuts off the Volvo’s engine and pulls his cell phone out of his pocket. “Excuse me,” he says tactfully. “I need to make a call.” Then he steps out of the car, leaving me alone with Ryan.
    Neither of us says anything at first. Ryan shifts his weight from foot to foot, averting his eyes. After a while I start to feel sorry for him. But then I look at his handsome face and muscular forearms, and I’m jealous and angry again.
    â€œYou’ve gained some weight,” I say. “Aren’t you getting a little too heavy to play quarterback?”
    â€œYeah, I need to cut down a little.” He slaps his midsection, which is actually as trim and sturdy as a tree trunk. “So what are you doing here, buddy? Are you coming back to school?”
    I grimace. “No. I’m thinking of transferring to another school, actually.”
    â€œNot Lakeland, I hope.” He attempts another grin.
    â€œNo, it’s in another state. Out west.”
    Ryan nods. “Wow, that’s far away.”
    â€œDon’t worry. I don’t expect you to visit.”
    He lets out a long breath. His shoulders slump as he stands beside the passenger-side door. “I’m sorry, man. I’m a total jerk. I should’ve come to see you.”
    â€œHey, no sweat. You’ve been busy, right? With your football buddies. And Donna Simone. She’s a real charmer.” I’m usually not like this, so mean and sarcastic, but I’m furious at Ryan and it feels good to let it out. “And besides, I’m gonna make lots of new friends now. At my new school, out west. They’ve got a great bunch of kids there.”
    â€œI’ll do better from now on, Adam. I’ll send you emails. I promise.”
    â€œNo, that’s okay. I understand why you didn’t keep in touch. Being friends…with someone who’s dying? That’s a big…downer.” It’s getting hard to breathe. I pause for a few seconds to gather my strength. I need to say this. “But here’s what…I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me…about what happened to Brittany?”
    Ryan shakes his head. “Oh man. What a mess.”
    â€œDon’t you think…I deserved to know?”
    â€œYou’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just…” He raises his hands as if surrendering. “It happened so suddenly, you know? She came to school one day and she wasn’t the old Britt anymore. She quit the cheerleaders, started failing her classes. Nobody could figure it out.”
    â€œDid you try…talking to her?”
    He frowns. “Of course I tried. But she was acting so weird. You couldn’t have a conversation with her. She’d say strange, random things and start laughing. And a few weeks later she ran away.”
    â€œWhat was wrong…with her? What happened?”
    â€œMan, I wish I knew. When the cops found her in Manhattan, she was in an abandoned building with a bunch of skeevy kids, but she wasn’t doing drugs or anything like that. She just didn’t want to go home. At least that’s the story I heard. And when she ran away the second time, I guess she went back to that building.”
    â€œWhere in Manhattan was it?”
    Ryan looks up at the sky, trying to remember. “No one told me where specifically. But I think it was in, you know, one of the poor parts of the city. Like maybe Harlem?”
    This is frustrating. I can’t believe that Ryan knows so little. He and Brittany used to come to my house every weekend. We were like the Three Musketeers. We did everything together. “Why didn’t you talk…to her parents? I’m sure they know where…this building is.”
    Ryan frowns again. “No, I couldn’t do that.