Read Online Bat Summer by Sarah Withrow - Free Book Online

away.
    â€œGet up,” he says. So I do. I take the toilet paper out of my mouth and put it on the shelf in the closet. All the time I can feel him watching my every move.
    â€œAre you Terry?”
    I nod. He has his hands on my shoulders so I can’t run away. I want to say, “I’m just a kid, I’m just a kid,” but I can’t help thinking about those ketchup magazines I’ve got hidden under my mattress.
    Lucy’s dad is looking me straight in the eye, and I’m having a hard time looking innocent.
    â€œTerence was just helping me clean up,” Lucy says. Her dad looks her over, too, takes in her wet hair and her bathing suit, and my dry hair and dry clothes. Lucy backs into the living room. “See, Dad?”He grabs the back of my collar and pulls me with him into the living room. Right away he softens up. He moves his hand to my head.
    â€œOkay,” he says. He doesn’t look particularly happy. He looks like he just ran five miles in his bathrobe. “But I told you no friends, Lucy. I’m going to have to ask you to leave, Terry.” I wince a little at him saying my name like that. I feel my heart pounding harder in my chest. I don’t want to leave Lucy alone to get in trouble. Not like Rico left me.
    â€œI’ll see you tomorrow, Terence,” Lucy says. “I have an idea I want to talk to you about.”
    â€œLike what?” her dad says.
    â€œDaaaad,” Lucy says. She’s trying to smooth it over and it’s working a bit. “It’s kid’s stuff, Dad.” She puts her hand on his arm. “You wouldn’t understand.” Her dad takes another look at the living room. He nods and rubs his eyes. He looks like he hasn’t slept in twenty years. He walks back toward the washroom.
    Lucy walks me to the door.
    â€œThanks, Terence,” she says. “Meet me at the picnic table tomorrow.” She closes the door. Instead of taking the elevator, I run down all the stairs. I run ten floors in two minutes.
    When I get home, this weenie guy in an orange tie is reading the comics on the couch. He has his shoesoff. He’s wearing gym socks with a suit. Elys would have something to say about that. She may not have a job, but she knows a thing or two about what’s wrong in work attire, and gym socks top the list.
    I’m thinking, “Make yourself at home, buddy.” I’m thinking it, but what I say is, “Uh, hi.”
    The guy pops right up, like I’m his captain. He has one of those moustaches where the ends grow down around the mouth like two daggers. It makes his head look bigger, somehow. It’s the wrong kind of moustache for someone in a suit. My mom likes guys who look like they should be wearing motorcycle outfits but are wearing suits instead.
    â€œYou must be Terence,” he says, sticking out his hand. I have to take it. “I’m Farley. Your mom’s upstairs.” As if I didn’t know. “You’re off school now, right?”
    â€œRight,” I say. I sit down on the rocking chair. Farley’s in my usual spot. I don’t know what I thought he would look like, but he’s shorter than that.
    The guy looks me over. He seems to be looking for something to ask me about. I would ask him something, but I don’t feel like it right now.
    â€œYou’ve got your mother’s eyes,” he says.
    I think, “Better than having her boobs,” but what I say is, “Yeah, I guess. We both have 20/20 vision.”
    Farley laughs.
    I can tell by the way he’s looking at me that he has it bad for my mom. I can just tell. He looks happy about me, which is the wrong way for a boyfriend to act about his girlfriend’s kid. He’s supposed to look more scared.
    I close my eyes because Farley is looking at them all goofy.
    â€œYou been out bothering the girls, Ter?” he says. He shouldn’t call me Ter right off. That’s a