Good, because I’d so rather deal with Knox than Foley, so I said I could meet him at three, if he could give me a ride home. God, I hatethe bus—
I hate it, hate it
—and Knox said that would be fine.
After school, I saw him, two blocks away, standing, leaning on his car, and I walked over, and he opened the door for me. So I got in his car, and I thought we’d have to make small talk: How was school, Thea? Fine, thank you. How was your day, Knox? But no. Right away, soon as he pulls out, he goes, Thea, you didn’t tell me you and Cam missed last period Monday afternoon, and I was so busted, I started giggling. I didn’t mean to be a smart-ass, really, but right away, I said, Honestly, Knox, I didn’t miss last period at all, and he smiled for a second, biting the inside of his lip. Then he goes, What did you do? And I said, We went to my house. Is that a crime? He goes, You were at your house that entire time? And I said, Yes, and he said, And nothing unusual? Nothing Cam said that struck you as odd? I go, Everything Cam says strikes me as odd: that’s what I love about him.
So you said you two have been dating since September, he said, pulling out on the highway. And I said, No, we started dating in October, we met in September. September 23, 2010, 3:00 p.m. And then Knox whistled and he goes, Wow. You remember the date and the time, and I actually started blushing. Then, thankfully, his phone rang, and Knox goes, Sorry, one second, and he pulled out his phone. He even answered like you always see them on the TV shows. He goes, Yeah, Knox here—that’s exactly what he said. And then I heard a woman’s voice, and she sounded upset, and then Knox goes, I’ll be right over. He looks at me, and he says, I’m sorry to do this, Thea, but our sitter has to pick her son up from preschool. So I need to stop by myhouse, before I take you home, and I was just like, Oh, no, what happened to her son?
Knox pulls a U-turn, heading back to town. To be honest, I was relieved not to have to go home, and he says, Guess he stuffed a box of raisins up his nose, and I was like, An entire box of raisins? And Knox just sighed again.
I was cool, but it was awkward for some reason, like I got this feeling there was something he wasn’t telling me, and then he says, Do you mind? I said, No, no, that’s fine. So you have a kid? He nodded yes. A daughter. How old is she? I said, and he goes, Oh, about your age. After my last comment, I should’ve just kept my mouth shut, I know, but I didn’t. I said, She’s my age and you still have a babysitter? Knox didn’t say anything: awkward. What’s your daughter’s name? I said, changing the subject, and Knox looked surprised, and it took him a few seconds before he answered the question: Melody, he said. Her name is Melody.
SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011
(FIFTEEN DAYS EARLIER)
9:47 PM
Karen invited me over for sushi, and of course I should’ve known that she’d make it herself, but I was so blown away, because I don’t know anyone who makes their own sushi, you know? I was like, Karen, you are the coolest mom in the whole world, and she started laughing. More? she asked, seeing me finish everything on my plate, including the pickled ginger, and I said, No, thank you, I’m full. It was delicious, sitting back, realizing I’d made a total pig of myself, but it was so worth it.
Karen reached for her sake glass and she sat back in her chair, smiling, then she goes, That reminds me, and then she left the room and came back with a picture. Something I wanted to show you, she said, handing me a picture, sitting down again. It was a picture of Cam as a little boy. He was so young, with all this long white-blond hair; I don’t think he’d ever had it cut. His face was skinny, too, like a kid who’s just lost all his baby fat, and he waswearing this red and blue striped shirt, sitting on a cement floor, with all this junk around him, and something on his hands.
What’s on his hands? I
I hate it, hate it
—and Knox said that would be fine.
After school, I saw him, two blocks away, standing, leaning on his car, and I walked over, and he opened the door for me. So I got in his car, and I thought we’d have to make small talk: How was school, Thea? Fine, thank you. How was your day, Knox? But no. Right away, soon as he pulls out, he goes, Thea, you didn’t tell me you and Cam missed last period Monday afternoon, and I was so busted, I started giggling. I didn’t mean to be a smart-ass, really, but right away, I said, Honestly, Knox, I didn’t miss last period at all, and he smiled for a second, biting the inside of his lip. Then he goes, What did you do? And I said, We went to my house. Is that a crime? He goes, You were at your house that entire time? And I said, Yes, and he said, And nothing unusual? Nothing Cam said that struck you as odd? I go, Everything Cam says strikes me as odd: that’s what I love about him.
So you said you two have been dating since September, he said, pulling out on the highway. And I said, No, we started dating in October, we met in September. September 23, 2010, 3:00 p.m. And then Knox whistled and he goes, Wow. You remember the date and the time, and I actually started blushing. Then, thankfully, his phone rang, and Knox goes, Sorry, one second, and he pulled out his phone. He even answered like you always see them on the TV shows. He goes, Yeah, Knox here—that’s exactly what he said. And then I heard a woman’s voice, and she sounded upset, and then Knox goes, I’ll be right over. He looks at me, and he says, I’m sorry to do this, Thea, but our sitter has to pick her son up from preschool. So I need to stop by myhouse, before I take you home, and I was just like, Oh, no, what happened to her son?
Knox pulls a U-turn, heading back to town. To be honest, I was relieved not to have to go home, and he says, Guess he stuffed a box of raisins up his nose, and I was like, An entire box of raisins? And Knox just sighed again.
I was cool, but it was awkward for some reason, like I got this feeling there was something he wasn’t telling me, and then he says, Do you mind? I said, No, no, that’s fine. So you have a kid? He nodded yes. A daughter. How old is she? I said, and he goes, Oh, about your age. After my last comment, I should’ve just kept my mouth shut, I know, but I didn’t. I said, She’s my age and you still have a babysitter? Knox didn’t say anything: awkward. What’s your daughter’s name? I said, changing the subject, and Knox looked surprised, and it took him a few seconds before he answered the question: Melody, he said. Her name is Melody.
SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2011
(FIFTEEN DAYS EARLIER)
9:47 PM
Karen invited me over for sushi, and of course I should’ve known that she’d make it herself, but I was so blown away, because I don’t know anyone who makes their own sushi, you know? I was like, Karen, you are the coolest mom in the whole world, and she started laughing. More? she asked, seeing me finish everything on my plate, including the pickled ginger, and I said, No, thank you, I’m full. It was delicious, sitting back, realizing I’d made a total pig of myself, but it was so worth it.
Karen reached for her sake glass and she sat back in her chair, smiling, then she goes, That reminds me, and then she left the room and came back with a picture. Something I wanted to show you, she said, handing me a picture, sitting down again. It was a picture of Cam as a little boy. He was so young, with all this long white-blond hair; I don’t think he’d ever had it cut. His face was skinny, too, like a kid who’s just lost all his baby fat, and he waswearing this red and blue striped shirt, sitting on a cement floor, with all this junk around him, and something on his hands.
What’s on his hands? I
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