Read Online Project X by Jim Shepard - Free Book Online Page B

both sides of his face.
    â€œWhere’s the gym?” I go.
    â€œOver here,” he goes. He leaves the stick on it. He yawns. It makes me yawn. He farts. I make a face and he waves his arm to move the air. “What do you care where the gym is?” he goes.
    â€œThe gym only has two sets of double doors and that little door,” I tell him.
    He’s still got his fists on his face. His head starts moving, up and down. “During assembly,” he goes.
    â€œMaybe we could do something with the little door ahead of time,” I go.
    He keeps nodding, looking at the dirt.
    â€œBreak the lock or something,” I go.
    â€œRight before,” he goes. “Then you come in this double door.” He puts his finger in the dirt. “And I come in this one.” He’s still nodding, picturing the whole thing. He looks at me, happy for the first time all day. “This is a good idea,” he goes. “This is a good idea, Edwin.”
    â€œWhat’d you teach today?” I ask my dad. Dinner’s late because the sweet potatoes are taking forever. He and Gus are hanging out on his bed watching TV. He’s lying on his back with his head on the headboard, and Gus is sitting on his chest. He has to tilt his head to the side to see.
    â€œWanna see my wicked face?” Gus asks. When I tell him sure, he pulls his lower eyelids down and grimaces.
    â€œMacro,” my dad goes.
    â€œWas it fun?” I ask him.
    â€œI like macro,” he says, then looks at me sideways. “You looking for something?”
    I wander into the kitchen.
    â€œWhat’s everybody up to?” my mom wants to know.
    They’re watching TV, I tell her. She’s cutting up an avocado for a salad.
    â€œAre there any other kids at school who don’t watch TV?” she asks.
    â€œBesides me, you mean,” I go.
    â€œBesides you and Roddy,” she says.
    â€œNot that I know of,” I tell her.
    â€œDon’t kids talk about shows and stuff that’re on all the time?” she asks.
    â€œAll the time,” I go.
    â€œDon’t you feel left out?” she asks.
    â€œAll the time,” I go.
    She washes her hands and dries them and checks the sweet potatoes in the oven. They must be done because she sticks each of them with a fork and then pulls them out and dumps them in a bowl.
    â€œI think Gus is going to turn out to be normal,” I go.
    â€œOh, Edwin,” she says. She acts like the potato bowl is too heavy to lift. “Don’t say that.”
    â€œHe is,” I tell her.
    â€œYou’re not abnormal,” she says.
    â€œI’m not?” I go.
    She starts putting stuff on the table.
    â€œI’m not?” I go.
    â€œLook, I don’t have the energy to fight about this right now,” she goes.
    â€œI’m not fighting,” I go. “I’m asking a question.”
    â€œWhat’s the question?” she asks, sitting down alone at the dining room table.
    â€œI’m not abnormal?” I go.
    â€œLet’s
move,
” she calls to everybody else. “Dinner!”
    I sit and take a sweet potato and cut it open. It’s like lava inside. “I’m glad to know I’m not abnormal,” I go.
    â€œEdwin, please,” she goes.
    â€œEdwin please what?” my dad goes. He’s in charge of drinks, so he hits the fridge and brings over a pitcher of ice water for them and a carton of milk for us.
    â€œTurns out I’m not abnormal,” I go.
    â€œWell, let’s not rush to judgment on
that
one,” he goes.
    â€œHoney,” my mom goes.
    â€œWhat?” he goes. “I can’t kid around with him?”
    She shakes her head and starts dishing out the meat.
    â€œYou’re fine,” my dad says to me. “I grew up with kids who make you and Flake look like Archie and Jughead.”
    Everybody eats for a while. I’m mad I got into this.
    â€œI got a rash on my