BooksBarbecue
Back Early Departures
Chapters (122)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Facts
  5. 101
  6. 100
  7. 23 Months After the Funeral
  8. 99
  9. 98
  10. 97
  11. 96
  12. 95
  13. 94
  14. 93
  15. 92
  16. 91
  17. 90
  18. 89
  19. 88
  20. 87
  21. 86
  22. 85
  23. 84
  24. 83
  25. 82
  26. 81
  27. 80
  28. 79
  29. 78
  30. 77
  31. 76
  32. 75
  33. 74
  34. 73
  35. 72
  36. 71
  37. 70
  38. 69
  39. 68
  40. 67
  41. 66
  42. 65
  43. 64
  44. 63
  45. 62
  46. 61
  47. 60
  48. 59
  49. 58
  50. Postreanimation Day 1
  51. 57
  52. 56
  53. 55
  54. 54
  55. 53
  56. 52
  57. 51
  58. 50
  59. 49
  60. 48
  61. 47
  62. Day 2
  63. 46
  64. 45
  65. 44
  66. 43
  67. 42
  68. 41
  69. 40
  70. 39
  71. 38
  72. 37
  73. 36
  74. Day 3
  75. 35
  76. 34
  77. 33
  78. 32
  79. 31
  80. 30
  81. Day 4
  82. 29
  83. 28
  84. 27
  85. 26
  86. Quincy
  87. 25
  88. Jamal
  89. 24
  90. 23
  91. 22
  92. 21
  93. 20
  94. Day 4
  95. 19
  96. 18
  97. 17
  98. Day 5
  99. 16
  100. 15
  101. 14
  102. 13
  103. 12
  104. 11
  105. 10
  106. Day 6
  107. 9
  108. 8
  109. 7
  110. 6
  111. 5
  112. 4
  113. 14 Days Postreanimation
  114. 3
  115. 2
  116. 1
  117. 0
  118. Acknowledgments
  119. About the Author
  120. Books by Justin A. Reynolds
  121. Back Ad
  122. About the Publisher

Lakers Jersey (laughing): All of ’em.

*A chime plays and CORRECT flashes on the screen*

Q: You’re awesome, man. Guys, this is Coyote D’Brickashaw, friend of the show for life!

*Q and Lakers Jersey exchange high fives*

27

We walk another block before I try again.

Cut through a playground kid Q and kid Jamal used to chase each other around.

And I want to say the words in the best way, the right way. But there is no best, no right. There is only:

“Q, what’s the last thing you remember about the Hills party the other night?”

Q smirks. “You mean other than us yelling at each other in front of the entire school?”

“You remember what happened after that?”

“Honestly, it’s kind of fuzzy.”

“C’mon, Q. Think.”

He rubs his head in that way people do when they’re trying to recall something. “I’m sorry, man, but I’ve got nothing.” But then he snaps his fingers. “Wait, wait, I do remember something else. I remember I was sitting on the edge of the dock.”

“You don’t remember seeing anyone else out there?”

He shrugs. “Umm, no, it was just me, I think. I feel like . . . wait, wait, there was someone. I remember there was a flash of red. And I thought it was some junk floating. But it wasn’t . . . junk . . . it was . . .”

And I feel bad, helping him remember a night we all want to forget, but I don’t know another way.

“Wait, wait,” Q says, holding up his hands, his face twisted in horror. “I think I—I remember someone swimming . . . she was there. A flash of red. But she made it out. You told me she made it out.”

I shake my head. “I never saw the girl. None of us there at the party saw anyone out in the water but you . . . and then me.”

“We dived in after her?”

“No. You dived in after her. And then I jumped in after you.”

“Why?”

“Because you were . . . you were screaming, Q. You were sinking and you were screaming and . . .”

Q cuts in. “Okay, but so you saved me, right? Jamal to the rescue. And that’s why you were in my room the next morning. Because you were worried about me. I wish I could remember. But I’m . . . thank you for saving my—”