I mean, I can feel my face and ears get all red when I think about him and everything we’ve been through, and other times I’ll just break into these hysterical laughing fits as I relive our various exploits. Sometimes I hate him, but most of the time I really miss him. In fact, I think I miss Tank more than I miss Sarah.

I’m still Huey’s stock boy, by the way. Ditching football has allowed me to work every day after school. Huey’s still constantly drunk. He hasn’t said a word about Helen in weeks, leading me to believe she’s either left him or they’re in some mega-huge fight or whatever. Who knows, maybe she bought a one-way ticket to Boulder to be with Big Dale. It wouldn’t surprise me.

Anyway, I’m working my ass off and using most of the cash to help Mom pay for gas, groceries, and other stuff around the house. That makes me feel good, knowing that I’m doing my part to help her through this mess. I put a good word in to Huey for Barry Deck, Jr., too. Huey says he might hire him for extra help when the holidays roll around. We’ll see.

Dad’s out for good, too, which is the best thing that’s ever happened to Mom. The divorce isn’t official yet or anything, but he’s moved out and currently lives with some other laid-off divorced dude he knows from the factory.

Mom was all down in the dumps the first few days after Dad officially packed his bags, but lately she seems much happier. What she doesn’t know is that I’m currently in the process of trying to track down Captain Rick North’s email address through NASA. I’d like to know his marital status. If he’s single, I’m totally hooking him back up with my mom.

I mean, they say first loves never die, right?

And how cool would it be if my mom finally pulled her “Captain Rick” with the real Captain Rick? Oh my God. It’s too much to think about.

As for school … well, so far senior year is okay. I see Chad Billings and the other wrestlers from that night in Mandy Frack’s backyard sometimes. They can’t even make eye contact with me. It’s like I have this special power over them because I witnessed what almost proved to be their deaths. I’m guessing nobody—not even Mandy’s parents—filed a single police report relating to the evening of August 10th. Legally speaking, it’s as if the incidents of that night never happened.

I bet Dale Foster had something to do with that.

And then there’s Coach Horton.