Something else is eating away at me as well. It involves my brother. Justin has always been mysterious and downright weird when it comes to why he quit playing football. All he ever says is that he had some personal issues with Coach Horton. Well, the top players on our team are huge dudes who are obviously popping more than multivitamins. So, knowing that Tank’s juicing, is there any chance that steroids had something to do with why Justin ditched football, the only sport he loves? Justin was phenomenal on the playing field, but he was always one of the smallest guys out there, especially toward the end of his junior year. Did another player, or players (or adult/adults), try to get him to use the stuff? I mean, it’s all just wild speculation, but I’ve always had this feeling that something other than a disagreement with Coach Horton figured into why he left the team.

Anyway, after cleaning up the sticky beer pond, I meet Brandon at the returnable bins.

Both shopping carts are still full.

He gestures toward the seven wooden bins. “This next part’s easy. All you do is start picking out cans and tossing them into the correct bin. See the signs?”

There’s a piece of cardboard taped to the wall behind each bin, listing the brands you can place inside. Brandon picks up two Budweiser cans from the top of a cart.

“Like these Bud cans,” he continues. “They go in the first bin, along with all the other Anheuser-Busch stuff.” He tosses them in and they clang lightly against others already inside. “You’ll be a little slow at first, but you’ll have them memorized after a few days. I can empty a full cart in less than five minutes.” He says it with pride. “If you’re not sure where one goes, just look at the signs.”

“Cool.”

“Look.” He plucks out a case of empty Miller cans. “Some people are nice and clean about it, like the guy who brought these back. I bet he lives in Blaine Heights.” He holds up the case. “If it’s a full case, or you look in the bag and they’re all the same kind, just dump them all in. Miller goes in the second bin.” He turns the case upside down over the bin and shakes it. The cans spill out like candy from a busted piñata. “Break down all the cardboard and use the first empty cart for garbage. Put all the bags in there, too.” He flattens the empty case and drops it on the floor.

“Seems easy enough.”

“There’s one little trick, though.” Brandon reaches into the cart and digs around for a few seconds before pulling out a brown bottle and holding it up to my face. “What do you notice?”

“It’s not empty. There’s a half-inch of beer at the bottom.”

“And?”

I look closer.