She makes a little grunting sound and shakes her head. “The last two times I’ve seen you you’ve managed to talk me into coming down here to sneak around.” She pauses. “Are you using me, Zach?”

“No,” I repeat, louder but still aware of the sleeping, gun-toting maniac one floor above. “All I’m trying to do is bust a football coach who has done some bad things. You don’t even know the whole story.” Now I’m getting pissed, thinking of Horton hitting on my mom and ruining Justin’s chances of a football scholarship.

“Get out of here,” she says, suddenly fuming. “I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming. I can’t believe you did this to me.”

“Did what?” I say, holding my arms out, palms facing up.

“Follow me and don’t make a sound. I want you out of here.”

She turns and leads the way back upstairs, through the kitchen, down the short hallway, and into her bedroom, all very quickly and quietly. I follow her the entire way, confused and wondering what I’ve done wrong. She won’t even look at me as I pass her and head toward the open window.

“The screen,” I say, hoping for some type of acknowledgement. “Want me to—”

“I’ll get it,” she hisses, avoiding eye contact and leaning against the far wall, arms wrapped around her shoulders, staying far away from me as if I’m some sort of deadly communicable disease. “Just leave,” she adds. “Now.”

I can’t think of anything else to say, so I hop out the window and make a point of stepping hard on the screen.

Then I jog home

Chapter_18

18

A few days after the Sarah debacle, Mom and Dad have a huge blowout.

It’s early afternoon, and I’m in my bedroom getting ready for work. Ever since the layoffs they’ve made a point of discussing their differences in private, but today emotions run too high for them to sneak away.

I place my ear against the door. Their voices are muffled but audible.

“And all you did was spend it when you got it,” Mom is yelling. “You never thought to put some away for a rainy day.”

“I don’t have anything to put away,” Dad fires back.

“My God, you should hear yourself,” she says and forces a sarcastic laugh. “The reason you never have any money to put away is because you smoke and drink it all away.” She pauses. “Just cut back, Bill, cut back and start saving. Lord knows it’ll help your body, and it might just get a kid through college.”