“Oh, I will,” she said, and, man, it sounded like a lie now.

“No, not like that. Not like last time. Things have changed.”

“I don’t understand, Mickey.”

“Get better, Mom,” I said, standing up now. “Because the next time I come back, I’m bringing Dad.”

CHAPTER 26

I hurried out then. Christine Shippee said, “Wait, where are you going?”

“No,” I said.

“What?”

I spun back to her. “She stays. I was only in there a few minutes. Please.”

She looked at me, then at Myron. Myron shrugged.

“Please,” I said again. “Just trust me, okay?”

Christine Shippee nodded. “Okay, but, Mickey?”

“Yes?”

“You can’t do this again.”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I won’t be back until everything has changed.”

• • •

I was in school, on my way to practice the next day, when Rachel sent me a text: In Philadelphia with my dad.

I typed back: Sounds like fun.

I told him I knew the truth about my mom.

I nodded toward the screen. How did it go?

There was a small delay before she typed back: Not well. Yet. But it chased the lie from the room.

I smiled. Good.

Be back late tonight. Can you update me in the morning?

Sure.

Great. My place early AM. See you then. Take care.

I wrote back, because I’m the master of smooth: You too.

I stared down at the phone until a voice jarred me back to the present.

“What are you smiling at?”

I looked up too quickly. “Nothing.”

Ema frowned. “Right.”

“It was nothing. Someone just sent me a joke.”

“One of your new jock friends? I bet it was a riot.”

“What’s up?”

“Guess who found us a Betamax machine so we can watch that tape,” Ema said.

“You?”

“Nope. Spoon. If you can skip chilling with your hoops bros tonight, maybe we could go to the hospital and watch the tape together.”

“I’m there,” I said.

“Goodie.”

Ema took off. I got ready for practice. A bunch of the guys were joking around and I joined in and I enjoyed it and the heck with Ema and her attitude. I was allowed to have a little fun, wasn’t I? I spotted Brandon lacing up his sneakers in the corner. He looked over at me and tilted his head as though asking, Well?

I walked over to him. “Let me ask you something,” I said.

“What?”

“It’s about Buck.”

“What about him?”

“From what I understand, his parents are divorced.”

“Right. I think they split three, four years ago, I don’t know.”

“Was it hard on Buck?”

Brandon squinted at me. “What difference does that make?”

“I’m just finding this all a little convenient.”

“What?”

“Buck has lived his whole life in this town, right?”

“Right.”

“So suddenly, a few weeks into his senior year, he has to leave his friends and school and live with his mother?”