“The pressure on him. Being Randy’s younger brother. It was more than just a shadow he couldn’t escape. It was a shadow that smothered him. I know you hate him, and I can’t say you don’t have your reasons. But a lot of Buck’s bullying behavior was because he always felt second best.”

I arched an eyebrow. “His parents didn’t hug him enough?”

“Hey, you’re the one who raised this. But think about it. In the past few years, Buck has had to live with the superstar brother. That pressure had to be enormous.”

I could feel my cheeks redden. “No, it didn’t,” I said.

“What?”

“That’s an excuse.” I tried to keep my breathing even, but Brandon took a step back. “My father had to live with a superstar brother too, remember?”

“I do.”

Brandon looked at his feet.

“What?” I said.

“I don’t mean to be cruel, Mickey, but how did that work out for him?”

His words landed right on my chin. “Low blow, Brandon.”

“Not my intent,” Brandon said.

“And my father didn’t turn into a bully who called girls cows or threatened to beat up the new kid.”

“No,” Brandon said gently. “He didn’t.”

“I hear a but.”

“Forget it.”

“My father did good work. He helped the needy.”

“And how about his relationship with his superstar brother?”

I couldn’t believe that he was still going there. “When he and his brother had their falling-out, Myron wasn’t a superstar anymore. He’d already blown out his knee. Myron’s career was over.”

“You’re right,” Brandon said. But I could hear in his tone that he just wanted to move on. “Forget that. I’m not making excuses for Buck, but let’s be real here. Buck was under a lot of pressure to perform, to live up to the hype of being Randy’s brother. Then you add to that all the problems at home, his parents’ divorce . . .”

“And his huge weight gains,” I added.

“So I don’t get it, Mickey. What are you trying to say?”

“I don’t know. I just wonder if it’s connected. Buck suddenly leaves town. Troy tests positive for steroids.”

“I don’t see how they’re related.”

“Neither do I,” I said. Then I added: “Yet.”

CHAPTER 27

When I stepped into Spoon’s hospital room, Ema was already there. Mr. Spindel, Spoon’s father and the school janitor, was up on a ladder, fiddling with wires behind the television.

“Almost done, Dad?” Spoon asked.

“I don’t see why you need this here.”

“I told you. Rachel has a copy of an old Smurfs show on Betamax. We all want to watch it.”

Mr. Spindel stepped down from the ladder with a frown on his face. “That has to be the lamest lie I have ever heard.”

“Or maybe,” Spoon said, “it’s something R rated and completely inappropriate.”