Mr. Robinson didn’t move except to lift his hand the same way.

But Carson saw his eyes were wet.

He’d give him that. Any man before him, Carson’d think that was weak because his father taught him a long time ago just how weak it was for a man to cry.

He’d been seven when he’d learned that lesson, a lesson delivered with a lit cigarette.

It was not the first or the last time his father had used that method to deliver a lesson, but he’d not even so much as teared up since.

But Mr. Robinson made it different.

He made it strong.

Carson nodded once, dropped his hand, turned on his boot, and walked away.

* * *

In the hospital parking garage, he was opening the door to his car, thanking Christ he got that fake ID, which would mean he could rent a hotel room, when he heard a familiar female voice say, “Carson?”

His body locked, all except his head, which swiveled.

And he saw Carissa Teodoro coming his way.

Cute little skirt. Cute little top. Cute little cardigan. Cute little ankle boots. Tights on her slim legs. Honey ringlets bouncing on her shoulders. Eyes aimed direct at him.

But the instant she got a look at his face, she rushed to him, skidding to a stop on the opposite side of his door.

“Oh my God!” she cried. “Are you okay?”

Not her.

Anyone could see him like this but not her.

In the halls, after his dad went at him, he’d avoid her. Skip the classes they had together.

But there she was.

Fuck.

When he said nothing, she asked, “Are you…?” she looked toward the hospital then to him. “Are you going in to get checked out?”

“Did already,” he lied. “I’m good.”

“You sure?” she kept at him. “You look like you need an ice pack.”

“I do,” he told her truthfully.

“Didn’t they give you one?”

He lied again, “I’ll get one when I get home.”

She stared at him and he had a weird feeling she knew he was lying.

It wasn’t like they didn’t speak.

She said “hey” whenever she’d catch his eyes.

She’d tripped down the stairs when she was a sophomore and he was close so he caught her. She’d laughed, told him she was a klutz, and thanked him for saving her from taking a header. In return, he’d told her it was no problem then he took off.

They’d had a substitute teacher once who was a scatterbrain and kept dropping the chalk, and Carissa caught his eyes in class and rolled hers.

She’d also been in front of him in line at Dairy Queen with her dad once when he was there getting Mrs. Heely a hot fudge sundae and she’d shared that Blizzards with Reese’s Pieces and Cups were the bomb.